CONFIDENTIAL
BAU-UND ARBEITSBATTALION 40
February 19th and 22nd 1942.
Battalion Commander: Hauptmann KRIETER,
Man of confidence: Sergeant LUNN,
British Medical Officer: Captain Knowles
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This work battalion has moved since last autumn, and will probably move again within a few weeks, which might be an improvement as, as it is now, it depends in some way from Stalag XX A and a few small inconveniences arise from this situation.
Just now, Companies II and III are in the vicinity of an East-Prussian large town, Company 1 in another small town, about 50 miles from there.
Company III, which was visited to start with, is in a Fort which also holds the Bau-and Arbeitsbattalion 20. Thus it will be described in the report on that battalion.
Company II is also in a fort, together with some prisoners of war from Stalag XX A.
The work done by this battalion consists now chiefly of transporting material and building new barracks. The work is decidedly not a heavy one, although there was a complaint that, on the day of the visit, some men were asked to carry loads which were too much for their strength. As they could not go on with this work, they were compulsed to do it by the bayonets of the guards. This matter could not be investigated as, unfortunately, the battalion commander did not make an appearance. It will be brought to the attention of the German High Command.
Apart from this particular complaint, the man of confidence said that the prisoners were always well treated and considered.
Washing and toilet facilities are adequate, and there were no complaints on this point.
It seems that the question of the laundry is not as it should be. There is a large wash-room at the Stalag, and the men from the battalion were told they could send their washing there, but it was not certain they would get the same things back. This seems to be one of the inconveniences of being attached to the Stalag, and it will disappear when the battalion will be independent.
Captain Knowles is the British doctor for the whole battalion. He had no complaint to make of his own, but as he is in Company III which is in the same fort as Battalion 20, the medical question will be taken up again with the British Senior Medical Officer of that battalion.
In Company II, fifteen non-commissioned officers reported themselves to the inspector as being forced to do some work, as it seems that they have signed a paper that they would do so, but that they thought it was only for insurance purposes. This matter is taken up with the German High Command.
COMPANY I
Man of Confidence: Corporal ROUSE, PoW.No.13091,
British Man of Confidence for the working part of XX A: Sergeant Major PATON,
British Medical Officer: Captain KENNEDY, RAMC.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
This Company, together with the party from the Stalag, is living in a brick building in a small town of no military interest. The building is very well suited for its purpose.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL.
There are 200 men forming this company, all British.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS.
Large rooms, well heated, and provided with electric light, give a good impression. On the day of the visit they were found in very good order and did not give any impression of over-crowdedness. The beds of the usual double-tier type are furnished with good mattresses and two blankets each.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES.
There are enough facilities for washing and the men are allowed a hot shower once a week.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES.
There are very good latrines in this camp.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING.
This point seems to be very fair and no complaint was made to the inspector.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS.
There is a good delousing plant here and Captain Kennedy stated that no lice had been found on the British prisoners. The Senior British Medical Officer was satisfied with the health condition and said that he had sufficient drugs at his disposal. Two men from a work camp had come here with rather bad frost-bites, because they had to wait too long before being sent to hospital. The inspector asked the accompanying German officer to see that in the future sick prisoners of war could be transferred to the hospital at an earlier stage of their illness.
VIII.) CLOTHING.
The clothing here was quite good and certainly better than in other camps visited. Also the prisoners are well off with shoes.
52 men who work in an iron foundry have their shoes not lasting very long on account of the work they are doing. The man of confidence asked whether wooden clogs could not be given to them in the factory itself, so that the leather shoes would only be used to go from the camp to the work and back again. The Oberfeldwebel promised to arrange this with the civilian in charge of the factory, and it will be checked on the next visit whether this question has been settled or not.
IX.) LAUNDRY.
It was stated to be satisfactory.
X.) MONEY AND PAY.
No complaints were raised on these points.
XI.) CANTEEN.
There is a small canteen with a certain quantity of supplies, and no particular request was made about this.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.
Every Sunday a service is held by one of the prisoners, and a Roman Catholic German soldier says mass. This arrangement seems to meet with the approval of the prisoners.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE.
There is a foot-ball field where the prisoners can have outdoor-games, and they have a good supply of indoor-games also.
XIV.) MAIL.
There was no complaint whatever about the mail question.
XV.) WELFARE WORK.
None until now.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS.
There was no complaint, and the man of confidence said that the Oberfeldwebel was very good to the prisoners and did everything he could for them.
Complaints from II Company are as follows:
1) The prisoners of war, as those from Stalag in Fort 13, had their previous uniform taken back, when they received the new English uniforms. The German High Command will be asked to have these uniforms given back.
2) Some of the prisoners of work had had to work on Sundays, without having received another day off during the week. The matter is taken up with the German High Command.
3) It appears that some prisoners of war were made to pay for Red Cross clothing they had received and lost. The accompanying officer said that it had been often found out that prisoners of war were selling some of this clothing to civilians, or exchanging them against other things, and then reported having lost them. The man of confidence agreed that it was sometimes the case. So as to prevent such transactions, the prisoners of war had to pay for the clothing they had "lost", but this money was credited to their account in the camp. This arrangement seems satisfactory, and met with the approval of the man of confidence.
17.) GENERAL IMPRESSIONS.
It is really unfortunate that the Battalion Commandant did not make an appearance on the day of the visit, as some points would have been cleared up at once, specially as regards II Company.
If both I & III Companies show a good spirit and do not have serious complaints to bring forward, II Company gives a decidedly poor impression, all the more so when compared with the appearance of the other companies and groups of the Stalag.
The inspector had the feeling that this was due mostly to the two following facts:
1) That a certain number of non-commissioned officers were to work, under false pretence they thought, all these non-commissioned officers are in this II Company. The privates feel that their non-commissioned officers are wronged, and their morale suffers from it.
2) The fact that they were debarred of their second set of uniform, that they have nothing to change into when they have been out in the rain or snow, works up another ill-feeling in these prisoners of war.
As these two questions are taken up with the German High Command, it is to be hoped that this bad impression will disappear in the future.
F.O. Auckenthaler.
