Marlag und Milag Nord

Nationality

British

Canadians

Australians
New Zealanders

South Africans

Newfoundlanders

Americans (U.S.A.)

Danes

Estonians

Iranians

Norwegians

Belgians

French

Dutch
Italians

Maltese

Spaniards

Greeks

Yugoslavs

Poles

Roumanians

Bulgarians

Egyptians

Chinese

Brazilians

Rhodesians

Indians

Dutch (from India)

Portuguese (from India)

African Negroes

Arabs

Malayans

Philippinos

Madagascans

Burmese

P/Ws.

2,214

470

166

102

3,297

Civilian Internees

2,262

117

545

3,227

GRAND TOTAL 6,524

The only change that has taken place since the last visit of the Delegates of the International Red Cross Committee, is the arrival at the Marlag - Milag of close on 2,000 British prisoners (officers, N.C.Os. and men) evacuated from Stalag Luft III at the end of January. Thus the Marlag - Milag is overcrowded; the newcomers being the least well lodged.

The capacity of the Marlag - Milag according to German calculations, is determined in the following manner:

Now, the north Marlag - Milag camp holds 6,524 prisoners and civilian internees. The figures themselves indicate that the camp is at present very full. Only the new airman's camp has arrested the Delegate's attention in this respect. In the other camps, the situation is bearable.

The housing of these officers has not undergone any change since the last visit. The rooms seem to be a trifle overcrowded and dark. Each officer has two blankets.

The heating has been inadequate this winter. The camp has not had much coal. The prisoners have had and still have, an opportunity of collecting firewood from the neighbouring forest.

The prisoners check all the rations which the Delegate Power allows them. The last reductions in the rations caused some apprehension among the prisoners.

On the 7th March, the Senior British Officer intervened with the Protecting Power to inform them that the reduction had at present reached the proportion of 11%. The bread ration in particular had been reduced by 18% since October 1944. For some time past loss of weight has become apparent among the officers and seamen. The Camp Medical Officer is of the opinion that any further reduction in rations will cause physical deficiency which might become aggravated. The Senior British Officer requested furthermore, that these facts should be brought to the notice of the British Government.

The rations provided for eight weeks have been extended over a period of nine weeks:

Meat

Bread

Margarine

Fats

Marmalade

Sugar

Potatoes

Swedes or Turnips

Dried peas and haricot beans

Cereals

Cheese

2000 Gr.

17800 Gr.

544 Gr.

1200 Gr.

1400 Gr.

1600 Gr.

8000 instead of potatoes

19200 Gr.

600 Gr.

1200 Gr.

250 Gr.

The question of clothing does not give rise to difficulties. The prisoners are well-clothed.

The Red Cross Parcels are distributed at the rate of a half parcel per week. The last distribution took place on the 5th March.

On the other hand, individual parcels have not been arriving at the camp since August 1944.

The canteen contains practically nothing. Only articles of secondary importance are found there, such as pencils, notepaper, etc.

Correspondence arrives more and more seldom. The average number of letters received during December was for 5.1% of the total number of internees. The average came down to 3.8% in January; and in February, fell to 3.5%.

Several prisoners from the Middle East have not received any further news from home, since last summer. The Delegate forwarded a list to Geneva, of the prisoners who requested news of their people.

The camp possess a library of about 3,000 volumes. The prisoners have sets of games, such a Ping Pong, draughts, playing cards, etc.

The Senior British Officer would like to be able to consult the dentist of the "Luftlager" where there are two dentists, as the dentist at Camp "O" is overworked.

The Delegate has forwarded this request to the Camp Commandant, who replied that he would endeavour to bear it in mind.

An understanding prevails between the Authorities and the prisoners. Their relations with each other are polite though distant.

The arrival of the Delegate was not announced to the Senior British Officer. This also happened during the last visit. Consequently the Camp Leader was taken by surprise and was not able to make sufficient preparation in advance to prepare his report to the delegate. The Camp Commandant explained to the Delegate that it was simply an oversight. The Camp Leader himself protested vigorously against this lack of courtesy.

The living conditions at this camp are the same as those in the other camps of the North Marlag-Milag.

No change has occurred since the last visit. The number of huts has not changed. Some of them appear to be a trifle overcrowded. Every man has the use of two blankets.

The problem of heating has only been partially solved this winter. The camp has received little coal. The men are, however, allowed to go into the forest to collect wood.

The camp contains 4 large kitchens and 4 Red Cross Kitchens. The men can therefore prepare their food privately. In several of the rooms moreover kitchen stoves have been installed.

