CONFIDENTIAL

No.572.

BRITISH

Date of visit: September 13th, 1944.

Reserve-Lazaret für Kgf. TOST.

        This is the second visit to this Lazaret since opening in June this year. The former Senior British medical officer, Major Woolley (881), has since then left Tost and is now believed to be at Görlitz, Stalag VIII A. His departure was due to bad understanding between him and Stabsarzt Dr. Chruscz.

        The hospital, formerly ILAG, has been described on previous occasions and is assumed to be known. General conditions are fairly satisfactory although there is room for several improvements. In the British block where several wards are at the patients disposal, convalescent cases are accommodated in double-tier wooden beds, single iron beds being available for more serious cases. In the medical centre, a building apart, all surgical cases British, Italian and Russian, are sleeping in single iron beds and kept there until they can be transferred to their proper blocks.

        On the day of visit the following was the British strength in this hospital:

        The two operating theatre (septic and aseptic) are fairly well equipped and some instruments for specialist's operations will be forthcoming within short as promised by the German Stabsarzt. The sterilizing room between the two theatres is very adequate as well as the plaster room. A transportable x-ray apparatus of the latest model is available and is the pride of the Senior British medical officer. The dentistry which is accommodated in the same room in block 3 as at the time of the ILAG must however be considered as too small. It is intended to have it removed to the same building where all the other operating theatres are, thus preventing the patients for dental treatment to disturb their comrades in block 3.

        The question which arose on the occasion of our last visit with regard of the number of medical orderlies and their being obliged to nurse the Russian prisoners of war has in the meantime been solved. The steps taken by the Swiss Legation Berlin had shown a result and no British personnel is in charge of Russian prisoners of war except the few cases immediately after operations when they are kept for initial treatment in block 2. After that the Russians are tended by their own personnel. Following that approximately 70 medical orderlies have returned back to Stalag 344 Lamsdorf as the present number of orderlies is more than sufficient.

        At the conference with the Lazaret authorities the following points were discussed on request of the SBMO, Major Marks:

                (1) The SBMO has not been informed of the delegate's visit and therefore could not prepare his report as he wished to do. Besides that the British medical officers consider it to be an incivility from the side of the German Starbsarzt with whom the understanding is already very strained. Already on the occasion of our last visit, the British doctors had not been informed and this time the delegate lodge a sharp protest against this impolite behaviour.

                (2) Medical orderlies bringing men in from Kommandos are not allowed any more admittance to the hospital to explain the cases, the same applies to medical officers. This is a general order given for security reasons and will have to be taken up with the OKW. In the meantime the medical orderlies and doctors will be allowed to confer with the lazaret-doctors in presence of an interpreter.

                (3) Rations. Due to the scarcity of Red Cross food parcels this question becomes acute. In lazarets attached to German hospitals the patients receive German hospital rations which are quite superior to those issued in prisoners of war lazarets. The SBMO was enquiring whether these rations could not be issued to the prisoners of war patients as well. Unfortunately present regulations do not allow that. Red Cross food parcels are at present issued at a rate of one parcel for 2 weeks.

                (4) Prisoners entering the hospital with unpunctured Red Cross tins and with more than 100 cigarettes are liable to lose these things as they are confiscated here and then sent to the Revier at Stalag VIII B Teschen for general use and distribution amongst the patients. This seems to be a ridiculous measure as the patients at Stalag Revier are not as numerous as the patients here and the confiscated stuff could be much better used in this Lazaret. After lengthy discussion the German Stabsarzt agreed to have all the confiscated articles given to the Lazaret Red Cross trustee here for communal use amongst the patients. In the meantime roughly about 500 cigarettes are missing and am investigation will have to take place. Feldwebel Fritzowski who makes this confiscation is suspected of embezzlement.

                (5) Shortage of eating utensils. Right from the beginning 45 knives, forks and spoons and bowls were short to make up to full capacity of 212 patients. Another 26 bowls, 8 knives, 19 spoons and 9 forks should be replaced. The Zahlmeister i/c made a note of these shortcomings and promised a further supply.

                (6) Outdoor recreational facilities for the medical staff. Besides the regular walks, the orderlies have little or not opportunity to play games, etc. There was a public sportsground available at the time, but the use of this field has lately been forbidden. The German Stabsarzt has already approached the Bürgermeister of Tost but without result. At present there is only a little garden behind the hospital and a courtyard in front of it available, but these grounds do not lend themselves for any sporting exercise. The German doctor promised to see whether he can find another ground.

        A number of minor points were settled with the local authorities.

        Stabsarzt Dr. Chruscz is not an easy man to deal with and the delegate was pleased to hear that, in the very near future, he will be replaced by another German medical officer. Although conditions at this hospital may not be called unsatisfactory, the new German medical officer will find many things to improve especially the understanding between the two parties on either side of the barbed wire.

sgd. Albert A. Kadler.