Adolf Pollatschek

Born: Vienna, Austria, 24 February 1914

Profession in country of origin: Locksmith

Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Germany in 1939

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Documents

Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee  
                          
Surname: Pollatschek 
Forename: Adolf  
Alias: - 
Date and place of birth: 24/02/1914 in Vienna 
Nationality: German 
Police Regn. Cert. No.: 710 521 
Home Office ref: C 1409   
Address: Kitchener camp, Richborough, Sandwich, Kent 
Normal occupation: Locksmith
Present occupation: 
Name and address of employer: - 
Decision of tribunal: Exempted "C" & 9a 
Date 05.10.1939 
Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes 
Whether desires to be repatriated: No 

Report of Internment
                              Police: MPD Division "X"
Name of Alien: Pollatschek, Adolf
Nationality: -
Date of birth: 26  24/02/1914
HO Number: 710521
Interned on: - 
Handed to: -
Reason for internment: Circular 21.06.1940

Hand-written addition: Released Cat 12  28/10/1940

Source: National Archives, Home Office: Aliens Department: Internees Index, 1939-1947

Editor’s note: We are not allowed to reproduce National Archives (UK) images, but we are permitted to reproduce the material from them, as shown above.

Letters

To view the following images, please click to open in enlarged full form

Translation to English follows

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This was the last letter my grandfather sent my aunt in Vienna on Buchenwald paper, on the 19th March 1939. It was sent just before his release.

Letters submitted by Susan Burns for her father Adolf Pollatschek

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Memories

My father was in Kitchener Camp.

His name was Adolf Pollatschek, born on 24 February 1914 in Vienna, Austria.

Adolf was married and a locksmith by trade.

Kindly submitted by Susan Burns, daughter of Adolf Pollatschek

According to his Jewish Aid Committee notes, Adolf arrived in Dover direct from Vienna on 11 May, 1939 (Source: ‘Lost & Found’, a family history book by Susan Burns and Ian Wilson).

At the tribunals held in Kitchener camp after war had been declared, Adolf was given Category ‘C’ status on 5th October 1939, although, as with so many others, he was subsequently interned. He was held for about four months in 1940, being released at the end of October of that year.

(Source: Find my Past / National Archives, Male Enemy Alien Exemption from Internment card, and Report of Internment card)

In 1947, Adolf Pollatschek changed his name to Michael Wilson.

Kindly submitted by Susan Burns, daughter of Adolf Pollatschek

Photographs

Image submitted by Susan Burns for her father Adolf Pollatschek.

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