FO correspondence with German Govt. WRT the death of POW AB Genower, RN

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StrangerHereMyself
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FO correspondence with German Govt. WRT the death of POW AB Genower, RN

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Post by StrangerHereMyself » 04 Jun 2017, 01:45

Stumbled across this document on the Internet Archive, thought it might be of interest:

Correspondence with the German Government respecting the death by burning of J. P. Genower, Able Seaman, when Prisoner of War at Brandenburg Camp. HMSO, 1918. Page count: 8. PDF (652kb), available here.

John Player Genower, born in Pentonville, London, 1892. Served seven years in the Royal Navy; captured after his ship, M-class destroyer HMS Nestor (launched October 9, 1915), was sunk on May 31, 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. Burned to death aged 24, March 9, 1917 at Brandenburg POW Camp; trapped inside a burning punishment hut, bayonetted by a guard as he tried to escape the flames and smoke.

Biographical information from this Royal British Legion website; further information and attached image from this website (logo suggests affiliation with the IWM but different domain registrant). An account of Nestor’s actions and sinking at Jutland is at the IWM; more information here along with pictures of M-class destroyers (but not Nestor). Artwork: ‘The Destroyer Nestor Closes To Within 3,000 Yards Of The Enemy To Fire The Torpedoes.’
He (Genower) was confined in cells. The reason was this as far as I can certify. When the barge left Maser with the men and arrived at the Brandenburg jetty, men are told off to make the barge secure. Unhappily Genower jumped off the barge before it stopped. The consequence was a German hit Genower in the face with the muzzle of his rifle and cut it. Genower went to the doctor and had his face dressed. A few days after they came and put him in cells without any trial whatever, and there he remained till his death. The cell barrack is all built of wood, something like match-boarding. They had a stove in the passage of the cells. Well, one forenoon in winter, say about 11.45 a.m., just before dinner, we saw smoke rising from the cells. At the time we thought it was the parcel office on fire, which is next to the cells, and took no notice, till one of the men shouted: ‘The cells were on fire!’ With that, we all made our way to the cells as fast as possible. One man by the name of Bates had a large hatchet, which with a few strong blows would have smashed the sides in, but he was not allowed to use it, and it was taken away by a German, and not one of the naval ratings was allowed to go near the cells. I myself was there on the spot. They placed a cordon of German soldiers at a distance of sixty yards around the cells, with rifles loaded and fixed bayonets, so as we could not get near. During the meantime nothing was being done to get the prisoners out or put the fire out. I happened to make enquiries of the interpreter of the cells, who was a Russian. I asked him what was the reason the cell door was not opened when the fire was first noticed, and he told me that the sentry, who was a private soldier, dared not open any of the doors till the under-officer came and gave him orders to do so, consequently, the door leading to the cells was never opened, and we could hear the poor fellows inside screaming. It was heartrending, and all us chaps standing there helpless. Afterwards, I heard that the key of the cells was lost, also I heard that Genower tried to get out through the small square window, but was run through with the sentry’s bayonet. Five Russians, one French, and one Englishman were burnt to death.
(Correspondence, pp.5–6)
… There was one hut apart from the others which served as a dungeon where they shut up prisoners who were rebellious. That day six Russians, one Frenchman, and one Englishman were undergoing this punishment. Just against the hut there was a small workshop for repairs. Somebody had made a fire which had caught the timbers of the small prison. The prisoners noticed it, and called out naturally to be let out, but in vain. The sentry remained unmoved. No doubt he was waiting orders from his superiors. Those inside the dungeon were being choked. The Englishman broke the panes of a small window with the idea of freeing himself and his companions. The sentry seeing him leaning out of the window gave him a tremendous bayonet thrust in the chest. The wounded man fell like lead. A small but revolting struggle then took place. The prisoners attempted to get out, and the German soldier reddened his bayonet again and again with the blood of the men shut up, who saw with horror that the fire was increasing. The conflagration could not be extinguished by the other prisoners until it had done its work. The eight unhappy individuals who occupied the dungeon were corpses. …
(Correspondence, p.2)
Attachments
JohnGenower.jpg
AB John Genower. HMS Proserpine, a Pelorus-class cruiser, is on his cap’s tally.

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