Werner Hirsch – born in Dortmund, Germany, 9 March 1907
Profession in country of origin: Manager at textile company Mendelsohn & Kugelman in Oschersleben, Bode
Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Germany on 16 May 1939
Documents
Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee Surname: Hirsch Forename: Werner Alias: - Date and place of birth: 09/03/1907 in Dortmund Nationality: German Police Regn. Cert. No.: 711 356 Home Office ref: C 384 Address: Kitchener camp, Richborough, Sandwich, Kent Normal occupation: Clerk Present occupation: Name and address of employer: - Decision of tribunal: Exempted "C" & 9a Date 11.10.1939 Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes Whether desires to be repatriated: No Tribunal District Richborough Camp, Tribunal 2
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
Werner Joseph Hirsch was born in March 1907, in Dortmund, Germany.
Werner worked as Manager for textile company Mendelsohn & Kugelman in Oschersleben, Bode, until 8 October 1938.
He then moved to work at GUBI (a Jewish-owned department store) in Lüneburg, until he was arrested on 10th November 1938. Werner was deported and imprisoned in Sachsenhausen until 9th January 1939. GUBI was destroyed during the November ’38 events, along with the town’s only other remaining Jewish-owned store – a shoe shop.
Werner managed to gain a place in Kitchener camp in England and arrived in Dover on 16 May 1939. When war was declared a few months later, he joined the Pioneer Corps and served with the British Army.
Presumably around 1943, Werner changed his name to Warner Hurst. He was discharged on the grounds of ill health on 10th April 1944, when he contracted tuberculosis.
Submitted by Harry Hurst, for his father, Werner Hirsch
Photographs
Harry notes, “The man with the pipe, above, is Alexander Guhrauer. I knew him as ‘Uncle’ Alec, and he and his wife Hella were best friends of my parents. They had no children and were always wonderful to me. But, I never knew the connection” – until now.
