Yes it was propaganda, but especially at the beginning of the war it was quite widely believed. The recruiting sergeant at Lithgow NSW (someone Mc-) did believe it and told his recruits to change their Germanic names. So Martyn became Martin, the man I spoke about knew a family where the Martin changed his name and his brother didn't. My contact also says the in an English book (which he cannot remember the name of off the top of his head) refered to the story. So German names where changed, especially at the start of the war, usually because the recruiting people suggested it. regards, Gillian On Tuesday, January 29, 2002 9:56 AM, Topperwien, Bruce [SMTP:[email protected]] wrote: > I would be interested in the source of the information that the Germans > executed POWs with German names. I suspect it was propaganda rather than > fact. It is not mentioned by the Australian Official Historian, CEW Bean, > and hundreds of South Australians with German names were captured in WW1 > (including one of my relatives, Edgar Hugh Topperwien, 50th Battalion, AIF) > and they were returned (relatively) unharmed. > > Bruce Topperwien > > -----Original Message----- > From: Gillian Baker [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 9:17 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [AUS-GERMAN] Aren't i a naughty list admin? > > It isn't off topic as a number of German speaking men went to WW1, the > children of German immigrants went to the war too. > I have Hans Stoltenberg who served in WW1 (son and grandson of German > immigrants) what is unusal about him is that he served under his real name. > The Germans in WW1 shot as traitors those who had German names who fought > for the allies, so if uncle Herman dissappeared arround WW1 he may have > gone to war, under an assumed name! > Regards, > Gillian > > On Thursday, January 24, 2002 6:14 PM, Ainslee > [SMTP:[email protected]] wrote: > > Hi all, > > I just wanted to post something slightly off topic but not really. > > > > I just got 2 world war 1 dossier's from the national archives of > australia. I cannot believe the information involved. HEAPS. So if you have > any rellies in ww1 you want info on i'd recommend doing this, costs about > $15 per dossier. Cheers, Ainslee > > http://ainslee.fourdegrees.com/ > > > > > > ==== AUS-GERMAN Mailing List ==== > > For your Aus-German resources go to > > http://members.dingoblue.net.au/~ainslee_hooper/germlinks.htm > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > ______________________________ > > > ==== AUS-GERMAN Mailing List ==== > For your Aus-German resources go to > http://members.dingoblue.net.au/~ainslee_hooper/germlinks.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237