Stalag 344

Senior Officer: Major Ernest Percy DAVIES, 23893, representing the officers in transit now in the Camp, and who will leave it at the end of their quarantine.

There are about 18,000 prisoners. The classification by nationalities of the prisoners from the Dominions and Colonies has not yet taken place except in the case of Jews.

There are 234 Labour Detachments, 16 of which are formed exclusively of British Jews.

Medical Personnel:

Doctors

Dentists

Orderlies

In the Stalag

917

In the Camp

832

In the Lazaret

The Stalag is now in quarantine for Exanthematic Typhus which has broken out there. We were able, nevertheless to talk outside the Camp with the Camp Leaders and Doctors and, although we were unable to visit the Camp itself we were able to go over the Lazaret.

The Camp is composed of brick hutments on a masonry foundation. These hutments are divided into two rooms which each hold 128 prisoners. The Camp Leaders complain that these rooms are overcrowded, which we were unable to confirm as we could not visit them.

The beds are double-tiered wooden bunks. The palliasses are stuffed with wool which has never been changed. Each prisoner has two blankets sent by the Red Cross but no covering of any sort of German origin. The Camp Leaders have no control whatever over the Red Cross blankets. The latter replace the blankets which the German Authorities distributed, this contrary to the orders of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. They are also entered on the clothing cards. The Camp Leaders complain that the hutments are not adequately heated. Each hutment has the right to 25 kg. of coal per day.

The washrooms, which are situated in the interior of each hutment, have 24 taps. There is a latrine-hutment for every 4 hutments and in addition each hutment has a latrine for use at night.

There is an installation of showers but it does not function regularly. Some prisoners have not had a shower for three months and it must be stated that nothing has been properly organised in this respect. Fleas and lice are rare. The war against vermin has become very acute since the outbreak of the epidemic of Exanthematic Typhus. We were unable to get exact information on the functioning of the disinfecting apparatus.

Food is prepared by British cooks who, it appears, take the greatest pains over it. The quantities of rations issued are not posted up and neither have the Camp Leaders any check on the quantity of provisions actually distributed.

Each prisoner has the right to 300 grammes of bread although the regulation ration provides for 321 grammes. The quantities of meat do not appear to be regulation either.

The Camp Leaders are of the opinion that 30 per cent of the prisoners are still wearing foreign uniforms. The prisoners in the Camp itself are well clad, but in the Labour Detachments the whole question of clothing is very far from being according to regulations, as we were able to see for ourselves. This question is entirely dependent on the conditions prevailing in the Labour Detachments. (See the Reports on the various Detachments.)

It appears that the reserves of uniforms and underclothing now in the Camp have mostly come from the British Red Cross. The Camp Leaders receive these consignments at the time of their arrival from Geneva and then the uniforms and underclothing are stored in the depots of the German Administration and from this time on the Camp Leaders have no right to look at or dispose of these reserves. Neither have they been able to inform us as to how these uniforms were distributed, nor to whom they were distributed, nor the actual quantities now in stock.

These uniforms are divided between the various Companies which each include several Labour Detachments - the same type of administrative organisation as that of the "Bezirkstelle" of which we have already spoken in the Reports concerning other "Wehrkreis". These Companies, in which there is no British Camp Leader, themselves distribute the uniforms between the various Detachments from their group. The complaints from the prisoners in these Detachments forming their group. The complaints from the prisoners in these Detachments, however, are very numerous. In some cases the stores are always empty and such Detachments never receive enough underclothing or uniforms. Sometimes the stores are well supplied but are never emptied, the Commandants of such Companies having received very strict orders that distribution is only to be made very parsimoniously. Again, uniforms are underclothes are sent to prisoners in one Detachment which do not fit them, the heads of the Detachments not knowing the necessary sizes to indicate. All this goes to explain that in certain Detachments the prisoners do not yet possess their pullover or gloves, or have only one set of underclothes.

On the other hand some heads of Detachments have enforced an order by which new clothing cannot be issued except in exchange for old, but the majority of the prisoners have never possessed either gloves or pullovers to exchange - like certain combatants from Crete and elsewhere, for example, who had to save themselves by swimming.

In addition we discovered even worse things. A Camp Leader to whom we spoke of British Red Cross shirts thought I was speaking of German shirts because he had noticed that the sentries in the Labour Detachment in which he was formerly working all wore such shirts. (This Detachment could not be identified) In other Detachments the prisoners have had to pay for things sent by the British Red Cross - for example in Detachment 51 and Detachment 90. In the latter particularly the prisoners have to pay 2 RM for a pair of gloves and 1.8 RM. for a vest. An enquiry will be made into this matter by the Camp Authorities and by ourselves.

After an understanding with the Commandant, we requested the Camp Leader of the Camp to have made by all the Camp Leaders of Detachments a list of things of which the men are in need and, after checking the stocks in hand, to make a collective demand to Geneva.

Doctors and medical orderlies are too numerous in the Camp. The total number of doctors is 47 and 43 of them are in the Camp, 7 being in the Infirmary and 12 in the Lazaret. There thus remain 24 who are not used, but the many Detachments complain that they have no Doctor. There are also about 800 medical orderlies who are not working.

The Camp has an Infirmary housed in two brick buildings, 2 wooden hutments and three small portable hutments.

A new Lazaret has been constructed about 20 km. from the Camp, built on the design of the new model established by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and which comprises 300 beds. This Lazaret is composed of 8 brick hutments one of which is devoted to general treatment, two to internal medicine, two to surgery, two to infectious complaints and one hutment is kept for medical personnel. In addition autopsies are carried out in a small isolated building.

The establishment for general treatments includes a septic operating theatre, an asceptic operating theatre, a ward for the preparation of cases before operation, a laboratory (special examinations are made at Breslau), a dispensary which is chiefly a store for medical supplies, and a room for X-ray examinations with a dark room for developing films. This hutment is very well equipped, only the X-ray apparatus appearing to us to be rather inadequate, since it does not permit of making "radioscopies en séries" the bulb not being strong enough. Neither does it enable detailed examinations of the stomach to be made since radiographs in series are impossible.

