Stalag 344

English

Irish

Australians

New Zealanders

Indians (These will be transferred

to Oflag IVE when quarantine ends)

Other Nationalities

Civilians

Off.

175

215

N.C.Os &

Other Ranks

15153

700

1363

252

17612

900

18512

Medical

Officers

about 40

Orderlies

about 900

Officers

N.C.Os. & Men

Personnel RAF

Indian

Civilians

Doctors in the Infirmary:

Orderlies in the Infirmary:

130

3658

648

252

4733

[Note: The following overall total for sections 2 onwards has been handwritten:

At the time of our last visit on December 11th 1941, we were not able to enter the Camp because of the epidemic of exanthematic typhus which had broken out, but we had a long conversation without witnesses with the Camp Leaders and the Doctors. But on January 27th, 1942, the quarantine had been lifted, nevertheless since the interval between the two visits was very short, we were limited to a fresh discussion without witnesses with the Camp Leaders and the Medical Officers.

Of the many improvements for which we asked, we must state that the only one which has been put into effect is that the Camp Leaders now know all the Labour Detachments and their strength.

We have pointed out that the prisoners complain very strongly of being overcrowded. A more judicious arrangement has enabled a few of the beds in some of the hutments to be less crowded. We hope that the departure of the British and Serbian officers and of the Indians, which should not be delayed now that the quarantine has been lifted, will remedy this state of affairs.

In spite of our protests, the wood wool in the palliasses has not been changed, except in the Infirmary. One therefore rather doubts the efficacy of the disinfection.

The question of blankets is again pressing. Several prisoners have 2 blankets but others have only one. Also when one of them has a personal blanket, he does not receive more than one Red Cross blanket.

In June 1941 the Stalag received an order from the Wehrkreis to supply 1050 Red Cross blankets to Ilag Tost, which was done/ At the beginning of the winter, the Camp Leader, who had made a request for blankets to Geneva, received 1200 some days later. In addition he had a stock of about 750 blankets in store. But the Stalag had received an order from the Wehrkreis to send a further 1500 blankets to Ilag Tost. The Camp Leader refused to sign the receipt for the consignment from Geneva because it was not his comrades who would benefit from them. Thus, once again, one sees how much liberty is left to the Camp Leaders to check and control the Red Cross consignments.

In addition, the blankets in the Labour Detachments are often in a deplorable state, as we have already stated in our Reports on the Labour Detachments of Stalag VIII B in December 1941. The Commandant of the Camp told us that he had seen this for himself, but that he had no means of forcing the employer to issue good blankets, the threat of moving the prisoners from the employer having no effect because he "Arbeitsamt" always succeeded in getting the Commandant of the Wehrkreis to cancel such a measure. To guard against this state of affairs, Red Cross blankets have been sent to 5 Labour Detachments, which is contrary to the orders of Berlin, as the employer should himself issue blankets and towels. Also this gesture presents grave defects, since the employers will not take any trouble to issue good blankets if they think they can get the Stalag to provide them.

As at the time of our last visit, the delousing apparatus is far too small. Since the beginning of the outbreak of exanthematic typhus all the prisoners have still not been deloused. Some of them have been disinfected in the same disinfection hutment as the Russians, others in the disinfection hutment of men of other nationalities. The Medical Officers in the Lazaret complain strongly because the mobile stove which they used has been taken from them. It is true that it is being used to reinforce the delousing installations in the Camp and that it will be returned to the Lazaret when the whole Camp has been deloused.

The Commandant of the Camp assured us that a new delousing station is to be constructed, which will suffice for the needs of the Camp, but it does not seem that this station will be completed before the end of the Spring.

Disinfection is done by means of hydrocanic acid, clothing being dried in hot air. We requested that this should be dried for a longer period to avoid any accidents. This does not always seem to have been done up to the present in the British Camp.

It appears that the requests of the N.C.Os. working as volunteers who wish to return to the Camp are being more benevolently considered.

The members of the medical personnel are not yet getting the benefit of the postal privileges to which they are entitled.

There is no Canteen in the Camp; purchases are made in the German Canteen and reserves built up as far as possible. Buying and selling is done in "blocks" - that is to say in groups of four hutments.

There is a Roman Catholic Priest in the Camp and also 4 High Church clergymen, 1 Free Church minister, 1 Baptist Minister and 1 Presbyterian. They are anxious to be able to visit the Labour Detachments now that the quarantine has been lifted.

This is working better now that the Camp Leader knows all the names of the Detachments and their strengths. He still, however, does not possess a list of the names of all the Camp Leaders and thinks that there are still Labour Detachments which have none, because he has not yet been able to get into communication by letter with them.

