Prisoners of War

[anteros_lmc]

Earlier this week in the comments to her fic The Deafness of Angels eglantine_br kicked off a discussion on prisoners of war. eglantine_br asked:

Obviously Archie's escapes failed. I am thinking maybe he was not part of a team, which appears to be really essential. If not, why not? Why didn't the other prisoners like him....

Comments

[anteros_lmc]

You're welcome! Glad you found this interesting.

I wonder what it would take to make nodbear talk about that Pellew fellow, though...?
Hmmmm.....it's gonna be tough but if we ply her with enough tawny she might just be persuaded to talk ;)

I now want a Major "M´lord" Edrington fic with him residing in a French prison. :)
Oh aye? You do, do you?! Actually Jackson's account is very much how I would imagine Major M'Lord E to write. He has a very dry sarcastic sense of humour and his account is actually very funny despite the terrible experiences he clearly suffered.

[anteros_lmc]

Oh I wouldn´t want him to suffer!
Major M'Lord E is far too upper class to suffer. It's simply not the done thing!

*gets lost*
Shall we send a search party to come and dig you out?! Every Man Will Do His Duty is an excellent book btw, definitely worth bumping up your "to read" pile if you've got it.

[eglantine_br]

Oh thank you, thank you. This helps a lot.

Poor Archie. He is going to be so miserable.

A short aside. I am going to Massachusetts for all next week. For Thanksgiving. Internet may or may not work. I am going to try and write. That may or may not work.

I should be able to take pretty pictures of Marthas Vinyard. (Some people say it looks like Scotland, so maybe you don't need pictures of it!)

So I particularly appreciate the swift work you've done with my question.

[anteros_lmc]

You're very welcome indeed. Hope you find this useful. Having written about Archie's experiences as a prisoner of war it's a subject that's close to my heart so it was no hardship to write.

I'd love to see some pictures of Martha's Vinyard, I've heard it's very pretty indeed but I didn't know that it's supposed to look like Scotland! Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving :)

[lemurling]

Wonderful research, thank you. I've found bits and pieces in the books I've been reading, but no lengthy accounts. I remember reading somewhere about even officers being treated badly in one of the 'intake' prisons, on the coast, before ending up in Verdun. I will have to see if I can find that reference again.

I did find a somewhat interesting discussion, the 2nd page has a nice long post of interest, about Napoleonic prisoners, and a couple other books were recommended.

I think it's odd that prisoners were apparently just left to rot, rather than being put to work. I guess it was more trouble to keep watch over them than to just lock them away?

I had these romantic(?) ideas about Archie and other prisoners being used for gunnery practice in some way, having to move targets or somesuch, but it seems completely unbelievable. (I was trying to give him some reason for all the flinching at the cannons and being shot at.)

[anteros_lmc]

No problem, glad you found this interesting.

I remember reading somewhere about even officers being treated badly in one of the 'intake' prisons, on the coast, before ending up in Verdun.
Yes, that tallies with Jackson's account. Conditions in some of the smaller prisons seem to have been appalling whereas the big fortresses appear to have been a bit more civilised relatively speaking.

I guess it was more trouble to keep watch over them than to just lock them away?
I think so. Also if prisoners were kept under lock and key there was less chance of them spying.

I was trying to give him some reason for all the flinching at the cannons and being shot at
I think two years as a prisoner is quite sufficient reason to flinch at the sound of gunfire! Dillon actually mentions in passing an officer who committed suicide while imprisoned in France.

[vespican]

I've read (in Nelson's Trafalgar) that paroled French officers in England were allowed to roam within certain boundaries...marked by "parole markers."

I agree that circumstances of capture could effect the treatment a prisoner received.
Dave

[nodbear]

Just while we are on Boundary markers and parole = Captain Beregeret ( see elsewhere in this comments page !) was in the habit of escorting Lady Pellew when she went out - and the two of them rather sparked a security alert when they strolled down to the gun wharf at Plymouth - an allegedly secure area...

[nodbear]

Sir Edward writes : Induce Madam Nodbear to talk about me? Surely not !
In the matter of dear Jacques Bergeret - governments can be so ungallant it makes even a ex beach urchin like myself seem gentlemanly.
of course we had the fellow as our guest - charming man and brave too - but what must the French do but declare he is not grand enough to exchange for Sidney Smith and then our government if you please must throw him in prison - disgraceful conduct!
Of course when Sidney escaped they let him go- but we were tp see him again. that however is a story for another day.
Damned fine fellow - for a Republican...

[anteros_lmc]

My dear Sir Edward,

How delightful to hear from you. Really, it has been too long entirely. Poor dear Captain Bergeret, he is is twice the man that scoundrel Smith ever was! I do believe however that France's loss was dear Susan's gain.

I remain as always your most obedt etc
Madam A