The condition of the clothing leaves something to be desired; the men do not present a good appearance. It is true these are civilians and not military men.

What they are most in need of are trousers and shoes. The shoes cannot be repaired. The prisoners receive, from time to time, shoes from the German authorities, but these are old shoes, very worn-out, and which have been very indifferently repaired. The last shoes to arrive at the camp date from September 1944; 30 pairs, out of the 110 sent, are size 11. The camp is also in need of hand-towels. The consignment mentioned in June, 1944, never arrived; it must be regarded as lost.

The camp possesses a stock for about 5 weeks. The internees would also like to receive more cigarettes.

The Camp Leader has asked the Delegate to request a written permit from Geneva, authorizing him to hand over some of these parcels to men of other nationalities.

The canteen contains practically nothing now. Above all, it lacks articles in daily use, such as toilet soap, toothpaste, razor blades, etc. also cigarette paper and cigarettes.

That of the internees who work (about 50) received from the German authorities, until January, some cigarettes ("Elegantes").

Correspondence only arrived rarely and very irregularly. The camp received on average 40 letters per day, for more than 2,000 prisoners.

The camp infirmary holds not only the patients from this camp, but those of the Indian camp and the two Ilags of the North Marlag-Milag.

The R.A.M.C. Major Harvey is in charge of the infirmary, assisted by two medical Captains of the R.A.M.C. On the day of our visit, Major Harvey was suffering from diphtheria. As his condition was not grave, the Delegate was able to have a short interview with him.

The infirmary contains 102 beds in all (93 in the hospital and 9 in the annexe).

There are at present 42 surgical cases, 45 medical cases, and 2 of bacillary tuberculosis; 17 prisoners have recovered or are still under treatment (or medical orders). The Senior Medical Officer states that there are no other cases of contagious disease besides these cases of tuberculosis; 98 who are unfit for service are waiting to leave the North Marlag-Milag.

Every month, the Chief Medical Officer sends a report to the International Red Cross Committee, on his activities at the Hospital. Every year he sends a general report to the British Red Cross.

The camp possesses a library of about 10,000 volumes (for all nationalities and in all languages).

Theatrical performances take place every three weeks. Cinema shows have not taken place for two months.

The prisoners go in for sports a great deal (football, rugby, cricket, baseball, etc.)

The various religious services are held every Sunday (Protestant, Catholic, etc.) A Church of England parson and three Catholic priests officiate at the camp.

The Delegate had an interview lasting over two hours with the representatives of the occupants of the camp as well as with the Camp Leader of Ilag (Internee Camp) Westertimke, the "Camp Captain" Edward Zeschke, the British civilian internee No.1246.

He (the Delegate) did not have time to visit the two Ilags, and only had a short interview with the Camp Leaders, the "Chief Officer" Sykes B. Deak, No.132, and the "Camp Captain" Zeschke.

With regard to the Ilag Westertimke, the "Camp Captain" Zeschke informed the Delegate that, in the matter of personal effects and articles left at Giromagny near Belfort in Sept. 1944, nothing has as yet been arranged. In fact, Mr. Zeschke has had no further news concerning this matter since then.

These two Camp Leaders gave us to understand that the living conditions in these two camps, were the same as at the Milag which was visited.

"Captain" Notman and the "Camp Captain" Zeschke complained of a thousand inconveniences consequent upon captivity (lack of food, lack of firewood and coal, frequent lack of water, lack of the means of writing: they have not had more than two postcards this month; lack of brushes, brooms, disinfectants, soap, etc.)

However, the camp authorities do their best to remedy matters. The Milag does not produce an unfavourable impression.

The visit of inspection to the camps North Marlag - Milag, Marlag "O", Indian Camp, Stalag Luft III, Milag, and the interviews which the Delegate had with the officers and camp leaders, allow him to consider that the living conditions in these camps are satisfactory, except perhaps Stalag Luft III, which has, nevertheless, not left a bad impression.

During the final interview with the German authorities, the Delegate obtained a promise that the various small improvements would be made (such as: facilities for enabling the men to collect wood, a better arrangement within some of the huts, beds, tables, benches, etc.)

Again, the Delegate's arrival had not been announced to the Officers and Camp Leaders. Those men said that this was not the first time that the Camp Commandant had forgotten to do so. The Delegate did not disguise his astonishment from the Camp Commandant, who replied that he had overlooked it again.

The German authorities spoke to the Delegate about the cemetery at North Marlag-Milag; as during the last visit, the Delegate went to see the graves of the prisoners and civilian internees who had died in captivity.