RESERVE-LAZARETT COSEL

Visited on the 12th February 1943 by Dr. Bubb and M. Friedrich

Head Doctor  Stabsarzt Dr. Preis

Senior prisoner Doctor  Capt. R.F.K. Werster, R.A.M.C. No. 50

Camp Leader  Capt. P.R. Tattersall, R.A.M.C. No. 2605

Strength

        a) Medical staff   5 British doctors

                                 22 members of the British medical corps

        b) Patients         69 British (among whom are many Australians)

General Comments and Site

        At the time of our last visit the strength of the lazaret comprised a majority of prisoners of nationalities other than British, whereas, since last autumn, the lazaret has been used almost exclusively for the accommodation of British prisoners. "The Permanent Staff" also is made up of British. The installations at the lazaret have been altered; at the present time this lazaret can be regarded as completely independent of the German lazaret.

        The lazaret is situated to the West of Cosel, in a beautiful district where there are old trees. The British prisoners are housed in three large buildings. The British doctors spend part of their time attending to Russian prisoners.

Accommodation

        The three stone buildings are in a good state of repair. The largest building is divided into 7 dormitories containing about 90 beds.

        The second building houses the members of the medical corps and the dispensary. The two operating theatres, the room for dressings, the consulting surgery, the sterilising apparatus and the drug store are accommodated in the third building. This latter also contains the doctors' rooms. Besides these, the lazaret also contains two more, smaller buildings, which are used as latrines.

        Each room contains from 8-14 wooden beds all supplied with bedlinen and at least two blankets which come from German stores. These are very thin. The lighting, the ventilation and the heating are adequate in all the rooms. The various rooms are not overcrowded.

Food

        The kitchen is in a special building and is very well equipped. German women do the work there. The Camp Leader checks the rations and is in regular control of them. The food seems good, from the point of view of quality, but the quantities are often insufficient. The cooks are able to prepare special diets composed, chiefly, of bread and milk. On the day of our visit 42 patients were partaking of these diets.

        As a general rule, the British prisoners receive their food raw and cook it for themselves on the stoves in the laundry. Besides this, doctors and members of the medical staff can cook in their rooms.

Clothing

        The condition of all clothing is good. New arrivals receive a pair of pyjamas, bedlinen and a towel. The doctors and the members of the medical staff wear working overalls.

Sanitary installations

        The necessary disinfectant measures are taken in the de-lousing station of the German lazaret.

        There is only one set of washplaces installed in the whole of the lazaret, which is in a building reserved for patients. This room is very small. It contains also a shower-bath apparatus. For a long time, now, only one of these apparatuses has been in working order. The bathroom also is in this room. Patients can take hot baths every day. The room reserved for the use of the members of the medical corps also contains a basin with a tap.

        The latrines are installed in two wooden huts. One is reserved for patients and the other for the Permanent Staff. These huts are of flimsy wooden construction. The latrines appear to us to be inadequate. There are no water flushes and they are not lighted. During the night prisoners use other, special, latrines.

        The lazaret has no sports ground.

        The sanitary installations of the lazaret (2 wash basins with taps, one shower-bath only, one bathroom and an inadequate number of latrines) for the whole area is to a certain degree - in our opinion - inadequate.

Gift parcels

        British prisoners receive collective parcels regularly and according to plan.

        Prisoners of other nationalities receive parcels from their Stalag more or less regularly.

Canteen

        The lazaret has no canteen. From time to time purchases are made in the town. It is very difficult at all times to obtain even the most indispensable articles.

Medical Affairs

        Surgical cases, medical cases and dermatological cases are cared for at the lazaret, without being isolated the one from the other.

        The building which accommodates the doctors, contains also the medical installations of the lazaret. Part of these have only been completed during the past few weeks. The installation of the operating theatre and the sterilising chamber is good from every point of view. The laboratory equipment is simple. It is possible there to make simple analyses. The consulting surgery is well equipped. Patients from the Labour Detachments of the neighbourhood are also examined here, when they can get here.

        Serious operations are done in the German lazaret as well as radiographs and complicated analyses. Special cases are sent to this lazaret or to a neighbouring town. There is an adequate number of instruments. There is a constant shortage of drugs. The doctors of this lazaret have practically complete liberty in the administration of drugs coming from the Red Cross.

        The lazaret has no dental surgery. But the British dentist from Detachment E 3 comes once a week to the lazaret to examine patients. This same Detachments undertakes artificial dental work; but it is very difficult to have such things made.

        Tubercular cases are - in a general way - rare (the percentage is about 2 among the total number of patients). These are regularly transferred to the lazaret of Stalag VIII B. The prisoners have not suffered from exanthematic typhus during the past months. The doctors and the members of the medical corps have been inoculated against this disease.

        Since our last visit 4 deaths have occurred.

Leisure and Spiritual and Intellectual Needs

        There is no chaplain in the lazaret. The nearest one is at the B.A.B. No. 20; he came to the lazaret last at Christmas last. When we had our final interview at the lazaret we were promised that he should be given more frequent opportunities in future of visiting the lazaret.

        The lazaret has - evidently - neither a theatrical company nor an orchestra. The doctors, however, have twice been able to be present at performances given by the prisoners of a British Labour Detachment in the district.

        The prisoners have enough books, scientific reading matter and some card games.

Work and Pay

        Working conditions for doctors and members of the medical corps are good and give rise to no complaints. Pay is according to the regulations. All members of the British medical corps have the status of "recognised personnel".

Discipline

        Discipline is good. The German Sergeant Major who is in charge of the administrative side of the lazaret is very benevolent and perfectly correct in his bearing in all ways. The prisoner doctors get on well with the German head doctor.

[The following page was out of sequence with the above and may not be a part of it, but it is typed in the same style, it is numbered page 4 and the last of the above is page 3, and the items it describes fit very well with the above although the mention of 500 patients is a glaring exception.]

        The treatment of the doctors and the members of the medical corps conforms to the regulations.

Correspondence

        This is according to the regulations for prisoners of all nationalities. As everywhere, the Australians complain that their correspondence takes an enormous time to arrive. Some of them have received no personal parcels for two years. Letters from England take at least 5 weeks to be delivered.

Interview with the Camp Leader (without witnesses)

        In addition to the points already mentioned, the Camp Leader asked us to send as quickly as possible to the Camp a certain number of thermometers. At the present time there is only one thermometer among about 500 patients.

        As a general rule, the British doctors are satisfied with the conditions of work and life in the lazaret.

Requests

        Thermometers,

        Drugs,

        Instruments

        Laboratory equipment.

Conclusion

        The clinical equipment at the lazaret seems to be good. The sanitary installations - on the contrary - are inadequate for the needs of the lazaret. They ought to be improved. Repairs which are needed (to the showerbaths) be seen to without delay.

        The possibilities for treatment of patients, and doctors' working conditions are good.