I have been researching some Coastguards who returned to sea service at the outbreak of the war, and I noted that one of them was killed when HMS India, an armed merchant cruiser, was sunk by a U-boat off the coast of Norway, on August 8th 1915.
Having read this I assumed that the ship had been lost with all hands, but subsequently I have found that about half the crew were saved, but interned in Norway for the duration. The sinking had apparently taken place within Norwegian territorial waters.
I was then intrigued to find that another Coastguard also serving on HMS India was given a month’s leave from internment because his wife was sick.
This was subsequently extended to 2 months, after which he presumably had to return to Norway.
Was this a common practice? What sanctions could be used if a man did not return?

Martin

I think the sinking might have been just outside Norwegian Territorial Waters. The survivors (141?) were picked up by some Norwegian vessels and by the armed trawler SAXON and (all?) landed in Norway where they were interned.

The 1907 Hague Convention provided that:

"CHAPTER II Belligerents Interned and Wounded Tended in Neutral Territory
Art. 11.
A neutral Power which receives on its territory troops belonging to the belligerent armies shall intern them, as far as possible, at a distance from the theatre of war.
It may keep them in camps and even confine them in fortresses or in places set apart for this purpose.
It shall decide whether officers can be left at liberty on giving their parole not to leave the neutral territory without permission. "

There was no provision for leave other than to officers but such was granted to other ranks on compassionate grounds from time to time by neutrals e.g The Netherlands.

Some records at Kew that might be of interest to you:
ADM 1/8429/227 Loss of HMS INDIA in the Westford. Internment of survivors in Norway. Landing crew of HMS LORD ALVERSTONE in Norway under similar circumstances.
ADM 116/1440 Loss of H.M.S. INDIA

Hello

I can name 139 survivors from INDIA. They are listed below.