The surgical instruments are rather inadequate in number and surgeons complain of their bad quality as well as that of the thread and catgut.

There are not enough medical supplies and the doctors complain that the German dispenser still restricts the number when the English medical parcels have arrived. The Head Doctor has control of the free distribution of these packets.

The diets are very complete (see annexed the Diet for Gastric Ulcers) thanks to the Red Cross parcels which the British Chief Medical Officer issues to the general cooking. It should be noted that he has complete control of them. There is no possibility of ordering any special Diet for patients who remain in the Camp Infirmary. The number of cases of nephritis is rather high - about 150 in one year. There have been about 170 cases of diphtheria (without counting the cases which broke out in the Detachments and which were not treated here) of which 10 were fatal and 80 were followed by post-diphtheric paralysis. There are very few cases of tuberculosis - only about 25 in one year.

As to exanthematic typhus, there have been 20 cases all amongst the members of the medical personnel in charge of the disinfection of Russian prisoners. Of these 20 cases one proved fatal.

The hutments provided for these patients are very well comprised. The rooms are of various sizes and many of them, being small, permit of the isolation of certain cases. A bathroom, a small kitchen and latrines are to be found in each hutment. Linen and pillow cases are only changed every three weeks which is far too seldom.

The housing conditions of the medical personnel are very good. Their pay conforms to regulations in force. The relations between the German Chief Medical Officer and the Doctor prisoners are good. They are not so good with his Assistant who, although young and inexperienced, adopts a disagreeable attitude towards the Doctor prisoners.

The medical personnel have not yet been given the right to go for walks outside the Camp.

Very numerous complaints were made on the subject of the medical treatment accorded to the Labour Detachments. We were able to see for ourselves that they were often justified (See Reports on these Detachments). The Doctor's visits are often far too infrequent - on an average only twice a week, and examinations are inadequate (See Report on Detachment E.250, E.132 and E.276). For example:

Detachment E.286, Robert METCALF, No.10509 fell ill on October 14th 1941, suffered from high fever, pain in the neck and suffocation. The orderly believed it to be diphtheria. The man died without having had attention on October 17th, 1941.

Detachment E.37, Donald (name and surname unknown to our informant) had been complaining for a long time of pains in his stomach. He was not recognised as being ill and arrived at the hospital too late. He died on December 8th of a perforated ulcer. He was given a military funeral at Hindenburg with a firing party of German soldiers and a British flag. British soldiers from the deceased's Detachment and from neighbouring Detachments put flowers on his grave.

The N.C.Os. work voluntarily. Numerous complaints have, however, been raised on this subject. The "Arbeitseinsatzoffizier" told us that in his opinion once an N.C.O. had undertaken to work he must do so for the whole duration of his captivity. He made no written contract with them because he thought that too few N.C.Os. would come forward voluntarily if he did so. The N.C.Os. in certain Detachments have been able to return to Camp or to change their unit if their work did not suit them. but these are only a small minority. Many N.C.Os. assured us that they had been promised that they would be able to return to Camp at their own request.

On the other hand we saw N.C.Os. who had volunteered because they had been promised work according to their choice (shoemakers, etc.). As soon as they had arrived at the Detachments, however, they were made to do the same work as the other prisoners (See Report on Detachment E.250).

This is according to the regulations in force. We did not see any recognised members of the medical personnel who were not receiving the regulation pay.

This also corresponds with the regulations in force, but it appears that special orders regarding the medical personnel in Detachments in this respect have not yet been given. Many of the prisoners have not yet received news from their families. We requested the Camp Leader to send a list of their names to Geneva.

These take place regularly. In the Camp itself there are 2 Catholic priests, 2 Church of England clergymen, 1 Presbyterian and 1 Baptist Minister. On the other hand there are no Ministers of any denomination with the Detachments.

The Canteen is run by a British prisoner but the Camp Leader has no control over the profits.

This comprises about 5,000 books. The organisation of a circulating library for the Detachments is in progress.

The British Red Cross parcels arrive regularly. The Camp Leaders have absolute control of them and ensure their distribution. A great number of Labour Detachments only receive parcels very rarely because of the difficulties in transport. The Camp Leaders have adopted the following method of procedure: They send large quantities of parcels at the same time, up to about 4 to 6 distributions in advance - which explains the considerable number of parcels which are sometimes deposited in the stores. Often these parcels are sent by post. This system has the following defects:

1. Often a Detachment which is behind in its due number of parcels, or in which the prisoners have received nothing for 3 to 4 weeks, see [are?] sent in one consignment all the parcels to which they have a right. The Chief of the Detachment, acting on orders received, then refuses to deliver more than 1 parcel per man per week, and thus formed a large stock which is never removed.

3. When whole wagon loads are sent to a Detachment or to a group of Detachments, the Camp Leader signs the receipts but has no control over the contents of the wagon. Sometimes too, these wagons are sent to a Company in which, as we have already pointed out, there is no British Camp Leader.

The Camp Leaders complain that parcels are sometimes missing in the wagons sent from Geneva. On one occasion stores had been put in to replace tins of food, a fact which was confirmed by the Commandant of the Camp. On the other hand a very considerable amount had been stolen from one wagon by civilian workmen. This affair is not in the hands of the German police officers.

1. He does not yet know the numbers of all the Labour Detachments dependent on the Stalag.

2. He is often ignorant of the names of the Camp Leaders in these Detachments and it appears that they have not all got Camp Leaders.

7. He has not so far been able to enter into any correspondence with the Labour Detachments.

We had a conversation without witnesses with the Camp Leaders and Doctors. Some of their complaints have been stated above. We now cite the following:

1. Complaints are raised by the fact that the Jews have been separated from their comrades and placed in special Detachments.

