A / H sailors captured in Africa

[Tanzania]

A / H sailors captured in Africa

In August 1914 three Austro-Hungarian freighters ("AMBRA" / "MORAVIA" / "SPUMA “) have sought protection
by its ally, Italy in the harbor Massawa on the Red sea cost of Italian-Eritrea. After the Italian declaration of war
on 23rd May 1915, the three cargo ships were confiscated on the same day by the Italian authorities in Massawa.

Any idea what happened with the crews of the ships afterwards?

Cheers Holger

[Tanzania]

Any idea what happened with the crews of the ships afterwards?

I suspect, we talk about 30 up to 50 members of core team on the ships originate from Austria-Hungary.
There are indications about Austria-Hungary nationals who escaped from Italian-Eritrea during the War.


The K.u.k Honorary Consul Wilhelm Karl Schwimmer mentioned in his records that he was recalled back
to Wien from Ethiopia on 17th October 1914 and have to close the A / H consulate general in Addis Ababa.

The embassy personnel; the Austrian Alfred Frankl, the Hungarians Alexander Doerflinger, Stefan Gajdacs,
as well as the Dalmatian Mirko Matkovic, didn´t receive a transit permit through French-Djibouti from the local
French authorities and couldn´t leave Ethiopia. Furthermore the sources said that during summer 1915, short
time after the Italian declaration of war against the dual monarchy, six of `Austria-Hungary Naval personnel´
fled from Massawa, arrived in the consulate general of Addis Ababa and cooperate with the remaining staff
on the Ethiopian side of the legal regent Lij Iyasu during the political unrest in 1915 and the civil war of 1916.
Sources:
»Des Kaisers Diplomaten und Konsuln auf Reisen, 1808-1918 «, Rudolf Agstner, Lit Verlag, 2014.
»Ethiopia and Austria, A History of their Relations «, Bairu Tafla, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 1994.
»Unbekannte Dokumente der österreichisch-ungarischen Diplomatie«, Rudolf Agstner, Lit Verlag, 2013.
»British Policy towards Ethiopia, 1909 to 1919 «, Andrew Caplan, University London 1971 (pdf. 486 pages)



But what was happening to the vast majority of the Austria-Hungarian freighter crews in Massawa? What
happened generally with PoW´s in other Italian colonies Libya, Eritrea and Somalia during the Great War?
Did the Italians have had prison camps in these countries or did they send these PoW´s to Italy or Malta?



Any tip would be appreciated
Cheers Holger