Conditions at the Ruhleben camp had certainly improved since Robert’s
internment, but the prospect of once again leaving Emily and the two children (now at a different address in Prinzregentenstrasse) for that
‘God-damned hole’ (as Mr. Morgan had described it), must have filled Robert
with dread and so his letter made it perfectly clear that his work at the ‘Auer’
had not the slightest connection with the war. Robert’s reply was sent from
the Dutch Legation to HMG with some urgency in a dispatch dated 26
March 1917. By early April the ‘difficulty’ had seemingly been resolved when
a note of clarification on Robert’s position was sent from the Foreign Office
to Berlin;
Memorandum for communication to the Netherlands
Minister (British Section) at Berlin.
With reference to the Note No.B.203 of the 26
th ultimo
from the Netherlands Legation at Berlin, regarding the
case of Mr. Robert Le Rossignol, His Majesty’s
Government have the honour to state that they have no
objection to British civilians volunteering to work on
the clear and express understanding that they must not
accept any invitation to take part in or to resume a
former occupation connected with the production of
explosives or other war material, or in any way with the
operations of war.
A statement in the above sense was contained in the
Foreign Office memorandum of the 20
th February last which
related to the general question of British civilians in
Germany undertaking voluntary labour.
Foreign Office S.W.1,
April 13
th 1917.
However, during the summer of 1917 when Robert applied to HMG for an
emergency British passport, the letter from the Ministry of Munitions from
December 1916 was still in his file. Once again it was raised as an issue but
the Foreign Office records of the time show that HMG were now developing
a more informed view of Robert’s earlier work. Robert’s application was sent
to HMG from the Netherlands Legation at Berlin via the Hague;
The Netherlands Legation (British Section) at Berlin
presents its compliments to the British Legation at the
300
D. Sheppard
internment, but the prospect of once again leaving Emily and the two children (now at a different address in Prinzregentenstrasse) for that
‘God-damned hole’ (as Mr. Morgan had described it), must have filled Robert
with dread and so his letter made it perfectly clear that his work at the ‘Auer’
had not the slightest connection with the war. Robert’s reply was sent from
the Dutch Legation to HMG with some urgency in a dispatch dated 26
March 1917. By early April the ‘difficulty’ had seemingly been resolved when
a note of clarification on Robert’s position was sent from the Foreign Office
to Berlin;
Memorandum for communication to the Netherlands
Minister (British Section) at Berlin.
With reference to the Note No.B.203 of the 26
th ultimo
from the Netherlands Legation at Berlin, regarding the
case of Mr. Robert Le Rossignol, His Majesty’s
Government have the honour to state that they have no
objection to British civilians volunteering to work on
the clear and express understanding that they must not
accept any invitation to take part in or to resume a
former occupation connected with the production of
explosives or other war material, or in any way with the
operations of war.
A statement in the above sense was contained in the
Foreign Office memorandum of the 20
th February last which
related to the general question of British civilians in
Germany undertaking voluntary labour.
Foreign Office S.W.1,
April 13
th 1917.
However, during the summer of 1917 when Robert applied to HMG for an
emergency British passport, the letter from the Ministry of Munitions from
December 1916 was still in his file. Once again it was raised as an issue but
the Foreign Office records of the time show that HMG were now developing
a more informed view of Robert’s earlier work. Robert’s application was sent
to HMG from the Netherlands Legation at Berlin via the Hague;
The Netherlands Legation (British Section) at Berlin
presents its compliments to the British Legation at the
300
D. Sheppard