First World War internee Hans Mathiesen Kylling and one other, Knockaloe Camp, Isle of Man

Date(s): ?1917

Creator(s): unknown photographer

Scope & Content: The identification of Hans Mathiesen Kylling is based upon the prisoner number 15214 which is marked on the glass plate, and comparison with the hospital lists which appear on the ICRC website. His Red Cross information bureau number was 44274. He was admitted to hospital 2/6/18 for observation. Age: 29. NOK: M.Kylling, Orbyhage, Wonsbeck, Kreis, Hadersleben.

An archive of images related to this man appears on the www.arkiv.dk website. He was of Danish ethnicity and was a merchant mariner. He is the man on the right in this image, based on comparison with an image on that website. Information supplied by a family member in Orbyhage 2022: "In an application for a job, when he returned to Denmark in 1919 ... it says that he sailed on a steamship Finisterre from Hamburg the 2nd of July 1914 to Buenes Aires till the 29th of July. He was ordered to go back on the 29th of July on the Post- and Passenger Steamship Presidente Mitre, but on the way he was taken prisoner by the English and sent to Isle of Man for 4.5 years. On the steamship he worked as 2nd Officer."

These dates however are probably inaccurate as the Argentinian ship President Mitre was intercepted by the British auxiliary cruiser RMS Orama on 28 November 1915, causing a diplomatic incident. The British however justified the seizure as although Argentine registered, she was operated by a German company, Hamburg-Südamerikanische-Dampfschifffahrtgesellschaft. Of the 81 crew, 11 were Germans.

Kylling reverted to Danish nationality in 1920 when territory was ceded by Germany to Denmark. He died in 1961.

Language: English

Extent: overall: 16 cm x 12 cm

Physical description: Black & white glass half-plate negative

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/7870/38094/2

Subject tags : studio, portrait.

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