2. Numerous members of the medical personnel have not been able to prove themselves to be such because they have lost their papers. The British Chief Medical Officer has not been able to get the medical personnel of his own Field Unit officially recognised.

3. John GEE, No.6113, was killed in Detachment No.159 without any reason according to the statements of his comrades.

5. Detachment E.51 is particularly bad. We expressed the wish to visit it but the Commandant of the Camp asked us not to do so because he had himself made enquiries about it and had addressed a request to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht that this Detachment should be suppressed. It is a Mining Company the managers of which, according to the statement of the Commandant of the Camp, abuse and exploit the prisoners who are also maltreated by the civilians. The Commandant found there three knotted clubs which he confiscated. In addition the prisoners in this Detachment were made to pay for the things sent by the British Red Cross.

We did not visit this Detachment as the enquiry and Report had already been made, but we have requested the German Authorities to communicate to us the decisions taken on this matter.

We were not able to visit this Camp because of the epidemic of exanthematic typhus which has broken out in it. It appears that all measures have now been taken to prevent the spreading of this disease.

The housing conditions and sanitary installations are good. The showers are inadequate and the palliasses have never been changed and there are still lice.

The doctors and medical personnel who are not employed are too numerous in the camp and there are none in the Detachments.

The N.C.Os. working voluntarily have the greatest difficulty in returning to the Camp. They are not always employed on the work for which they volunteered.

The distribution of the British Red Cross parcels is faced with great obstacles because of the difficulties in transport.

The work of the Camp Leader is not yet in focus. He has no control whatever over the clothing and linen sent by the British Red Cross.

0900. 1/2 oz. Olive Oil. 5 ozs. Custard & Jelly, 1 Slice Bread & Butter. Jam. (Bread to have crust removed).

1300. 1/2 oz. Olive Oil. 5 ozs. Potato Purée with Marmite Gravy or Sardines. 1 Slice Bread & Butter & Jam (Crusts removed).

1430. 1 Teaspoonful Atropine Mixture. 1 Crushed Tablet Magnes Peroxide & 1 Bismuth Tablet.

1700. 5 ozs. Potato Purée flavoured with Marmite. 1 Slice Bread, Butter and Jam. (Crusts removed).

2130. 1 Teaspoonful Belus Alka. 1 Crushed Tablet Magnes Peroxide. 1 Crushed Tablet Bismuth.

During the night the Patient is to have some citrated Milk by his bedside, which he can taken on waking.

Milk feeds may be taken hot or cold and flavoured with Tea, Ovaltine or Chocolate.

Patients weekly Chocolate issue can be divided into seven daily portions and one portion taken daily with one of his feeds.

The men are housed in a farm-inn. This building is a very small house on two floors. The ground floor has 4 rooms, 2 on the right and 2 on the left of the corridor. The two rooms overlooking the yard and therefore in front of the house, open onto the corridor. One has to pass through them to reach the back rooms. These rooms are rather overcrowded. In the ground floor rooms there is about 2m3, of air per man. Their dimensions are about 2.5m. long and 5m. across and they are not quite 3m. high. Fifteen men have been put into them and they do not get enough air or light.

The officers who accompanied me seemed surprised and could not understand that such quarters could have been accepted by those in authority.

Each man has two blankets, but these are very ragged and dirty. The prisoners can receive as many personal blankets as they wish. These are entered on their clothing card.

The sanitary installations are very rudimentary. The men have nowhere to wash in their rooms and have to balance their basins (which are inadequate in number) on a plank in the yard. The water has to be pumped. These men have never had a shower.

The latrines are the same as one finds on all the farms, but there is no drainage system. The contents of the ditch are pumped up and emptied on the manure heap. There are only three sheets and no chlorate of lime has been used in them for a very long time.

The yard of the farm is very dirty. One of the rooms of the Gasthof serves as a Recreation Room in the evening and as a tailor's shop and Cobbler's shop during the day. It is badly heated and badly lit, and in addition it is barely large enough for all the prisoners to get in.

This is prepared by a British cook to the satisfaction of all, but the kitchen is too small and half of it is in the open air.

The men have the right to the supplementary ration for heavy work, but neither the head of the Detachment nor the Camp Leader have ever checked the quantities.

All the men have a coat, a battledress, a pullover and two sets of underclothes. There is a small store of clothing in the Detachment, but exchange is very difficult, the Head of the Detachment having received very strict orders on this subject. Socks and shoes are in an extremely bad condition, which is all the more regrettable since the men work in the forest.

This is given by a civilian Doctor. Until the quarantine of the Camp is over, men are evacuated to the hospital in the neighbouring town.

A Corporal who is a member of the medical personnel ensures daily attention. We had no complaints on the subject of medical attention.

The men work in the forest under the orders of a head forester. The men have what is called an "Akkord Arbeit", which is to say that once their task is finished they can return to their Detachment. We noted that some had already returned to their rooms at 3.30 p.m. Their work is very hard and done in all weather. There is no place where they can dry their clothes.

On Sunday the men have to chop the wood which they have brought back from the forest to warm themselves.

Some N.C.Os. work voluntarily but desire to return to the Camp. The housing conditions and the work do not suit them. They have not been able to obtain permission to return. (See Report on the Camp).

There is no Canteen. The men have to buy the things which they need from the Mayor.

This is in accordance with the regulations. This summer the prisoners received no formulars for 3 weeks. The parcels are opened in front of them.

The men have never had any religious Service, but every Sunday they say their prayers together and sing some hymns.

The Library consists of about 100 of their personal books. No books have ever come from the Camp.

The men do not seem to receive their Red Cross parcels very regularly. There are now 160 in the store. The Camp Leader has no control over the parcels and it is the Head of the Detachment who distributes them. For the last three weeks the soap and chocolate have been missing from these parcels.

