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UK subjected survivors of Nazis to oppressive questioning, files show UK subjected survivors of Nazis to oppressive questioning, files show
(5 months later)
Whitehall officials subjected British victims of Nazi persecution to months and sometimes years of oppressive questioning as they applied for German-funded compensation – questioning their harrowing accounts of their experiences in concentration camps, newly released documents reveal.Whitehall officials subjected British victims of Nazi persecution to months and sometimes years of oppressive questioning as they applied for German-funded compensation – questioning their harrowing accounts of their experiences in concentration camps, newly released documents reveal.
In one case, officials spent years investigating the family background of the renowned secret agent Violette Szabó – the Special Operations Executive agent who was dropped by parachute into France, captured, tortured, and executed in Ravensbruck concentration camp – to determine whether her daughter was entitled to compensation.In one case, officials spent years investigating the family background of the renowned secret agent Violette Szabó – the Special Operations Executive agent who was dropped by parachute into France, captured, tortured, and executed in Ravensbruck concentration camp – to determine whether her daughter was entitled to compensation.
Records of hundreds of claimants incarcerated by the Nazis, many of whom were unsuccessful, were released on Thursday at the National Archives, more than 50 years after the German government agreed to contribute a total of £1m to UK nationals or their dependants. The money was eventually shared among 1,015 individuals.Records of hundreds of claimants incarcerated by the Nazis, many of whom were unsuccessful, were released on Thursday at the National Archives, more than 50 years after the German government agreed to contribute a total of £1m to UK nationals or their dependants. The money was eventually shared among 1,015 individuals.
Related: Revealed: how Associated Press cooperated with the Nazis
In one of the most shameful cases, Leon Greenman, a British subject captured in the occupied Netherlands and whose wife and child were gassed at Auschwitz, was refused compensation on the grounds he was regarded as a dual UK-Dutch national. In exchanges with the Foreign Office he explained that his British passport was destroyed in the Rotterdam blitz. Officials advised him to seek compensation from the post-war Dutch government. He rejected an offer of £500.In one of the most shameful cases, Leon Greenman, a British subject captured in the occupied Netherlands and whose wife and child were gassed at Auschwitz, was refused compensation on the grounds he was regarded as a dual UK-Dutch national. In exchanges with the Foreign Office he explained that his British passport was destroyed in the Rotterdam blitz. Officials advised him to seek compensation from the post-war Dutch government. He rejected an offer of £500.
After many months of dispute, the Foreign Office told him it was “necessary to make certain enquiries which may take a considerable time”. Greenman was never awarded any compensation from the UK officials, who regarded him as a “Dutch Jew”.After many months of dispute, the Foreign Office told him it was “necessary to make certain enquiries which may take a considerable time”. Greenman was never awarded any compensation from the UK officials, who regarded him as a “Dutch Jew”.
The files also show that early in 1964 one of Szabó’s former First Aid Nursing Yeomanry colleagues, Mary Hamilton, told government ministers she was “most anxious to help” Szabó’s daughter Tania. Tania Szabó’s father was killed at El Alamein shortly after she was born.The files also show that early in 1964 one of Szabó’s former First Aid Nursing Yeomanry colleagues, Mary Hamilton, told government ministers she was “most anxious to help” Szabó’s daughter Tania. Tania Szabó’s father was killed at El Alamein shortly after she was born.
Her mother was born Violette Bushell, in Paris. The files released on Thursday show that after months checking that her father really was British, Tania Szabó was granted interim compensation of £1,000 in 1966. A year later, she was given an additional £1,293 and 15 shillings.Her mother was born Violette Bushell, in Paris. The files released on Thursday show that after months checking that her father really was British, Tania Szabó was granted interim compensation of £1,000 in 1966. A year later, she was given an additional £1,293 and 15 shillings.
In other cases, Johanna Hill, who was born in Austria but later obtained British nationality, was told by the Foreign Office that she should make a claim with the Austrian government since she was Austrian at the time of her persecution. Hill was arrested by the Gestapo after she was discovered hiding two British soldiers.In other cases, Johanna Hill, who was born in Austria but later obtained British nationality, was told by the Foreign Office that she should make a claim with the Austrian government since she was Austrian at the time of her persecution. Hill was arrested by the Gestapo after she was discovered hiding two British soldiers.
Officials spent months trying to find out exactly how she was treated by the Gestapo and seeing whether there might not after all be a case for compensating her. But by then all the available money had been distributed. A Foreign Office official noted in April 1967: “I do not think we now want to labour the reasons for ineligibility: they could sound like offensive excuses.”Officials spent months trying to find out exactly how she was treated by the Gestapo and seeing whether there might not after all be a case for compensating her. But by then all the available money had been distributed. A Foreign Office official noted in April 1967: “I do not think we now want to labour the reasons for ineligibility: they could sound like offensive excuses.”
Elizabeth Spira, a nurse and naturalised Briton, was also refused compensation, the documents show. She was taken to a camp at Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia where she described how children “could not eat for fear [of] what we will do with them, as they had seen their parents never came out any more”.Elizabeth Spira, a nurse and naturalised Briton, was also refused compensation, the documents show. She was taken to a camp at Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia where she described how children “could not eat for fear [of] what we will do with them, as they had seen their parents never came out any more”.
