TRANSLATION BY THE LONDON DELEGATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS COMMITTEE

OFLAG 79

Visited on the 19th September 1944 by Mr. Biner.

Camp Leader: MICKLETHWAIT St.AJ.A. Captain of Marines. No.283/XII B

Assistant: SHERWOOD S.O. Captain, No.1088/VIII F

Head Doctor: LAWSON R.P. Captain, No.1815/VII F

Strength: 2092 prisoners composed of:

        1924 Officers of whom 1674 British and 250 Indian.

        168 Other ranks of whom: 146 British and 22 Indian.

General Remarks:

        Between the 2nd and 10th May 1944 Oflag VIII F was evacuated, and six convoys brought these 2000 British prisoners more into the centre of Germany. The journey took 44 hours, which corresponds to the normal time taken for such a trip by the Military transports. The officers were bound and sent in cattle trucks. Three colonels, the protected personnel of the medical staff and the chaplains were not bound. In each truck there were 18 prisoners and 8 guards, each having part of the truck. The space between the sliding doors remained free. The prisoners were not allowed out of the trucks during the journey. Food was provided.

Situation and Accommodation:

        Oflag 79 is situated in a wooded region, not far from an airdrome. It is composed of a group of new, two-storey buildings which were formerly used as barracks. During the first three months, when only part of the buildings were used for the prisoners, accommodation and sanitary arrangements were altogether insufficient. Subsequently all the buildings were made available to the prisoners and the camp would have been a model Oflag if it had not had, in August, a bad air raid in the middle of the day. The buildings were destroyed or damage and water, electricity and [gas?] were cut. Losses amongst the prisoners were comparatively low, [?] dead, 8 seriously wounded and over 30 slightly wounded. One of those seriously wounded died later in hospital. Now, seven of the buildings have been made more or less habitable and the officers are satisfied with their accommodation. The position will be bearable until the winter starts. Each prisoner has one German blanket and [8?]00 officers have a second one received from the Red Cross, which they brought with them from their former camp. The Delegate asked the Commandant to issue each prisoner with a second German blanket. The Commandant appeared un-willing to accede to this request so long as the German soldiers had not drawn their winter equipment. He promised however, to draw from his stocks in store a second blanket for the patients in the infirmary. Regarding lighting, there is only electricity laid on for certain hours each day. According to the Commandant this is partly due to a general economy. The Delegate asked that at least the hours when electricity should be cut off should be chosen so as to interfere the least possible with camp activities, and this, he was assured, would be done.

ENDS.