Born: Biblis, Germany, 25 June 1922
Profession in country of origin: Joiner
Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Germany – one of the ‘Dovercourt Boys’ from the Kindertransport – in 1939
Documents
Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee
Surname: Spies
Forename: Horst
Alias: -
Date and place of birth: 25/06/1922 in Frankfurt-on-Main
Nationality: German
Police Regn. Cert. No.: 710 179
Home Office ref:
Address: Turners Court Colony, BENSON, Oxfordshire
Normal occupation: Joiner
Present occupation: Trainee
Name and address of employer: Under the care of the Movement for the care of Children from Germany, Bloomsbury House, Bloomsbury St, London WC1
Decision of tribunal: Full exemption
Date 30.10.1939
Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes & Article 9 (A)
Whether desires to be repatriated: No
Tribunal District: Oxford
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.
Memories
My father was born in Biblis – a village near Worms – on 25.06.1922. His name was Horst Spies but he had to change his name to Harry Spiers when he joined the army. He did not join the Pioneer Corp; he joined the Royal Armoured Corp (RAC) and fought in a tank regiment in the Normandy Campaign and was required to disguise his German origins as much as possible.
My father was imprisoned in Buchenwald following Kristallnacht. He was released on 12 December 1938. His parents (who did not survive the war) managed to secure his release by obtaining a Kindertransport place for him: he arrived in Dovercourt via the Kindertransport on 8th February 1939. If you read pages 98 to 99 of Clare Ungerson’s book, Four Thousand Lives, you will read about the Dovercourt boys who were transferred to Turner’s Court near Wallingford in Oxfordshire on 13 June 1939. I must assume that my father was in that group, for as much as we heard nothing about Buchenwald and very little about Kitchener Camp, my father really enjoyed his stay in Turner’s Court and he often referred to it, as well as his time in the army.
Submitted by the Spiers family for Horst Spies
Photographs
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, December 1939. Horst is front left 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, January 1940. Horst is in the middle of the middle row on the right 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, January 1940. Horst is in the front row, left 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court. Top left, Kitchener camp, Richborough, April 1939 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, August 1939. Building Turner’s Court 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, August 1939. ‘Kamin’ – Horst mentioned to his family that he carved this fire-place surround. The Exemption from Internment record gives Horst’s occupation as joiner. In both pictures above, Horst is on the right-hand side of the photograph. 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, circa 1939/1940. Commandant Mr Jones and (presumably) his family 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, Group photos 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Social evening, Turner’s Court, 8 March 1940. Above: Horst is playing the mandolin, on the left, in both photographs. 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Turner’s Court, Social evening, 8 March 1940. Horst in bow tie and tails, right. 
Kitchener camp, Horst Spies, Dovercourt Boys, Chiltern camp, 1940
Photographs submitted by the Spiers family for Horst Spies