She said: “We tried to clean them in the bathhouse. They refused to go in and they held on to the door handle, when we tried to carry them in. In the end, I took the smallest child, we went into the bathhouse, gave it a good hot bath ... soon they recovered completely only to be sent back ... to be gassed.” She described how Adolf Eichmann came from Auschwitz “and [then] we knew that nobody will ever escape the gas chambers.”She said: “We tried to clean them in the bathhouse. They refused to go in and they held on to the door handle, when we tried to carry them in. In the end, I took the smallest child, we went into the bathhouse, gave it a good hot bath ... soon they recovered completely only to be sent back ... to be gassed.” She described how Adolf Eichmann came from Auschwitz “and [then] we knew that nobody will ever escape the gas chambers.”
Lt Bertram ‘Jimmy’ James, a British officer involved in the celebrated “great escape” from Stalag Luft III, was told by UK officials that at the Sachsenhausen camp where he was interned he did not suffer “the inhuman and degrading treatment of a concentration camp proper”. James, who died in 2008, had spent five months in solitary confinement “not knowing when our turn for the firing squad might come”. After his case was picked up by the press and parliament, the Foreign Office awarded him £1,192 and 15 shillings.Lt Bertram ‘Jimmy’ James, a British officer involved in the celebrated “great escape” from Stalag Luft III, was told by UK officials that at the Sachsenhausen camp where he was interned he did not suffer “the inhuman and degrading treatment of a concentration camp proper”. James, who died in 2008, had spent five months in solitary confinement “not knowing when our turn for the firing squad might come”. After his case was picked up by the press and parliament, the Foreign Office awarded him £1,192 and 15 shillings.
The Foreign Office defined Nazi persecution as “illegal detention in a concentration camp or comparable place for the purpose of the infliction of deliberate and organised suffering, torture, or extermination in furtherance of Nazi ideology”.The Foreign Office defined Nazi persecution as “illegal detention in a concentration camp or comparable place for the purpose of the infliction of deliberate and organised suffering, torture, or extermination in furtherance of Nazi ideology”.
Related: Auschwitz: a short history of the largest mass murder site in human history
Some 30 Britons were awarded the maximum amount – £4,000, or about £69,000 in today’s money. One was Frank Tuck, who spent time in German labour camps after being arrested with 17 other Channel Islands police officers for stealing from German stores during the Nazi occupation.Some 30 Britons were awarded the maximum amount – £4,000, or about £69,000 in today’s money. One was Frank Tuck, who spent time in German labour camps after being arrested with 17 other Channel Islands police officers for stealing from German stores during the Nazi occupation.
Harold Le Druillenec, an inhabitant of Jersey arrested for harbouring Russian prisoners, is recorded as having described how, at Banterweg camp near Wilhelmshaven, “means of putting inmates to death included beating, drowning, crucifixion, hanging in various stances etc”. He said: “Attempted suicide was a major crime for the choice of means of death was not ours, and as there was no privacy at all I cannot recall a single successful suicide.”Harold Le Druillenec, an inhabitant of Jersey arrested for harbouring Russian prisoners, is recorded as having described how, at Banterweg camp near Wilhelmshaven, “means of putting inmates to death included beating, drowning, crucifixion, hanging in various stances etc”. He said: “Attempted suicide was a major crime for the choice of means of death was not ours, and as there was no privacy at all I cannot recall a single successful suicide.”
He described how at Belsen, where he was the only British survivor, all his time was spent “heaving dead bodies into the mass graves kindly dug for us by ‘outside workers’ for we no longer had the strength for that type of work ... Jungle law reigned among the prisoners; at night you killed or were killed; by day cannibalism was rampant.”He described how at Belsen, where he was the only British survivor, all his time was spent “heaving dead bodies into the mass graves kindly dug for us by ‘outside workers’ for we no longer had the strength for that type of work ... Jungle law reigned among the prisoners; at night you killed or were killed; by day cannibalism was rampant.”
He continued, showing remarkable stoicisim: “All in all a most unpleasant place, with the liberation of the camp coming not a moment too soon for me, for I had reached the stage of being a ‘muselmann’ [camp slang for a person succumbing to starvation] ... which, in those circumstances, meant death within hours.”He continued, showing remarkable stoicisim: “All in all a most unpleasant place, with the liberation of the camp coming not a moment too soon for me, for I had reached the stage of being a ‘muselmann’ [camp slang for a person succumbing to starvation] ... which, in those circumstances, meant death within hours.”
Le Druillenec said the immediate cause of his arrest was the help he gave his sister harbouring a Russian prisoner of war. He continued: “Incidentally, she subsequently met her death in the gas chambers of Ravensbruck.”Le Druillenec said the immediate cause of his arrest was the help he gave his sister harbouring a Russian prisoner of war. He continued: “Incidentally, she subsequently met her death in the gas chambers of Ravensbruck.”
He spent five months in hospital, suffering from septicaemia, acute dysentery fluid on his lungs, scabies, and impetigo. His weight dropped from 13.5st to 6st. The Foreign Office told him in 1964 that his application for a share in the compensation scheme was “subject to medical examination”. He received £1,835, the files show.He spent five months in hospital, suffering from septicaemia, acute dysentery fluid on his lungs, scabies, and impetigo. His weight dropped from 13.5st to 6st. The Foreign Office told him in 1964 that his application for a share in the compensation scheme was “subject to medical examination”. He received £1,835, the files show.