All best

don

AERS FRANK ERNEST A.B. 142921 (Ch)
AKERMAN ANDREW S.R. WARRANT TELEGRAPHIST, RNR
ALLTREE ERNEST W. A/S/LT, RNR
ATKINS D. GREASER, MMR
ATTWOOD JOHN SHIRLEY A.B., RNVR LONDON 1/2680
BAKER ARTHUR WILLIAM SIGNALMAN 238983 (Ch)
BALE CLAUDE J. S/LT, RNR
BARBER GEORGE TRIMMER, MMR
BENTLEY WILLIAM L. BAKER'S MATE, MMR
BIGGS JOHN H. LT, RNR
BINNEY CHARLES A.B. SS 2214 (Ch)
BLACK CHARLES L. TEMPORARY MIDSHIPMAN, RNR
BOLTON NORMAN PRIVATE Ch 19119
BROWN GEORGE ANDREW A.B. 208652 (Ch)
BRUCE ALEXANDER L/FIREMAN, MMR
BRYANT EDWARD W. STEWARD, MMR
BYRNE CHARLES J. CHIEF GUNNER
CARNES JOHN HENRY A.B. 166541 (Ch)
CARPENTER HENRY A.B. 201208 (Ch)
CHIRCOP LORENZO CAPTAIN'S VALET, MMR
CHURCHER ALGERNON A. STEWARD, MMR
CLARK WILLIAM JAMES FIREMAN, MMR
CLARKE JOHN FIREMAN, MMR
CLARKE RICHARD ARNOLD E.R.A., RNVR CLYDE Z 16
CONNOR JAMES TRIMMER, MMR
COOPER GEORGE L/FIREMAN, MMR
CRUIKSHANK ROBERT D. PROBATIONARY MIDSHIPMAN, RNR
DALY W. TRIMMER, MMR
DAVIES HUGH A.B., RNVR BRISTOL Z 251
DAVIES WILLIAM T. TRIMMER, MMR
DOCKREE WALTER MASTER AT ARMS (Pens) 350132 (Ch)
DUNN ROBERT STOREKEEPER, MMR
DUNT WILLIAM CHARLES A.B 182308 (Ch)
EADE ALFRED FREDDY MASTER AT ARMS (Pens) 139530 (Ch)
EVANS CLARENCE THOMAS PRIVATE Ch 19126
FARLEY EDWARD GEORGE JUNIOR RESERVE ATTENDANT M 9919
FIELDING GEORGE CHIEF WRITER, MMR
FISHER J. H. TRIMMER, MMR
FLYNN TIMOTHY FIREMAN, MMR
FRANKLIN J. GREASER, MMR
FROST ALFRED TRIMMER, MMR
FURNISS CHARLES MATTHEW A.B. 162226 (Ch)
FURY ALFRED GREASER, MMR
GERMAN GEORGE STEWARD, MMR
GILCHRIST ALAN ALFRED A.B. SS 2893 (Ch)
GILL ALFRED T. (J ?) TRIMMER, MMR
GLIBBERY JOHN FIREMAN, MMR
GOMES FRANCIS PANTRYMAN, MMR
GOODMAN JOHN FIREMAN, MMR
GOWERS REGINALD CHARLES PRIVATE Ch 19151
GROUNDWATER RICHARD G. LT, RNR
HACKETT WILLIAM A.B. 173676 (Ch)
HADDOW FREDERICK A. TRIMMER, MMR
HAWES SIDNEY FIREMAN, MMR
HENNESSEY DANIEL TRIMMER, MMR
HENRY DAVID FIREMAN, MMR
HILL HENRY GEORGE A.B., RNVR BRISTOL 2/130
HINES FRED P.O. 1c 190736 (Ch)
HOLE SYDNEY PERCY A.B. 236285 (Ch)
HOOD FREDERICK HYDRAULIC WINCHMAN, MMR
HOWLETT THOMAS A.B. 172508 (Ch)
HYDE THOMAS H. GREASER, MMR
IRWIN WILLIAM A.B. 191440 (Ch)
JACKSON WILLIAM G. (J ?) CHIEF COOK, MMR
JENKINS HAROLD R. TEMPORARY MIDSHIPMAN, RNR
JOHNSON GERALD S. ENGINEER, RNR
JOHNSTON JAMES T. SURGEON PROBATIONER, RNVR
JONES WILIAM A.B. 178144 (Ch)
KENNEDY WILLIAM G.A. CDR
LAMB WILLIAM STEWARD, MMR
LAWRENCE ROBERT T. BAKER, MMR
LAWSON FRANK W. TEMPORARY SURGEON
MACDIARMID JOHN M. ASST/ENGINEER, RNR
MAGILL JOSEPH VINCENT MAHOOD BOY 1c J 34313
MALAM WILLIAM FIREMAN, MMR
MARCHINGTON EDWARD TRIMMER, MMR
MCCAN JAMES STOKER, MMR
MCKAY JOHN ENGINEER, RNR
MCKEAG ERNEST L. TEMPORARY MIDSHIPMAN, RNR
MCKEE JOHN FIREMAN
MCKINNON JOHN STOKER, MMR
MCKIVER EDWARD STOKER, MMR
MCREARY ERNEST JAMES PRIVATE Ch 19222
MILLER E. FIREMAN, MMR
MILLIGAN MATTHEW O.S. J 41004 (Ch)
MOORE CHARLES TRIMMER, MMR
MOORE DAVID P.O. 1c 134222 (Ch)
MOSS GEORGE VALENTINE A.B. 228500 (Ch)
MUSSELWHITE HAROLD A/S/LT, RNR
NAHAR JOHN G. (P ?) STEWARD, MMR
NELSON CHARLES W. SENIOR ENGINEER, RNR
NORTON FRANK H. FIREMAN, MMR
OAKLEY WILLIAM TRIMMER, MMR OAKBY
O'CONNOR NICHOLAS PRIVATE Ch 19107
PATMORE FRANCIS W. ASST/ENGINEER, RNR
PERRY SAMUEL J. STEWARD, MMR
PETERS ARTHUR W. STEWARD, MMR
PIKE FREDERICK CORPORAL, RMLI Ch 11417
PIPKIN ERNEST ASST STOREKEEPER
REVELL JOHN LEONARD TEMPORARY WARRANT TELEGRAPHIST, RNR
REX CYRIL PRIVATE Ch 19118
RILEY HENRY W. CHIEF STOKER identified as Stoker without official number
RIPLEY HERBERT CHARLES COLOUR SERGEANT, RMLI Ch 7437
ROBERTSON A. TRIMMER, MMR
RODRIGUES MARIANO STEWARD, MMR
ROSS CHARLES STEWARD, MMR
ROSS RONALD C. PROBATIONARY MIDSHIPMAN, RNR
SAMPSON FREDERICK ERNEST A.B. 171702 (Ch)
SKELTON ARTHUR JOHN E.R.A., RNR 1741 EA
SMART WILLIAM O.S., RNVR CLYDE Z 1493
SMITH H. FIREMAN, MMR
SMITH THOMAS HENRY PRIVATE Ch 18258
SPITERI FELICE FIREMAN, MMR
SUMMERFIELD SAMUEL EDWARD A.B. 164464 (Ch)
TANNER ARTHUR CHARLES P.O. 1c (C.G.) 201416 (Po)
THOMPSON CHARLES STEVEN PRIVATE Ch 19243
TILLEY WILLIAM M. FIREMAN, MMR
TIMS FREDERICK W. ENGINEER, RNR
TINDLING JOHN FIREMAN, MMR
TOTHILL JOHN HOLMAN STOKER 1c SS 102744 (Dev)
TRAVIS WILLIAM A.B. 201860 (Ch)
TRINDER DAVID FRANCIS PRIVATE Ch 18228
TURNER LOUIS CECIL ARMOURER'S CREW M 8470 (Ch)
WALKER CHARLES PERCIVL BUGLER, RMLI 18305 (Ch)
WALKER HENRY JOHN L/SEAMAN 177263 (Ch)
WALLIS CHARLES EDWARD A.B. 180600 (Ch)
WARD ARTHUR BUTCHER, MMR
WARD WILLIAM JAMES P.O. 1c 125843 (Ch)
WARE ALBERT CHARLES L/SEAMAN 170330 (Ch)
WATKINS WILLIAM H. GREASER, MMR
WELLS JOHN THOMAS A.B. 187563 (Ch)
WHITE ARTHUR TRIMMER, MMR
WHITE CHARLES A.B. 181578 (Ch)
WILLIAMS THOMAS PRIVATE Ch 18239
WILSON CHARLES R. STEWARD, MMR
WOOD GEORFGE ARTHUR JUNIOR RESERVE ATTENDANT M 9723 (Ch)
WORROW THOMAS FIREMAN, MMR
WYATT WILLIAM HENRY A.B. 184628 (Ch)
ZWINK HENRY OTTO A.B. SS 2209 (Ch) also known as THOMAS, HENRY GEORGE