The Camp Leader has no control whatever over the uniforms and underclothes sent by the British Red Cross. The men have also had to pay for the vests (1.80 RM.) and gloves (2.RM.) which they exchanged. Up to now the Camp Leader has been able to do nothing except sign the receipts.

The men complain above all about the housing conditions and sanitary arrangements.

They also resent the fact that they do not have the control of the parcels and effects from the British Red Cross in their own hands.

The housing conditions of this Detachment are absolutely inadequate, as well as the sanitary arrangements. The officers who accompanied me remarked on them to the Head Forester who employs the men and threatened him that they would make a demand for the withdrawal of the Detachment.

The Camp Leader has no control over the uniform and clothing from the Red Cross, nor over the parcels, and it is the Head of the Detachment who distributes them.

The conditions of labour are reasonable and the medical attention is satisfactory.

The prisoners are lodged in an old schoolhouse now unused. The rooms are small and the wooden beds are in double tiers. The free space is adequate.

One of the rooms, which has a cement floor, is used as a washroom. It is supplied with 10 taps and two sets of showers which function every day. Hot water is obtainable throughout the day.

The latrines, which are sufficient in number, are in the yard on the far side from the house, and are hygienic. In the night a large tub is installed in the corridor.

Unfortunately the orderliness of the cantonments leaves much to be desired. The prisoners are all recruits who were in France for training. For this reason their discipline is still inadequate.

This is prepared by a British cook to the satisfaction of all the men. The supplement for heavy work and the regulation quantities are distributed.

This is in fairly good condition and exchange in the Company store is made fairly easily.

All the prisoners have a battle-dress, a pullover, 2 vests, 2 pants, 2 pairs of socks and English shoes. They wear sabots indoors. The shoes are in bad condition, but I was able to see for myself that the men do not take much trouble to look after them.

This is given by a civilian Doctor and two members of the British medical personnel. The latter have not been paid for 8 months and they do not benefit by the privileges to which they are entitled.

The Doctor seems to be too severe on some occasions in his diagnosis. Serious cases are evacuated to the civil hospital until the Camp quarantine is over.

The prisoners work as labourers in a lime factory. In summer they work 9 hours a day and in the winter 8 hours a day. Saturday afternoon and Sunday are free. On occasions when the men have to work on a Sunday, they are compensated by a free day during the week.

This conforms to the regulations except for the members of the medical personnel. The parcels are opened in the presence of the addresses and the Camp Leader.

There is no Canteen. The Head of the Detachment makes the prisoners purchases for them in the neighbouring village, but he can only find very little to buy.

The Library is composed of about 300 to 400 personal books. The prisoners have never received any from the Stalag and they have nothing except a few packs of cards.

The Red Cross parcels now arrive very regularly. They are controlled and distributed by the Camp Leader. He distributes 1 parcel for 4 men 4 times a week.

The prisoners are well treated, except at the quarry where the foreman never ceases to threaten and abuse them. The Head of the Detachment and the guards are benevolent in their regard for the men.

On the other hand the former Chief of the Detachment struck 4 prisoners on 25.6.41, of whom one was the soldier John OWENS 11669, on the subject of whom we received a demand for an enquiry. This Head was replaced at the beginning of July.

This is a good Labour Detachment. The housing conditions, sanitary arrangements, food and clothing are all satisfactory.

The treatment of the prisoners seems to be good at present except for the case of the foreman already mentioned.

The Camp Leader has no control over the uniforms and clothing sent by the Red Cross.

It would be a good thing to send some distractions to this Detachment as quickly as possible, since the prisoners, who are deprived of all amusement, are for the most part very young.

The prisoners work as labourers in a cement works and are housed in two small buildings adjoining the works. In the first there are two very small rooms where there are about 20 men, which is rather a crowd. In the other building, a much larger room serves as a Recreation Room in the evening. The wooden beds are in double-tiers. Each man has two blankets lent by the firm, but nearly all of them are in a very bad state, are dirty, too small and torn.

The sanitary arrangements are far too primitive. The washrooms are not enclosed. The 62 men have only one tap. It is true that the prisoners can wash in the cantonments where they can use the basins (one for 2 or 3 men). The latrines are altogether inadequate and are arranged in a wooden hut with three seats and no drainage. They are only cleaned out every three weeks and chlorate of lime is used far too sparingly.

This is prepared by two German women. Only 14 men have the right to supplementary rations for heavy labour. As it is too difficult to prepare their rations separately, they only get a hunk of bread more than their comrades get.

The prisoners receive 300 grammes of bread instead of 321 gr. They apparently receive less than 200 grammes of meat per week.

This is in bad condition everywhere, the factory not having lent special working clothes and the work being of a very dirty nature. About 10 per cent of the men have no British uniforms, ten percent have no pullovers, 50 per cent have no socks but have only strips of rags, and 10 per cent wear shoes with wooden soles. All of them have received coats belonging to foreign armies. The Company puts numerous obstacles in the way of any exchanges.

This is given by a civilian Doctor, but consultations are too rare. They take place only once or twice per month. When a man is seriously ill the Doctor visits the Detachment, but there is no medical orderly in this Detachment. At the moment there are 6 patients who are slightly ill.

The prisoners work 8 hours a day and are free on Saturday afternoon and Sundays. When pressing work has to be done on a Sunday, the men have a day off during the week. All the prisoners are employed as labourers. Their work is not too heavy, except for those who have to load the wagons.

This conforms to the regulations. All the men have had news from their families.

Parcels are opened in front of the addressees, who complain, however, that too often their parcels are incomplete.

There is no Canteen. The Head of the Detachment makes purchases in the town for the prisoners.

The library contains 30 personal books. The men have not yet received anything at all from the Stalag. They only possess a few packs of cards.

At the moment parcels are received regularly from the Stalag, but previously these parcels were delayed for 2 to 4 weeks. When a consignment destined for the Detachment arrives, the Head refuses to distribute the parcels in arrears. As the consignments now arrive regularly the stock in hand will never be exhausted.

