WW2 Internment in the Isle of Man

Daring escapes, murder, fascist riots, artists and more.
This short film investigates one of the most unsuual and fascinating aspects of the Second World War within the British Isles; the internment camps set up for 'enemy aliens' all over the Isle of Man between 1940 and 1945.
This is one of a series of films investigating the Isle of Man during the Second World War.
The full series is available here:
• The Isle of Man during...
More resources on the Isle of Man during WWII are available here: www.culturevannin.im/resource...
This film was made in 2014 by Culture Vannin.
Presented by Alex Brindley. Written & Produced by Charles Guard. Music by Charles Guard.
Culture Vannin exists to promote, support and celebrate the culture of the Isle of Man.
www.culturevannin.im
/ culturevannin
/ culturevannin

[@davidgambarini7659]

On the video at 5:08 there's a photograph of my father and uncle. My father Dominic Gambarini is on the top row, first from left. My uncle Victor Gambarini is on the front row, third from the left with the glasses. Brings back many memories for me.

[@theycallmeflaco]

Thank you for shining the light on this! They never told us about this in school

[@MsBhappy]

My grandfather was interned here and enjoyed swimming in the ocean. He took the kindertransport to the UK from Germany. Thanks for making this video and educating others about the camps.
I'm certain it still added to the trauma. He had just settled into life on Mainland UK and had been learning English only to be uprooted again once again alone and without his family.

[@BlueShadow777]

Being Italian, my paternal grandfather and my uncle were interned the Isle of Man. My granddad had a cafe in the Leith area of Edinburgh and the family was well respected and had many, many friends in Leith. However, when Italy entered the war in 1941, on the side of Nazi Germany, things changed. All friends turned against us and bricks were thrown through our windows etc. It wasn't long before my grandfather (interestingly, not my grandmother and I don't know why not) and my uncle the eldest (fighting age) son were removed for internment.
We still have no idea what camp they were interned in, but we do know that they were due to be transferred there by the ferry the "Arandora Star". Luckily, the ferry was full and so they were held back for the next one. I say "luckily" because the Arandora Star was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat, sinking it, with all lives lost!
We'd love to discover where to get more specific information about their internment but it's very difficult as a lot of such information has not been released by the British government!

[@christopherhill5890]

What an interesting video. Very well presented.

[@yukifukihara2696]

Great video .My grandfather was a Japanese national interned in the Isle of Man between 1942-1943 so it was good to see where he would have stayed

[@finlay1702]

My great grandfather was also and I cannot find any information about how Japanese were treated there. But my great grandfather said it was among his darkest days, did your grandfather speak about his time??

[@johncoyle2850]

A fascinating look-back and strangely appropriate during this time of lockdown!

[@thatmanxguy]

Very interesting. It's hard to imagine how much interning happened; so little of it is actually covered. I had no idea about it on IoM

[@douglasmacari8707]

My father, an Italian national, was interned there for eighteen months. He never spoke to us very much about it but it was clearly a dark time in his life and, of course, for my mother who was left to fend for herself with their first born baby, my brother. It certainly changed the course of his life, as indeed did that terrible war for so many. They were of a most unfortunate generation.

[@paulbrooker6005]

My mother took me down to look at the hotels/ boarding houses on the prom, and even had someone photograph us “ looking in” on mum’s “ box brownie”.

[@lensmann100]

My mother used to deliver newspapers to the camp in Ramsey.She was also an usherette at the Ramsey Plaza, the internees had a private matinee screening every week-marched to and from the camp.

[@culturevannin8486]

What amazing memories your mother must have had!

[@lensmann100]

@@culturevannin8486 She still has, now 91 and with short term memory loss,but able to recall events of 75 years ago as if it was yesterday.

[@ManxMotorcycles]

Very Interesting!

[@paularthur3213]

My grandmother and grandfather and mother and uncles escaped Nazi Germany in 1934 and were interned on the Isle of Man from 1940 to 1945. My grandfather was deported back to Germany for being a communist journalist in late 1945. My grandmother, mother and uncles only became British nationals in the mid 1950's

[@user-mi5nj8gj5p]

The British did the same in Canada during the first world war they were putting Ukrainians in interment camps some 19000 males and during their stay they were exploited as free labour. Things changed when a Ukrainian Canadian won the VC for Hill 70 in France in 1917 . During the second world war over 35000 Canadian Ukrainians served and took part in D Day they had a lot of casualties.