Overview
- Brief Narrative
- German marching compass in a hinged Bakelite case acquired by Lt. D.P. Grehan, a Royal Irish Fusilier in the British Army who served as a commanding officer in a Karaolos detention camp on Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. This compass was manufactured by the German company Carl von Stein around 1939, and often used by the German military. It is likely a variation of the TYP 39, although it does not have a sighting slot cut into the lid or inner disk. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
- Date
-
received:
after 1947 March-1948
manufacture: approximately 1939
- Geography
-
received:
Karaolos, British Army and detention camp;
Famagusta (Cyprus)
manufacture: Munich (Germany)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
- Markings
- lid, bottom right, script, embossed : v. Stein
- Contributor
-
Original owner:
D. P. Grehan
Manufacturer: Carl von Stein
- Biography
-
D.P. Grehan was born in Ireland. As an adult, he joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers, one of three Irish units in the British Army, and served in World War II (1939-1945). In March 1947, Lieutenant Grehan was stationed on the island of Cyprus, which was ruled by the British under a United Nations mandate. He served as a commanding officer at H.Q. 1, overseeing internees at the British detention camp at Caraolos. The majority of the internees held at the camp were Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, many of whom were captured while trying to immigrate to Palestine illegally. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established and, within six months, all of the internees on Cyprus were transported to the Jewish homeland. Lt. Grehan’s service in Cyprus concluded when the camp was closed in 1948.
Physical Details
- Language
- German
- Classification
-
Tools and Equipment
- Category
-
Measuring instruments
- Object Type
-
Compasses (direction indicators) (aat)
- Physical Description
- Hinged, black Bakelite case, with a circular lid with a front clasp, enclosing a compass set into the rectangular base. The base has a 70 mm ruler engraved on the beveled left edge, an embossed arrow in the top left corner, a curved right side, and a cut-out center. Within the lid and attached to the hinge is a movable, thin, flat, shiny, silver colored metal disc, that acts as a protective cover for the compass below. The compass, which has a cracked, clear glass bezel, is anchored to the center of a clear plastic disc set into the base. The disc has embedded black gridlines and the edge is engraved with Arabic numerals and lines to mark angular mils, 2 to 64, and the letter N. The compass face is printed with a ring of directional letters and angular mils in black ink. The central needle and some marks have radioluminescent paint. There are loose circles of paint within. The needle can be locked into place by sliding a small, side knob, which pushes up a lever beneath the needle. A 17 inch long loop of braided black cord is attached to the case front.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Depth: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm)
- Materials
- overall : bakelite (tm), metal, plastic, glass, paint, radium paint, ink, cord
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The marching compass was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2003.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Record last modified:
- 2022-07-28 18:28:44
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn515829
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Also in Cyprus detention camp collection
The collection consists of banners, stone carvings, flashlights, a compass, and documents relating to the experiences of inmates, primarily Jewish, who were held by the British Army in detention camps on Cyprus after being caught attempting to immigrate into British-mandate Palestine and of British Lieutenant D.P. Grehan, who served as a commanding officer in the camps.
Date: approximately 1946-approximately 1948
Cyprus Detention Camps papers
Document
The Cyprus Detention Camps collection consists of collected administrative records, immigrant papers, and printed materials documenting the British army’s administration of detention camps established in Cyprus at Kraolos and Dekalia to hold Jewish immigrants illegally trying to enter Palestine. The collection includes administrative correspondence; a program for a British military performance of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; identification and immigration papers and luggage tags documenting a number of Romanian immigrants; and newspaper and magazine articles documenting the immigration efforts of Jewish refugees to Palestine. Topics addressed in the administrative correspondence include political and religious groups among the refugees, procedures for the arrival and movements of immigrants, escapes and attempted escapes, supply shortages. Immigrant papers primarily consist of identification papers of Romanian immigrants who were presumably held in the Cyprus detention camps and shipping tags, presumably used by immigrants held in the camps. Printed materials include three issues of The Cypriot and clippings describing the Cyprus detention camps, immigrant ships, and Palestine.