As in the base Camp parcels are distributed at the rate of 1 for 4 men 4 times a week. If in the meantime a man leaves the Detachment, the Head sends back a quarter of a parcel to the base Camp.

The Camp Leader checks the parcels but is not allowed to distribute them. He has never been able either to check or to distribute the uniforms and clothing from the British Red Cross.

The prisoners are well treated by both civilians and military. The former Head of the Detachment stopped the Camp Leader from approaching the "officier de contrôle".

The housing conditions are good. The blankets are in a very bad state and the sanitary arrangements are very inadequate.

The quantities of food are not properly regulated. The clothing question is badly organised and uniforms and underclothing are in very bad condition.

Packs of playing cards, 1 game of "Monopoly", an accordion and a saxophone and a drum.

This Camp consists of six wooden hutments situated in a forest. The hutments are divided into six rooms with 20 men in each. The wooden beds are in double tiers. The straw has been changed once since the formation of the Detachment, that is since June 1940. At the moment the men are using the paper off their Red Cross parcels to restuff their palliasses.

Each man has two blankets, a sheet and a pillow, and as many personal blankets as he wishes. These are entered on the clothing card.

Three washroom-hutments supply hot water every day. Every man can have a hot shower every other day. The latrines are very clean and have 88 seats. The night latrines are in the interior of the hutments.

This is prepared by British cooks to the satisfaction of all. The kitchen is very well equipped and very clean. The men draw the supplementary ration for heavy work, but the quantities issued do not appear to conform to the regulations on all occasions.

This matter is not very well organised. The quartermaster-sergeant puts many obstacles in the way of exchange of clothing, although the store is quite well stocked.

All the men have coats, but 70 per cent of these coats are in very bad condition. They each have a battledress, 30 per cent of which are in bad condition. About 20 men still have no pullovers, but all have a double set of underclothes.

20 per cent of the footwear is in a very bad state and all the men have to wear sabots in the Camp. For the first time shoes with wooden soles have been issued this week. Linen can be washed every day. There is a tailor and a cobbler.

Medical attention is given by a British Doctor and by 10 medical orderlies. This personnel has not yet been accorded the privileges to which it has the right. In one of the hutments 4 rooms are reserved as an Infirmary and one as a Consultin Room.

The Doctor has sufficient instruments. Most of them he bought himself. He has sufficient medicaments and receives the Medical Parcels regularly.

The German Doctor from the Reserve-Lazaret nearby comes about every two weeks to check up on things.

Serious cases are evacuated to the Reserve-Lazaret and from there to the Lagerlazaret at Lamsdorf. A new Lazaret reserved for prisoners is under construction at Kosel and should soon be in use.

There are about 50 patients at the moment, of whom about 30 are suffering from furunculosis. Some of these furunculosis cases go on for months. They are of a torpid nature, more or less generalised, with no fever and altogether very bizarre. The German Doctors have never seen anything like it. The Doctor thought it was due to avitaminosis but the administration of vitamins has so far had no results.

There have been two cases of tuberculosis in a year, one nephritis and two cases of diphtheria. One of the latter died last February. The whole Labour Detachment were X-rayed in June 1941. The state of health is good.

They work from 8 to 10 hours per day and sometimes much less when the men have an "akkordarbeit", that is to say they can leave off working when the task which has been assigned to them is finished. It is very rarely that the men have to work on a Sunday. When they do they are compensated for it during the week.

Sometimes, according to the place of work, the men have as much as a 2 hours march to get there. On the whole the men are satisfied with their work, which is not too heavy.

70 N.C.Os. who volunteered have difficulty in returning to the Camp when they wish to do so. (See our Report on the Camp). Since the 12th August, 1941, 8 of these N.C.Os. have been able to leave the Detachment.

This conforms to the regulations, except for the medical personnel. All the men have received news from home. The parcels arrive regularly and are opened in front of the prisoner.

The Library consists of about 600 books, of which 200 came from the Camp. A small Sports Ground enables the men to play football. They have a small orchestra, but no dramatic troupe because they have no Recreation Room.

This is run by one of the prisoners, the purchases being made in the town. The men receive 40 cigarettes per week from the Stalag.

The Camp Leader checks and distributes himself the Red Cross parcels. At the moment he has retained about 3200. His work has been very well arranged, but he has no control over the uniforms and clothing sent by the Red Cross.

The members of the medical personnel have not been accorded the privileges to which they are entitled.

The clothing on the whole is in a bad state, especially the coats. This clothing question could be better organised.

This Detachment had already been visited by the Delegates of the International Red Cross Committee last spring. The men work in the mines.

The men live in stone houses which were used for Russian prisoners during the war of 1914 - 1918. The rooms are small with one exception. They are carpeted and very clean. There is adequate free space in each room as well as a stove. The prisoners can have as much coal as they wish. The beds are either wood or of iron in double tiers. The Doctor and the Camp Leader have a small room with single beds. Each man has two blankets and as many personal blankets as he received. The latter are entered on the clothing card. The straw was changed two months ago.

The sanitary arrangements are excellent. Each man has a hot shower after he finishes his work at the mine. In the Camp there is a washroom with 20 taps and hot water all day long. In addition there is a sink and a tap in every corridor. The latrines, which are sufficient in number, are hygienic.

1. "Schwerstarbeiterzulage" ("Hardest worker rations") for about 340 men who work down the mine.

2. "Schwerarbeiterzulage" ("Hard work rations") for about 37 men who work at the surface.

3. Ordinary rations for the men who work in the Camp, which means for about 20 men.

We were able to check the quantities with the Head of the Mines and found that they conformed perfectly with the regulations. It does, however, happen that for practical reasons the supplements are added to the general cooking, which does not actually matter very much since nearly all the men have the right to the supplement for the heaviest work.

The kitchen is small but very clean. Coffee substitute is served every day for the men who remain in the Camp.

