Fascinating photos from the Isle of Man camps during World War II, as shared by the owner Milton Firman

Next month JR Tours is taking a trip to the Isle of Man to mark the 80th anniversary of the internment of refugees from Nazi Europe by the British government. In a remarkable turn of events, the promotional image we used (see photo five) was seen by Milton Firman – the owner of the original photograph. He kindly shared more photos with us, variously featuring his maternal grandfather Eli Knoll and Eli’s brother Max Knoll, and told us more about each photo.

“In this first one, of a crowd at the Jewish camp, my grandpa Eli can just about be seen at the rear. He was, as I understand it, an internee in World War I and II, as he failed to obtain his naturalisation in the intervening years. He was born in Toporów, Poland, and sadly passed away some years ago. He is buried at Whitefield Jewish Cemetery in Manchester.”

“This photo is of a more formal nature. We do not know those who are in it.”

“This is the reverse of a postcard from the camp to my grandpa, who by then was living in Leeds. My mother was born in 1921, an only child, and lived with her parents in Leeds until they moved to Manchester. She had two uncles, one of whom never married and moved to London (that was Max, who was also at the internment camp) and Yankel, who was married and a shopkeeper in Manchester and later moved into what was known as the Jewish Old Age Home (now Heathlands Care Home). My mum is now – wait for it – 100! She lives in her own flat in Manchester and gives my sister and I boundless joy. She has no idea what other relatives she had. They were never spoken about. The mind boggles as to where their end was.”

“Photo four features Eli in the middle of the seven and Max is the blondish-looking one, the younger of the two, second from the right.”

“Another 'posed for' photo. I believe my grandpa is right at the back – with a cravat no less. Hebrew is written on the wall at the rear.”

“This is a similar photo and this time I think my grandpa, with cravat again, is on the left wearing a cap and in the sunlight, therefore not too visible.”

“Grandpa Eli seated on the left here, dapper with his tie and crisp white shirt. Tragically, I did not inherit his good looks!”

“As an addendum, I also include grandpa in his own Shana Tova card (pictured above), and my father Jack Firman (formerly Jacob Fireman, pictured below) who died in 1979, when I was only 25. He was a jazz pianist and for a while had his own band. He was involved in considerable charity work for Hillel House CBF (now World Jewish Relief) and Whitefield Synagogue. I don't know where he found the time!”

“I hope these photos show you something new. My mum says that when her father was carted off to the internment camp in World War II, she was taken off the street and had no idea where he had gone. To them he had been kidnapped…”

All photos copyright of Milton Firman

To find out more about internees on the Isle of Man, watch New Yorker journalist Simon Parkin’s talk for Insiders/Outsiders this month.

Our Enemy Aliens on the Isle of Man tour takes place Sunday 27 – Wednesday 30 March. For further info, visit jewishrenaissance.org.uk/enemy-aliens-on-the-isle-of-man.