There is quite a lot of information on HMS India and the crew here:


http://www.btinternet.com/~k.barltrop/index.htm


Steve

Thanks to all for the information.
I will check out the files at Kew on my next visit.
The man granted leave was originally assumed dead, and was included in the list of dead and missing printed in the Times on August 17th 1915. But this was in error as he continued in the Coastguards after the war, and died in 1932.
He was 152245 Edward Isaac Penton.
His wife survived the wartime sickness.

Martin

Thanks, Martin for the Penton name.

For my list, Aers is listed in error - he was killed in the sinking.

All best

don

Do you have his naval seaman's register?
Name Penton, Edward Isaac
Official Number: 152245
Place of Birth: Hyde, Hampshire
Date of Birth: 27 November 1874
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...;resultcount=16

He might also have seen some service in the colonial wars.

I have a copy of his naval record from ADM 188/219. He served in theRoyal Navy from 1890 until 1903, when he became a Coastguard Boatman. I have no idea as to where he served, only the ships he served on. Between 8 August 1915 and 13 November 1918 it has "Interned in Norway". His compassionate leave is mentioned under "Remarks".
His record card in ADM 175/83b gives his Coastguard postings. Between 30 July 1914 and 30 January 1919 it merely mentions "Service afloat", nothing about Norway!

Martin

He was included in the list of missing, which wasn't really in error - they just didn't know his whereabouts at that time, whether he had been killed or survived.

It's an interesting case. I wonder if he did go back to Norway? He would have been made to give his word of honour (parole h'honneur) that he would return, like prisoners (mainly officers?) were similarly required to do that they wouldn't try to escape. Not sure how common the practice was (allowing prisoners temporary leave) in WW1 - not that common, I expect. Obviously they couldn't do anything to him if he didn't return but perhaps some threat of reprisals against his fellow prisoners who remained, should he not do so, may have been spelt out in no uncertain terms.

regards,

Martin

I have discovered that there are some Foreign Office files at TNA relating to this incident. One of them mentions Penton by name. I will check it out next time I visit. He was apparently not the only internee allowed home leave from Norway.

Martin

It would also have caused a diplomatic incident with a neutral power.