WW1 POW camp Schneidemuhl

[The Greens]

Hoping someone may be able to help.
I am typing the diary of a WW1 POW who was in a POW camp in Schneidemuhl (now Pila).
Is there anyone on the forum with a photo of POW's in a WW1 camp that would be willing to let me use it for the diary?
I would like to have a photo so anyone reading the diary could get an idea of what the camp or a simalr camp woud have been like and the conditions.
The POW's were made to work in mines in the area. Even a photo of the mines would be appreciated.
Regards
Sue
New Zealand

[bikerboyzx6r]

Hello Sue

This link might be helpful, you may be a ble to contact the owner.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...howtopic=61900

Regards
Dan

[Frank K]

Hi Sue
sorry can't help you with a photo, sorry.

Can tell you though that I've been in that area regularly in the past 20 years and I doubt very much that there would be any mines.

The landscape is formed from the last iceage, small hills etc and the ground is very sandy with a lot of forest around.

If the pow's should have worked in mines the camps should imo have been in the Schlesien (now Slask) area. A lot of coal mines there.

[The Greens]

Hello Sue

This link might be helpful, you may be a ble to contact the owner.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...howtopic=61900

Regards
Dan

Hi Dan,
Many thanks. I also belong to the Great War Forum.
Have checked it out may get some luck
regards
Sue

[The Greens]

Many thanks

Hello Frank,
Many thanks for your reply.
I have copied a bit from the diary that Charles mentions arriving in Schneidemuhl
Nov. 2nd. Our train journey came to a conclusion, and very glad we were, too. At 8 a.m. we got off, and found ourselves just outside the town of Schneidemühl, a fairly large military centre.
Thoughout the diary he mentions the differnet names of the mines he was sent to.
It does sound as if they travelled some distance to them.
Regards
Sue

[The Greens]

POW camp

Hello Frank,
I have been going through the diary again and Charles mentions the following.
Aug 29th 1915. The train passed through Posen, the capital of the province of that name.
Aug. 30th. On arriving at a place called Bossigwerk we were ordered out in Upper Silesia. We marched off and finally reached Kron Prinz Strasse (Crown Prince Street) in the village of Miechowitz. At the bottom of this street was our future home until the end of the war.
Was wondering if any of these names look familiar to you or anyone else reading this post as this is where Charles was held in a POW camp.
I would like if possible to obtain a photo of the camp he was in or one simalar to add to his diary I am typing.
Regards
Sue
New Zealand

[Gerdan]

Miechowitz was a town in Kreis (county) Beuthen in Upper Silesia

Gerdan

[The Greens]

Miechowitz was a town in Kreis (county) Beuthen in Upper Silesia

Gerdan

Hi Gerdan,
Many thanks for the info.
I was not sure if Charles had spelt the town names correctly.
I have done a search through Google earth some of the names came up but not the last place where he mentions the camp. I wondered if after the war the name change.
Many thanks again
Regards
Sue

[Willi Z.]

I was just in the Schneidemuhl area last fall as my father was born and raised in a small village about 12 kms east of there.

While I was doing some research on the area I came across some information on the WWI POW camp and cemetary. The information was linked to Schneidemuhl. But, I can't locate the file right now. I found the information via Google. I do recall that the camp was not actually in Schneidemuhl. Might have been near Posen. I do know the cemetary still exists.

Scheidemuhl was a major rail hub during that timeframe. The town also housed a large aircraft factory.

[The Greens]

Hi Willi,
Many thanks for the reply.
Charles often mentioned Schneidemuhl in the diary he kept calling it Schneidemuhl but further reading he mentioned the camp was in fact in Miechowitz. Which is in Kreis, Beuthen, Upper Silesia as explained in a reply.
I am learning fast about Poland from the help given.
Many thanks
Regards
Sue

[Frank K]

Hello Sue,
you're welcome. I don't have a lot to add except that Schneidemühl today is called Pila (pronounced Piwa).

Posen is today called Poznan and is the capital of the province Wielkopolska.

Miechowitz is today called Miechowice as far as I can tell. It's in the Katowize area, so that sounds a lot more probably regarding mines.

How Schneidemühl fits in here is a good question. Maybe it was used to gather the pow's (because of the railway like Willi mentions) before they were spread out in work details. I'm just guessing here.