He checks and distributes the British Red Cross parcels, but he is fearful that a change may be made in this control. Actually the Commandant of the Camp brought to our notice a new Order of 8.12.41 (received in the middle of January 1942) specifying that these consignments of foodstuffs must be in the hands of the German Authorities and that they must be distributed by them with the consent ("Zustimmung") of the Camp Leaders. The Camp Leader checks the consignments of clothing from the Red Cross on their arrival and he can now verify the stocks, but he has no authority to dispose of the garments as he wishes or to check their distribution. Receipts from the Camp Leaders of the Labour Detachments never reach him and they never know whether the effects received are captured war material or gifts from the Red Cross. Such gifts are well known to be marked with an "L", that is to say "Liebesgaben", but cases occur where prisoners have had to pay for these gifts when they have lost them or they have become worn out. Also prisoners leaving a Labour Detachment have to give up one of their two Red Cross vests on the pretext that such underclothing is Camp property. (See Reports on various Labour Detachments of the month of December 1941 and on Labour Detachment E.51 of 3.2.42.)

The Camp Leader can exercise no control whatever over the quantities of food rations, or over the profits from the Canteen, in spite of the fact that we were promised in December 1941 that he would be given this right.

The Camp Leaders are still unable to check the quantities of foodstuffs issued to the kitchen.

Since our last visit the prisoners have received from Geneva 3500 pairs of shoes, 10,000 pairs of socks, 4500 towels, 2000 pairs of trousers and 1000 tunics. These goods have been placed in the German stores and the Camp Leaders have no control whatever over their distribution. They have, however, obtained as a result of our last visit, permission to enter the stores and check the stocks. Complaints continue to be numerous in the Labour Detachments for the reasons which we stated in our last Report.

The epidemic of exanthematic typhus has not yet allowed the sending of Doctors and medical orderlies to the Labour Detachments. Two Doctors, however, Captain E. STEVENSON-RIGHT and Captain H.M. FORMAN, accompanied by two medical orderlies, have gone as volunteers to Stalag VIII E.

The conditions at the Infirmary and at the Lazaret are the same as in December 1941. In spite of the promises which were made to us, the bedlinen in the Lazaret is neither washed nor changed more often than every three weeks. As we have said above, the mobile stove belonging to the Lazaret has temporarily been transferred to the Camp, so that there is now no means of disinfection in the Lazaret itself.

There are two Dentists working in the Camp. Two days before our visit the Camp Leader had written to Geneva to ask for materials for the manufacture of dentures. We emphasise that these should be sent to him as quickly as possible.

During the epidemic of exanthematic typhus, the number of patients was as follows: British 20 of whom 1 is still a patient, 16 are convalescent and 3 died (Captain Altham Norim, QMS. Nicholson and a soldier called Neal). Russians: 270 of whom 129 are still patients, 10 are suspects, 63 are convalescent and 68 have died.

There has been no other epidemic and the state of health in the Camp has not deteriorated since our last visit.

For the last two days there have been no German medical supplies. It appears that the reserves in the Wehrkreis are finished. No one was able to tell us how long this state of affairs would last.

The members of the medical personnel still do not get the privileges regarding correspondence which are due to them, and have not yet been allowed to go for walks. Several complaints have again been made on the subject of the medical attention given in the Labour Detachments. These often seem to be justified as we were able to see at the time of our last visit. We would point out especially the case of a Jew in Labour Detachment 225 who is in the Lazaret at Teschen with frozen feet, while 7 or 8 of his comrades are still in the Detachment in a similar condition and have not been able to get themselves evacuated to a Lazaret.

Sergeant G.W. REID of the R.A.F. was killed on 29.12.41 in the following circumstances: REID had ventured between the two networks of barbed-wire to look for bits of wood. He was seen by a patrol who thought he was trying to escape. One of the men fired a warning shot and REID immediately remained immobile. The other German thought he saw the prisoner move and fired. REID did not move a step. The German, however, immediately fired a second shot and killed REID. He gave the excuse that REID moved. The prisoners who saw the incident say that REID made a movement because he was wounded by the shot. The enquiry seems to have led nowhere.

There have been three similar cases, one of which has been described in the Report on the Labour Detachment E.51. We do not know the details of the other 2 cases.

On the other hand there is a definite recrudescence of ill treatment in the Labour Detachments.

Stalag VIII B is fairly good, and there are not a great many serious complaints, although latterly there has been a recrudescence of ill treatment, and more cases of shots fired too quickly.

Since our last visit, practically nothing has been done to improve the Camp, in spite of the numerous promises which were made to us.