This is given by a British Doctor and 5 members of the medical personnel. The Doctor has complete freedom in his work. He sends patients twice a week to the Reserve-Lazaret in the town for special accommodations. He has a small infirmary with 3 beds at his disposal. The system of small rooms makes it possible for patients to be left in their own beds. The Consulting Room is very well equipped. There are sufficient medical supplies and the Doctor receives Medical Parcels regularly.

The state of health is good. During a year one cases of pulmonary tuberculosis has been disclosed and 7 cases of nephritis. No death has been notified.

Serious cases are evacuated to the neighbouring Reserve-Lazaret, and from there to the Lager-Lazaret at Lamsdorf.

Each man has a coat, a battledress, 1 Army shirt and 2 given by the firm, 2 pairs of pants, shoes and strips of material instead of socks. He also had a set of dungarees lent by their employers.

All the men have working shoes supplied by the mine, 75 per cent being in leather and 25 per cent being shoes with wooden soles). They also have sabots to wear in Camp. In addition they all have shoes from British sources deposited in the Camp store. Exchange of clothing is done a the Company store and the Camp Leader has no control over the consignments from the Red Cross.

The prisoners work for 8 hours a day, in two shifts and every other Sunday, without receiving any compensatory holiday during the week.

About 340 men work down the mine, 37 on the surface and 20 are employed in the Camp. The men have a quarter-of-an-hour's walk to work. They also have to do an hour of fatigues in the Camp on their return.

Two N.C.Os., who work voluntarily, are anxious to return to the base Camp but have not been able to obtain permission, although they had been promised on their departure that they should be able to return when they wished to do so.

This varies according to the nature of the work but the basis is 70 pfennigs per day.

This conforms to the regulations, except for medical personnel who have not yet been accorded the privileges to which they are entitled. Personal parcels are opened by the Camp Leader in front of a German.

The Library comprises about 400 books, of which 150 came from the base Camp. The men have enough games. They have started a small orchestra and a theatrical troupe and are in the midst of preparations for a splendid Christmas celebration.

The Camp Leader checks and distributes himself the parcels from the British Red Cross, which arrive in bulk consignments. There are at present about 3000.

Labour Detachment E.27 is very good. The housing conditions and sanitary arrangements are satisfactory. The food is adequate. Medical attention is excellent. The clothing question is very well organised, which is specially due to the sympathetic understanding of the directors of the mine.

We will describe both these Detachments at the same time, as the condition of work, living and housing are identical.

The men are all employed in a sugar-beet factory and live in a large stone building, the rooms of which are mostly small and well heated.

The wooden beds are in double-tiers and each prisoner has 2 blankets and as many personal blankets as he desires. The latter are entered on his clothing card.

The washrooms are rather primitive and installed in a shed. The [men] who remain will be able to wash themselves in the inside of the house. The men have a hot shower every day in the factory.

The latrines are rudimentary. There are only three seats and they are not treated with chlorate of lime sufficiently often.

This is prepared by German cooks and is good and sufficient. During the season of heavy work, the men receive the special supplement for heavy labour. For the past two weeks they have had the ordinary rations. The quantities issued conform to the regulations.

All the men have a battledress, a coat (60 per cent of these garments are not British); but 10 N.C.Os. have no pullovers and the Jews have only 1 vest, which is the same for the 30 N.C.Os. About 20 men have no leather shoes. None of the men have any gloves or scarves. The Head of the Detachment facilitates exchange of clothing as far as possible, but thus comes up against the Company orders.

This is given by a civilian Doctor and a member of the British medical personnel. There is nothing to note in this connection. Serious cases are evacuated to the Reserve-Lazaret at Kosel, which is shortly to be turned into a Lazaret reserved especially for prisoners.

The men have been working in shifts of 12 hours a day for the past 5 weeks. During this time the men have not had a single Sunday free and have had no compensation during the week.

For the past few days the men have worked 8 hours a day and are free on Sunday, the "battle of the sugar-beet" being ended.

During the period of the heavy work they received 1.20 RM per day, but this is now reduced to 0.70 RM.

The prisoners write 2 letters and 2 cards instead of 4. The members of the medical personnel do not enjoy the privileges to which they are entitled.

About 6 men have not received news from their families, and the Camp Leader is going to send a list of them to Geneva.

There are no books in the Detachment except 24 personal books. The men have received nothing in this Camp and possess nothing except a few packs of cards.

The Red Cross parcels arrive regularly and are controlled and distributed by the Camp Leaders.

The Jews are treated exactly the same as their comrades and have no complaints to make. The civilians are very correct in their treatment of them. They assured us that according to information which they had received from other comrades it is the same in a certain number of other Labour Detachments. On one occasion only, a Jew in the Lazaret at Kosel was separated from his British comrades and put in a ward with Russians where the treatment and food was appreciably worse.

This Detachment is satisfactory, but the sanitary arrangements and latrines are too primitive. The work during the "battle of the beetroot" was very hard indeed, without any day off in 5 weeks.

We instructed the N.C.Os. and Jews to make a request to Geneva and to the Stalag for anything they needed as soon as they knew their new Detachment. Nearly all the men were to leave this Detachment the following week.

The men, who all work in a sugar-beet factory, are partly housed in an old house in the factory enclosure (201), and partly in the Recreation Room of the Gasthof Zum Schwarzen Adler.

The rooms in the first building are small and contain about 30 men. There is plenty of free space. The washrooms are rather primitive, but on the other hand the men can all have a hot shower every day at the factory. The latrines are too rudimentary.

The Recreation Room of the restaurant is too small and overcrowded. The men have hardly space enough to move from their beds. They have to wash themselves under a penthouse three at a time. The latrines are completely inadequate.

The wooden beds are in double tiers and the straw in the palliasses has never been changed. It is true that the Detachment has only been in existence since October 8th, 1941. All the men have 2 blankets and as many personal blankets as they wish. The latter are entered on their clothing cards. The rooms are well heated.

