Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
Many Jamaicans served in the armed forces during these wars. Some of them may be found on the following pages on this site:
London Gazette, World War II(a) and World War II (b)
The United States of America had two military bases in Jamaica. One was at Vernam Field, and the other on Goat Island (off the coast of Kingston). One of the tasks of the men stationed there was to locate and capture German submarines that were in the Caribbean to try to intercept U. S. Naval ships.
Internment Camps
During the Second World War there were some Internment Camps in Jamaica. Readers have responded to this page by sending anecdotal information on the camps that they saw in Jamaica when they were children. Here are some of the comments:
" The internment camp in Kingston.... was on the spot now occupied by the National Stadium. In the early 1940s, my parents and I lived in a house which had as its backyard the Up Park Camp fields - and my friends and I used to run all over those fields down to the Internment Camp to see the German POWs. They were very well treated, and we saw them frequently playing football or tending to vegetable gardens. As memory serves, they grew a lot of cabbage. Amongst those prisoners was a Jewish doctor who was captured in North Africa. He was able to convince the authorities that he was not a Nazi and was allowed to practice medicine at the Kingston Public Hospital."
"re German Prisoners of War held in Jamaica: I know that there were a number held at the New Castle camp during the war. In fact there were Roman Catholic Priests held there who were allowed out at various times and who terraced my grandparents'
place at New Castle - about a mile from the actual camp. They also built a grotto on the premises where they used to come and say Mass."
"There was an internment camp, or two, in the Kingston area. One was called Gibraltar camp and was in the area of what is now the Mona University campus. I understand that it included a significant proportion of the civil population of Gibraltar who were evacuated from Gibraltar during the war. This camp also included some refugees from German-occupied Europe."
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Among the deaths found in the records of the United Congregation of Israelites in Kingston are those of 3 persons who died in the Gibraltar Camp. Their names were Hatchwell and Krakowiak. To see the details, please click on the links.
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At Up Park Camp in St. Andrew there was an Internment Camp for Germans captured by the military. Some of them were Merchant Seamen. The following deaths were found among the Death Registrations for St. Andrew.
Karl Foettinger, seaman aged 40 years, died February 9, 1942 in the internment Camp, Up Park Camp. Cause: atheroma of left coronary artery by coronary occlusion 2 minutes, certified by S. Ward, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. Registered by Donald MacKinnon, Lieut., resident in the Internment Camp, present at death. Registrar Edith C. Forbes, Cross Roads. Registration No. BM3029.
Walther Kettner, married, planter aged 58 years, died November 16, 1942 at Up Park Camp, from hypertension, certified by J. B. Tolmie, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.B.Ch.B. Registered by Donald MacKinnon, Capt. in the Internment Camp, resident in Up Park Camp, present at death. Registrar Edith C. Forbes, Cross Roads. Registration No. BM3634.
Josef Jakob, E.M.S. No. 401, seaman aged 51 years died July 23, 1942 in the Military Hospital, Up Park Camp. Cause: Carcinoma of stomach 4 months, secondary growth in the liver. Certified by S. Ward, Capt. R.A.M.C. Registered by Donald James R. Walker, resident Up Park Camp, present at death. Dorothy F. Hall, Deputy Registrar, Cross Roads. Registration No. BM3375.
John Meyerbeck, bachelor, seaman aged 45 years died August 29, 1942 in the Military Hospital, Up Park Camp. Cause: Acute Pancreatitis 5 days. Certified by J. B. Tolmie, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.B.Ch.B. Registered by Donald MacKinnon, Lieut., resident in the Internment Camp, Up Park Camp, present at death. Dorothy F. Hall, Deputy Registrar, Cross Roads. Registration No. BM3467.
Hans Wilhelm Schmidt, E.M.S. No. 134 died on September 4, 1942 in the Interment Camp, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew, seaman aged 43 years. Cause of death (a) Coronary Occlusion Instantaneous. (b) Atheroma of Coronary Artery Rt. years. Certified by S. Ward, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.. Death was registered on September 5, 1942 by Donald James Riddell Walker, present at death, and resident at the Interment Camp, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew. Dorothy F. Hall was the Deputy Registrar of Births and Deaths at Cross Roads, St. Andrew. Registration no. BM3478.
Willy Schwenosen, engineer aged 59 years, died February 16, 1943 in the British Military Hospital, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew. Cause: Carcinoma of stomach 9 months. Certified by John W. Bone, M.B.Ch.B. Registered by Norman Macdonald, 2d Lieut. present at death, resident Internment Camp, Up Park Camp. Dorothy F. Hall was the Deputy Registrar of Births and Deaths at Cross Roads, St. Andrew. Registration no. BM3831.
Herman of Wiedenberg died September 10, 1942 in the Military Hospital, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew, seaman, married, aged 68 years. Cause was congestive heart failure, certified by J. B. Tolmie, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.B., Ch.B. Death was registered on September 11, 1942 by Donald James Riddell Walker, present at death, and resident at the Interment Camp, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew. Dorothy F. Hall was the Deputy Registrar of Births and Deaths at Cross Roads, St. Andrew. Registration no. BM3488.
Other deaths in the Military Hospital, Up Park Camp, St. Andrew
John Gossen K605336, married, aged 20 years, Fusilier in Vancouver Regiment, died June 11, 1943 from acute pamphigus 19 days. Certified by A. Horstein, Capt. R.A.M.C. Registered by Edgar Gilmour Roulstone. Registration No. BM4102.
James Wood Hunter, widower aged 64 years, Captain Royal Navy Reserve, died February 14, 1942 from congestive heart failure 1 month 4 days. Certified by S. Ward Capt. R.A.M.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.. Registered by John Dorr, present at death, resident 10 Montrose Road, St. Andrew. Registration BM3044.
Fred Marschall, bachelor aged 30 years, Doctor of medicine, from heroin poisoning self administered. Certificate received from R. H. McLaughlin, Coroner for St. Andrew. Inquest held September 11, 1942. Registration No. BM3505.
Hermogenes Mora, bachelor aged 21 years, seaman, died July 15, 1943 from Cerebro spinal meningitis 6 days. Certified by J. A. James, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.B., B.S. Lond. Registered by Ferdinand Reginald Martin, present at death, resident at Venezuelan Consulate, 78 Orange Street, Kingston. Registration BM4185.
Franchis Oprandi, married, aged 42 years, clerk, died September 21, 1942 from congestive cardiac failure 2 days. Certified by S. Ward, Capt. R.A.M.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.. Death was registered by John Maurice Edwards, Lieut., present at death, resident Up Park Camp. Registration No. BM3583.
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