Carved stone book with a painted map of Cyprus and Palestine acquired by a British officer
Object
Small, carved stone book with painted maps of Cyprus and Palestine made by an internee at a British detention camp on Cyprus. It was given to or found by Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, British Army, an officer at the Karaolos camp from March 1947 to June 1948. This piece was made from the local limestone, a frequently used material. Their tools were often made of recycled materials, such as tin cans, or nails and wood. The Joint Distribution Committee set up craft workshops to alleviate the boredom of confinement and the British encouraged it as a way to occupy the inmates. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and with restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Carved stone book with an inscription made for a British officer by a Jewish internee in Cyprus
Object
Carved stone book made by an internee at a British detention camp on Cyprus with a dedication for Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, British Army, an officer at the Karaolos camp from March 1947 to June 1948. The signed inscription also has a Biblical quote from Leviticus about showing kindness to strangers. This piece was made from the local limestone, a frequently used material. Their tools were often made of recycled materials, such as tin cans, or nails and wood. The Joint Distribution Committee set up craft workshops to alleviate the boredom of confinement and the British encouraged it as a way to occupy the inmates. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Heart shaped carved stone ashtray acquired by a British officer
Object
Handcarved ashtray in the shape of a heart made by an internee at a British detention camp on Cyprus. It was given to or found by Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, British Army, an officer at the Karaolos camp from March 1947 to June 1948. This piece was made from the local limestone, a frequently used material. Their tools were often made of recycled materials, such as tin cans, or nails and wood. The Joint Distribution Committee set up craft workshops to alleviate the boredom of confinement and the British encouraged it as a way to occupy the inmates. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Clip-on Daimon battery operated German flashlight acquired by a British officer
Object
German battery operated flashlight given to or found by Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, British Army, who served as a commanding officer in the Karaolos detention camp in Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. This type of hanging flashlight was manufactured during the 1930s-40s by the German company Daimon, and was often used by the German military. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Square clip-on Daimon battery operated flashlight acquired by a British officer
Object
German battery operated flashlight given to or found by Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, British Army, who served as a commanding officer in Karaolos detention camp in Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. This type of hanging flashlight was manufactured from the 1930s-40s by the German company Daimon, and was often used by the German military. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Borochov Group white flag with 2 blue stripes, yellow Star of David and fleur-de-lis acquired by a British officer
Object
Eretz Israel style flag, white with two blue stripes and a yellow Hashomer Hatzair logo acquired by Lt. D.P. Grehan, a Royal Irish Fusilier in the British Army who served as a commanding officer in Karaolos detention camp on Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. It also has the name of the Borochov Group, a Zionist Youth movement, whose members were interned in Camp No. 55 in Karaolos. The Ha-shomer Ha-tsa'ir Workers Party of Palestine, a Marxist-Zionist political party allied to the Kibbutz and socialist youth movements, was founded in 1946. Banners like these were used by internees at their tents and in parades and ceremonies. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Kibbutz Safiach red banner with a Star of David and fleur-de-lis acquired by a British officer
Object
Kibbutz Safiach banner with a Hashomer Hatzair logo acquired by Lt. D.P. Grehan, Royal Irish Fusilier, British Army, an officer in Karaolus detention camp on Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. The Ha-shomer Ha-tsa'ir Workers Party of Palestine, a Marxist-Zionist political party allied to Kibbutz and socialist youth movements, was founded in 1946. Banners like these were used by internees at their tents and in parades and ceremonies. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach Eretz Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
Hashomer Hatzair white and blue banner for Kibbutz Safiac acquired by a British officer
Object
White and blue cloth banner with a blue and white Star of David and Hashomer Hatzair emblem acquired by Lt. D.P. Grehan, a Royal Irish Fusilier in the British Army who served as a commanding officer in Karaolos detention camp on Cyprus from March 1947 to June 1948. It is emblazoned with the slogan: Be strong and of good cheer. The Ha-shomer Ha-tsa'ir Workers Party of Palestine, a Marxist-Zionist political party allied to the Kibbutz and socialist youth movements, was founded in 1946. Banners like these were used by internees at their tents and in parades and ceremonies. The internees were Ma'apilim, illegal immigrants, most Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, captured while trying to reach . Israel without permission from the British. Great Britain controlled Palestine under a United Nations mandate and enforced very restrictive immigration policies. The huge number of postwar displaced persons led the British to set up the camps in 1946 as a deterrent. Ships attempting to bring unauthorized refugees were stopped by the British Navy and the passengers were interned on Cyprus. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. Within six months, most of the refugees interned on Cyprus were welcomed into the Jewish homeland.