This is prepared by 2 British cooks, under the supervision of a German civilian. Everyone is satisfied with it.

The men receive the supplement for heavy labour. The quantity of bread is not according to regulations: 400 grammes instead of 450 gr. Three times a week the prisoners get 125 grammes of meat. They also have 225 grammes of margarine and 300 grammes of marmalade per week.

This is in very bad condition, because the work is very dirty and the factory has refused to lend the men any working clothes. Also the men are often wet and have no place at their disposal where they can dry their clothes.

All the men have coats, 25 per cent of which are in bad condition. They all have battledresses, 30 per cent of which are in bad condition. 90 per cent have no pullovers and 10 per cent have no socks. The others are in bad condition. The men have only one set of underclothing, and their shirts, as I was able to see for myself, are in a very bad state.

All the men have shoes and sabots to wear in the cantonments. They had to pay for these out of their own pockets (8.25 RM).

Exchange of clothing is very difficult. For certain garments the Head of the Detachment insists that the prisoners hand over the old garment, so that as many of them have never had any gloves or pullovers, they are never able to get any.

This is given by a civilian Doctor and by a British medical orderly. The Doctor appears to be too severe in his diagnosis.

We saw one man with enormous external and internal haemorrhoids which needed treatment who had not been allowed to report sick.

Another man who was treated as a malingerer, is suspected of having appendicitis. The Head of the Detachment on his own initiative had kept him in his room.

During the 5 weeks of their stay in this Detachment, the men have only received one formula for a letter and 2 for postcards. Lately they have only received cards.

The prisoners worked in two shifts for 12 hours a day during the "battle of the beetroot". When the change-over of shifts came, the day shift becoming the night shift, the men had to work for 18 hours on end, without any break for food, from 6 p.m. on Saturday until 12 noon on Sunday and the other shift from Sunday noon until 6 a.m. on Monday morning.

For the past 7 weeks the men had been obliged to work for 7 consecutive Sundays without receiving any compensating break during the week.

This is 1.20 RM per day, plus working bonuses about which we were not able to obtain any information.

There is no Canteen. Purchases are made in the town, but the men can get very little there.

The men have hardly any time to rest themselves, and therefore have not suffered too badly from the lack of books and games. They have only 20 books and no games. They have received nothing at all from the Stalag in this line.

The British Red Cross parcels are delivered regularly but the Camp Leader has no control whatever over them. They are received, stored and opened without the Camp Leader being present. It is obvious that certain things are missing. Tins are opened by blows from a hatchet.

The manager of the Factory had the prisoners searched on leaving work to make sure that they did not take away any sugar.

The Head of the Detachment and the guards do not seem to take much trouble to improve the conditions of the prisoners.

Detachment E.276 is frankly bad. This is very largely due to the management of the factory who make no attempt to improve the lot of the prisoners. The Head of the Detachment informed us that he had the greatest difficulty in getting any improvements and that this Factory was well known in the district as being "esozial" (anti-social). This is the same for civilian workmen.

The housing conditions of the men in the restaurant are bad. The sanitary arrangements and the latrines for this group are quite inadequate.

The conditions of labour are far too hard. The men have never had any rest on Sundays. It is true that the "battle of the beetroot" is now ended and that labour conditions should now become normal.

The Camp Leader has no control over the uniforms and clothing from the Red Cross, neither does he check the Red Cross parcels and it is not he who distributes them.

The prisoners are housed in two wooden hutments which are divided into 2 rooms which can each hold 24 men.

The wooden beds are in double-tiers and the palliasses are stuffed with wood wool which has never been changed, because the Detachment only came into existence at the beginning of November.

Each prisoner has 2 blankets and as many personal blankets as he wishes. The latter are entered on his clothing card. In the cantonments the free space for table and chairs is adequate.

The prisoners have a bathroom with two magnificent baths, and an adequate number of washrooms have been installed. Unfortunately for the past few days the water pipes have broken down and the water has had to be pumped by hand. The latrines are in order.

All the prisoners have the right to the supplement for heavy work. In this respect, we point out that the supplement has been cut by a third since 3.1.41. The employer has also received orders from the Landsrat to suppress the prisoners' regulation ration for heavy labour (except for a quarter of the bread ration), although they are to remain for the civilian workmen. The reason for this decision is the attitude of the civilian population who protest against the number of parcels being received by the British.

The officers who accompanied us and the employer have promised to make immediate representations to the Commandant du Wehrkreis to have this order rescinded. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, to whom we reported this fact is also of the opinion that the Landsrat have no right to give any such order.

In no way have the rations issued to the prisoners up to date corresponded with the regulations. (for example 330 grammes of bread)

This is still in fairly good condition. The Camp Leader has no control over the uniforms and clothing sent by the Red Cross.

All the prisoners have a coat, a battledress, 2 sets of underclothes, socks or strips of material instead, and shoes. Six men have not yet received any pullovers.

This is a good Detachment. The men are well housed and well treated. The quantities of food do not seem to conform to the regulations and after the 15th December the prisoners will no longer have the supplement for heavy work, except for the quarter bread ration.

The Camp Leader has no control over the uniforms and clothing from the Red Cross.

