August DAMPS - a German in Britain during WW1

[swendeperle82]

I wasn't sure where to put this post, so apologies if it's ended up in the wrong place.
I am trying to piece together what may have happened to my 2nd great grandfather August Damps (b1872, Danzig) after the war. I was originally struggling to find out what happened to him after 1911 census as that was the last record I had of him, until I found out about Germans living in Britain being sent to internment camps during the war.
Lo and behold, I found a record of his internment at a camp in Surrey. His name was spelt Dambs is this record (and in other records it looks as though it has been spelt as Dampfs). As far as I can tell, he was taken to the camp in 1915 and released in 1919. However, I don't really know what happened to him after that, as he disappears from the records.
According to electoral registers, his wife Alice was living with a man called Alfred Payne from 1919 onwards. She then went on to have three more children - Arthur T Damps 1922, Stanley Damps 1924, and Ivy D Damps 1925 - with no sign of her husband August. She then married Alfred Payne in 1926. This made me assume that maybe August had died, so she was a widow free to marry again. I have been unable to find a death record for him.
My theory is that he was sent back to Germany after being released from the internment camp in 1919 (apparently this was a common occurrence). It looks as though his wife then moved on as she already had 4 children to look after on her own. The children that she had from 1922 onwards later changed their last names to Payne, which leads me to assume that they were actually the children of Alfred Payne. She then waited until 1926 to marry Alfred - is this because she had to wait until her first husband was dead before she could remarry? Or was she able to annul (or file for divorce) her first marriage due to his nationality and the anti-German feeling at the time?
I think what I am asking is - does it sound likely, from the information that I have found, that August was sent back to Germany? Is there anywhere I can look to find this information? Where is the best place to look for German ancestry records?

[Jomot1]

Interesting that she waited 7 years after August's release before she married Alfred Payne, as after 7 years 'missing' there can be a presumption of death and the spouse is allowed to re-marry as a widow/widower.

[Sandyhall]

I think that you also had to show and provied evidence that you had looked for them in that 7 years

[Megan Roberts]

Regarding the 7 year issue the article below is very useful - just scroll down to the UK:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decl...th_in_absentia

To be absolutely certain what the position was in this specific instance you should get a copy of the 1926 marriage certificate and see how she is described on it.

[swendeperle82]

=To be absolutely certain what the position was in this specific instance you should get a copy of the 1926 marriage certificate and see how she is described on it.

That was going to be my next plan of action. Sadly, I will have to wait until pay day!

[Pam Downes]

That was going to be my next plan of action. Sadly, I will have to wait until pay day!

Make sure you order direct from the GRO. (Other sites will charge you an arm and a leg for ordering on your behalf.)
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...es/default.asp
If you haven't got the reference it's June quarter 1926, Stepney registration district, volume number 1c page number 513.
You only need give one of the names, either Alice Damps or Alfred T Payne, though you can give both if you want, but always quote them exactly as they are written in the GRO Index.

Pam

[Sandyhall]

Did you see this
Germany and Surrounding Areas, Address Books, 1815-1974
Name: Aug Damps
Residence Year: 1940
Address: Speidel weg 91 Rohracker
Residence Place: Stuttgart, Deutschland (Germany)
Occupation: Hilfsarbeit

[swendeperle82]

Thanks Sandy. That looks promising. Did you find it on Ancestry?

[Sandyhall]

Yes and I found your Tree on there too.

There is also this "Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919"
Name: August Damps
Residence Year: 1914
Residence Country: Deutschland (Germany)
List Date: 29 Nov 1917
List Number: 1727
Volume: 1918_XVI

Its possible he went bach to Germany before sidney was born in 1914.