CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH

Date of visit: May 25, 1944.

OFLAG 79 (previously Oflag VIII F)

Camp Commander: Colonel Strehle

Senior British Officer: Col. M.C. Waddilove

I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

        At the beginning of May this Oflag was transferred from its previous camp in South-East Germany to this new camp in Northern Germany. It is now situated on the outskirts of a middle-size town and cannot be considered as safe from air raids, being surrounded by military targets - an aerodrome about two kilometres away several anti-aircraft batteries and factories. As the Camp commander cannot be held responsible for the situation of the camp and cannot do anything for its removal to a safer district, the OKW will be asked to take the matter in hand; in this connection, it is worth mentioning that previously to the arrival of the prisoners to the camp, two of the camp buildings had been damaged by allied bombs during an air raid; moreover, the town nearby was recently subjected to several severe air attacks.

        The camp itself is installed in German army barracks; it is composed of several modern well built brick buildings two storeys high. There are 10 of these houses, built at intervals of about 50 metres from each other, around an open space upon which grow pines and bushes. The whole camp, surrounded as it is by lawns and greens, spread around the buildings, gives a pleasant impression.

        For the time being, the number of houses included in the compound - only four - is absolutely insufficient for the number of prisoners present. Four other houses are being prepared (two of them having suffered from air attacks) have to be repaired and will, later on, be included in the compound, as well as the free space in the middle of the camp which will be arranged as sports ground. According to the Camp Commander, this additional part of the camp...

ENDS.