TRANSLATION
STALAG VIII B
Visited 17th June, 1941.
British Camp Leader: Sgt. Major LOWE, No.9739.
TOTAL STRENGTH
20,707 men, of whom there are in the Camp 3,514 British
231 Indians
There are 491 Labour Detachments, of which there are 391 agricultural and 104 industrial.
In the Labour Detachments there are 8,157 British.
QUARTERS
The Camp consists of 42 huts of a capacity of 385 men to a hut. Each hut has in the centre a washroom furnished with wash-basins and many taps, and a laundry with basins, cold water taps and a boiler for heating water for toilet and laundry purposes.
The Camp is situated near a parade ground on a widespread expanse partly planted with pine trees. The soil is healthy and of a sandy nature.
CLOTHING
The Camp has sufficient reserves of clothing and shoes.
The Camp Leader asks to have the right to exercise a more effective control over the distribution of clothing, of which he actually only checks the arrival. This is a general complaint.
CANTEEN
The canteen sells at reasonable prices the usual toilet articles, writing materials and smoking requisites. Prisoners can also buy tobacco, cigarettes, malt beer and lemonade.
HYGIENE
The Camp has a new delousing equipment dealing with 600 men a day. There is no trouble over vermin. The shower baths are sufficient to give a weekly shower to every man in the Camp. In addition the washbasins and wash-houses in each hut are large enough for the daily toilet. Games are played in the Camp and on the neighbouring sports grounds. The despatch of numerous footballs for the Camp and for the Labour Detachments is desired.
INFIRMARY
The Infirmary occupies two huts and has accommodation for 250 sick grouped in nationalities. It has a special little kitchen which allows the preparation of certain diets and infusions.
Medical service is provided by eight British Doctors, of whom one is a specialist in internal complaints, a British dentist, a Serbian Doctor and 50 members of the British Medical Service.
A Lazarett is in process of construction 500 metres from the Camp. It is to be opened in September and consists of 300 beds, which will thus avoid the transportation of grave cases to Langenlielau which is 100 kilometres away.
The Camp has a total of 300 medical orderlies of various nationalities. In the Labour Detachments there are 4 British Doctors and 100 medical orderlies working professionally.
STATE OF HEALTH
There is little tuberculosis. Suspected cases are submitted to a radiological examination and there have only been 5 deaths up to date. The Camp shelters 248 British disabled men, including 70 amputation cases and two blind. Each month the British doctors submit every man in the Camp to a medical examination.
The special privileges applicable to members of the Medical Personnel (twice as many letters, postcards and parcels as the other prisoners, as well as three 2½ hour walks a week) seem to have been unknown up to now.
INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL NEEDS
In the Camp one single French priest is responsible for all the religious services. He celebrates Mass on Sundays and private Masses daily. There is no priest in the Labour Detachments nor any British chaplain. Religious needs are therefore very unsatisfactorily supplied.
The British library has about 11.000 volumes and has organised a lending service in the Labour Detachments. The British have formed two very active orchestras and ask for some music.
PAY
The men in the camp and in the Labour Detachments are paid directly by the Camp at the end of each week. Employers settle their liability with the Camp. Invalids and sick who have been under treatment for more than 4 weeks receive 6 to 8 RM a month. The working hours are the same as for the German workmen. The 24 hours of consecutive rest a week is respected.
The British write 4 letters and 2 cards a month. They can have as many special labels as they like. The collective parcels are controlled by the Camp Leader. The Red Cross Parcels arrive in sufficient quantities.
The card advising capture has not been given to a single prisoner.
INDIAN DETACHMENT
The Camp has 308 Indian soldiers, all Mohammedans from the Punjab. They formed part of an "Animal Company" which was taken prisoner at Dunkirk. They have been at the Camp since the middle of March.
[Note: The page around this paragraph has been torn away and some of the words are missing; the likely are highlighted below in italics] They have all freedom to perform their religious observances. They also do their own cooking with farinaceous foods and vegetables supplied by the administration and with the aid of consignments from the Red Cross. This cooking is done partly in their hut and partly in the Camp kitchen, but separately and under the supervision of one of themselves. Their first consignment [from] Geneva has just arrived. They were very pleased with it and [ask] if they could have plenty of rice, curry and spices sent to the[m/ camp?]. From the consignments, preserved fish is reserved for them while equivalent amount of preserved meat is sent to their British co[mrades?]. Any surplus is sold by auction amongst the British. Their military bearing, their meticulous cleanliness and their smart appearance [earns?] the admiration of their captors.
REMARKS
This is a good Camp from the point of view of material equipment and administration. The sanitary service in particular [has] been very well organised.
The system in force for payment of wages should be noted.
On the other hand the Camp has a large number of officially recognised Medical Personnel who are not employed. The organisation of religious services in the Camp and of religious help is very poor. It is quite non-existent in the Labour Detachments.
Cards advising capture are unknown in the Camp.
REQUESTS.
Footballs for the Camp and for the Labour Detachments, music for both brass and wood instruments, and rice and curry powder and spices for the Indians are all requested.
(Signed) Dr. EXCHAQUET
Dr. DESCOEUDRES
