Reserve Lazaret Tost

Stabsarzt

Oberarzt

Abwehr-Offizier

Accompanying Officer from

the German High Command

Senior British Medical Officer

: Dr. Chruscz

: Dr. Piontek

: Hauptmann Paul

: Hptm. Schade

: Major A.W. Woolley, POW No.881

In establishing this new lazaret the German authorities have met the long expressed wish of the Protecting Power for a lazaret intended to serve the working detachments in the coal mining area. Although the position of this new lazaret, somewhat outside the actual coal mining district is not ideal geographically, it is a big step in the right direction and greatly welcomed by both, the British medical staff and the prisoners of war directly concerned. It appears that suitable premises in the very heart of the industrial and coal mining area of Upper Silesia could not be found: however, Tost is a good second best.

For a considerable time Tost served as camp for British civilian internees but following their transfer to Giromagny (France) last autumn it became French OFLAG for a short period and is now being transformed into a lazaret. From our many reports on visits to the former ILAG Tost it is assumed that the layout of the compound is known and therefore no new description will be given.

The German Stabsarzt informed the delegate of the Protecting Power that three nationalities will be admitted for treatment in the new lazaret: British, Italian and Russian prisoners of war. The British are accommodated in the former American internee's compound and entirely separated from the other two nationalities (now block 3), the Russians in the former large British internee's compound (now block 1) and the Italians in a building formerly used for recreational and educational purposes (now block 2 as well as medical center to be).

Amongst the British medical officers there are 2 surgeons, 1 pathologist, 1 x-ray specialist, 1 physician, the remaining officers being G.Ps. (13 of the above doctors have recently come up from Italy).

On the day of visit there were 16 British patients, none of them serious cases. For the British block 40 British medical orderlies are at present foreseen. There will be accommodation for about 200 British patients.

It would be too early to pass any opinion as to the final installation and running of this new hospital; however, as far as the former is concerned the prospects are very promising in that good equipment for block 2 (operating theatre, laboratories, x-ray room, reception station etc.) is already in hand and its installation is in progress. The patient's wards in the British block convey a good impression and further justify the belief that all round material conditions in this hospital will be satisfactory. The German Stabsarzt stated that he has gone far beyond the limits set to him by order in providing equipment for the hospital or by way of constructional alterations in the various blocks. The senior British medical officer on his part endorsed this statement although in his opinion work is progressing rather slowly and he feels that neither his staff nor any of his patients should have transferred here till such time as everything was quite ready.

The delegate of the Protecting Power was able to settle a number of points with the Stabsarzt for the British senior medical officer. On one point, however, no agreement could be reached as a decision thereon lies with the O.K.W. and concerned the following:

As pointed out previously a total of 133 British medical orderlies and 14 British medical officers have already arrived at this hospital. Out of the 133 British medical orderlies 40 will eventually be detailed for duty in the British block, leaving 93 medical orderlies without any definite occupation. According to the British senior medical officer it has been suggested that these supernumerary medical orderlies might be prepared to look after prisoner patients of other nationalities, particularly Russians as no Russian medical orderlies were available and in any case this nation was allied to the British. This German point of view is shared by the British only so far in that they are perfectly willing to operate on patients of all nationalities and look after them while in block 2 (where patients remain until well enough to be transferred to their respective blocks after having been operated upon) but are unwilling to undertake the responsibility of looking after them once in their respective compounds. It is feared that the British would then be responsible for order and discipline in the Russian compound (with anything from 700 to 1000 patients) and find themselves confronted with a most difficult and ungrateful task. The delegate of the Protecting Power, fully agreeing with the point of view of the British senior medical officer, discussed the matter with the Stabsarzt but could not, as pointed out above, reach any decision for the simple reason that the latter is merely carrying out an order by the O.K.W. The Protecting Power will therefore take up the matter with that authority.

Upon paying a visit to the General in charge of the prisoners of war in the Wehrkreis VIII further information as to the medical care was volunteered. It was stated that a number of intermediary medical receiving stations in the vicinity of working detachments shall be established, forming a link between the newly created lazaret at Tost and the commandos. These stations are intended for prisoners of war requiring treatment for injuries rather beyond the scope of a first aid dressing station usually found on commandos or for cases of prisoners of war too seriously ill to be transported all the way to the lazaret at Tost for the time being. No doubt, the General is most anxious to improve conditions for the sick or wounded as far as is possible even today and much indeed has been done already. (Per generally improved conditions in working detachments see reports thereon of visits carried out in the coal-mining and industrial area of Upper Silesia on June 19th, 20th and 21st, 1944.)