STALAG VIII B DT E 27 Visited December 13th representative Ledly Alfred 14722 Stop 397 British stone houses small rooms clean coal fires in sufficiency doubletiered beds at least two blankets no vermin daily hot showers at the works stop Washroom 20 taps hot water stop Latrines sufficient and hygienic stop Food prepared by German women stop 340 men draw supplementary rations for very heavy manual work 37 for heavy manual work 20 draw ordinary rations clean kitchen quantities conform to regulations stop One British doctor 5 medical orderlies stop Special examinations made at Lazaret in town stop Infirmary 3 beds sufficient medicaments stop One Tibercular case 7 Nephritis no deaths stop One coat one battledress 3 shirts 2 drawers socks overshoes working clothes provided for each man 75% have leather soles remainder have wooden soles stop Eight hours work daily stop Alternative Sundays free 340 men work in a mine good condition stop 70 Pfennigs daily minimum stop Correspondence regular stop No religious services 400 books games orchestra theatre stop Representative controls Red Cross parcels general impression excellent. FULLSTOP

DT E 3 Visited 13th December representative Haberfild William 11012 stop 716 British Wooden buildings 20 men to room double-tiered beds 2 blankets one sheet one pillow fleas hot showers every day good latrines stop British cook good food stop Change of Garments difficult stop Laundry possibly daily stop Infirmary 4 rooms sufficient medicines instruments checked twice monthly by German doctor stop 50 patients of whom 30 Furunculosis 2 Tuberculosis 1 Nephritis 2 Diphtheria of whom one died February 1941 stop Work manual labour 10 hours maximum daily Sundays free 70 Pfennigs daily stop Correspondence regular except medical staff stop No religious services 600 books football ground orchestra canteen 40 cigarettes per man distributed by Stalag stop Representative controls British Red Cross parcels but not clothing good atmosphere full stop

DT E 90. Representative Hawe William 13211 Visited 12th December 62 British housed in Farm rooms overcrowded 15 men in 36 M3 stop No shower or fountain lavatories without disinfectant stop 2 Blankets per PG stop British cook cooking satisfactory stop Coats battledress pullover underclothes stop Change of clothing difficult socks shoes bad condition stop Civilian Doctor medical corporal stop Work forestry 70 Pfennigs daily correspondence regular stop Religious services usual no canteen 100 books no games stop Representative has no control over parcels or clothing fullstop

DT E.132. Representative Hawked visited 12th December 99 British one time school doubletiered beds straw recently changed daily hot water hygienic latrines 2 blankets British cook regulation rations stop Change of clothing easy stop Civilian doctor 2 medical orderlies without special privileges stop Work 9 hours daily in summer 8 hours in winter Saturday afternoon Sunday free 70 Pfennigs daily correspondence regular no religious services no canteen 700 books few games representative controls British Red Cross parcels games requested fullstop.

DT E 203. Visited 12th December representative Hardy Albert 62 British two buildings adjoining factory common room doubletiered beds 2 blankets had condition no vermin stop Hygienic equipment primitive insufficient latrines stop Cooking by German women stop Clothing doctor visits twice monthly stop 6 Patients not serious cases stop Work manual labour 8 hours daily Saturday after Sunday free 70 Pfennigs stop Correspondence normal no religious services no canteen 30 books no games stop representative controls British Red Cross parcels but not clothing fullstop.

DT E 250. Visited 14th December representative Smith Reginald 22260 98 British wooden buildings doubletiered beds mattresses of wood wool two blankets no vermin bathroom sufficient latrines cooking by German women stop Clothing in good condition stop Civilian doctor one medical orderly work in factory making wood wool 8 hours daily 70 Pfennigs stop 2 letters 2 cards monthly stop Religious services general no canteen 46 cigarettes weekly from Stalag stop 20 books sufficient games representative controls British Red Cross parcels.

Our 4448 continued Stalag VIII B Dt. E.253 and 28/69 British N.C.O.s and 20 British Jews visited 13 December stone houses small rooms well heated wooden beds 2 - tiers minimum 2 blankets stop Primitive wash-place hot showers daily in factory stop Primitive latrines stop German cook good regulation food clothing good condition change of shirts 20 pairs socks required stop German civilian doctor British medical orderly stop Work in sugar factory 12 hours daily without free Sunday for 5 weeks stop At present 8 hours daily Sundays free 70 pfennigs a day 2 letters 2 cards a month 6 men without news no religious service 24 books games cards no canteen stop Purchases can be made in village stop 40 cigarettes a week by Stalag representative controls B.R.C.S. parcels stop No complaints stop Jews treated like other p.w. stop

Dt. E.287 soon to be evacuated full stop Dt.3.276 visited 14 December representative Anderson Harry 11270 240 British old house 30 men per room primitive washplace hot showers daily in factory stop 30 men housed in large overcrowded room insufficient latrines 2 tier beds minimum 2 blankets stop Good heating no vermin stop British cooks food satisfactory 400 gr beds 125 gr. meat 3 times a week 225 gr. margarine weekly 300 gr. jam a week stop Clothing bad condition, pullovers socks underclothes wanted change of clothing difficult stop German civilian doctor British medical orderly stop Write cards only no religious service stop Exhausting work in sugar factory 7 weeks without free Sundays 120 pfennigs a day no canteen stop Received 100 cigarettes from Stalag for two months stop Parcels arrive regularly full stop

Oflag IV C visited 16 December representative Guy German 191 782 prisoners including 80 British namely 66 officers 14 orderlies needing special supervision in consequence escapes stop 1 mattress 2 blankets heating ventilation good tables chairs insufficient food insufficient representative controls rations 400 gr. meat 268 margarine 62 cheese 175 sugar 28 tea 175 jam 2250 bread 3200 potatoes weekly stop Facilities for preparing personal food stop Clothing good controlled by representative stop Weekly laundry canteen poorly stocked stop Hot showers weekly baths without running water 4 washplaces 4 latrines with running water for British stop Water latrines insufficient stop Infirmary 3 dark rooms stop Primitive examination room German French doctors 3 British officers slightly ill stop Sufficient books games orchestra artistic activities stop Walks in park stop Religious service weekly stop Correspondence regular parcels arrive regularly controlled by representatives 85 cigarettes a month stop Pay issued regularly Officers under punishment receive one third pay stop Camp satisfactory.

You have no doubt seen the report on the visit to Stalag VIII B on 11th December, 1941, by Dr. Rubli of the International Red Cross. I assure you that you have already considered action in protest against prisoners being required to buy gloves and vests from stocks sent by the British Red Cross, as revealed at the bottom of page 2 and the [?] of page 3 of the report, under the heading "Clothing".