The question of clothing and effects from the Red Cross is very badly regulated, the Camp Leaders having no control whatever over the distribution. Prisoners have to pay for the replacement of these garments, or else to see their Red Cross effects taken from them when they left the Labour Detachments,

The Camp Leaders have no check on the Red Cross blankets, the ration quantities, or the Canteen. An Order of 8th December, 1941, takes away from them part of their control over the British Red Cross parcels.

The epidemic of typhus seems to have been mastered. The installations for disinfection and delousing are very inadequate and no straw has ever been changed. The bedlinen in the Lazaret is neither changed nor washed sufficiently often. There are not nearly enough medical supplies.

P.S. We heard at Labour Detachment E.51 from the Doctor who had just arrived, that 200 men had arrived at the Camp after our visit, all from Crete. They are in a deplorable condition, many of them having frozen limbs as their clothing is completely inadequate - sandals, no socks and drill shorts. The Camp Paymaster refused to equip these men before their departure for the Labour Detachment, even with Red Cross effects. One man died during the journey.

Notes on the Members of the Quaker Ambulance Unit who are interned in Stalag VIII B

In the course of our visit to the Camp on January 27th, we had a conversation with Mr. DICK, the Head of the Ambulance.

1. The Members of the Ambulance Unit in question are civilians and do not form any part of the British Army. They are all Quakers who, for religious scruples, do not serve in the Army. Desirous of being useful they have undertaken service in the Friends Ambulance Units, all the expenses of which are born by the Society of Friends (Quakers).

2. These men are all holders of a regulation identity card from the British Red Cross. They have all attended the preparatory courses of the British Red Cross according to regulations.

3. They are not employed in the Camp as medical personnel. They render no services there.

4. They were taken prisoner at Malamata where they had set up their Ambulance. They worked there with the Greek Red Cross. Before that they had collaborated with the Finnish Red Cross.

5. They invoke Articles 9 and 10 of the Geneva Convention of July 27th 1929 for the improvement of conditions for the sick and wounded, to demand their internment in Switzerland.

6. At present they draw no pay whatever, have no relief, and demand to be authorised to receive relief from their Society of Friends through the intermediary of the International Red Cross Committee. [Note: written in pencil beside this entry it seems to say "already taken up"]

DICK, O.H.J.

BURNS, T.

LIDBETTER, M.

WOOD, C.

WOODHAED, L.

WOODHAED, M.

SMITH, R.

183/8170

183/8171

183/8226

183/8173

183/8177

183/8167

183/8169

Of this number, there are 5 professional miners. One Sergeant is attached to the Camp Leader.

The Camp is established in the neighbourhood of a pit shaft, on the outskirts of a town. The wooden hutments are in good condition the area enclosed within the barbed wire entanglements is very large.

QUARTERS These are good. The Camp consists of 6 hutments, each with 4 dormitories. Each dormitory has 16 to 25 beds in two or three tiers. These beds are supplied with 2 blankets, a palliasse and a pillow. The blankets are in good condition but having been soiled by the soot which blackens the whole country round, they are in need of cleaning. There are two or three tables and benches in each dormitory.

FOOD As in all Labour Detachments, this is supplied by the employer. It is prepared by German women and the supplies are checked by a British Sergeant. On the whole the food is good and sufficiently abundant. The men draw the rations for heavy labour.

Those who work in the Camp, as well as sick people, only draw 250 grammes of bread instead of the 320 grammes to which they are entitled. We pointed this out and this error is to be corrected.

The British Red Cross parcels are distributed at the rate of 1 parcel per man per week. The Camp has no reserve of these parcels. The Camp Leader will request the Stalag to send him a number sufficient to enable him to constitute a reserve of six weeks. At the moment he has no control over the stores, but in future he will have facilities for checking them.

In the store we saw special Christmas parcels for the prisoners which had only arrived the day before our visit.

CLOTHING There is no reserve of clothing in this Camp. Exchange of clothing is effected at the central depot, which is the depot of the Company of the Guard. These stores, in the same way as all the similar stores of the personnel of the guard interspersed between the principal Camp and the Labour Detachments are not subject to any control whatever by representatives of the prisoners. The Administrative Personnel who have charge of it put every obstacle in the way of any exchange of garments. They frequently refuse to replace clothing even when it is in extremely bad condition. In any case, the most minor exchange necessitates weeks of negotiations.

In the same depot, certain underclothing which came from the International Red Cross Committee and which is marked with the letter "L" (Liebesgabe), has however been considered by the Administration as being Camp property. Prisoners who lose such garments have to pay for them. They have to return them when they are transferred to another Detachment.

Undergarments are issued in insufficient numbers. The prisoners are completely deprived of the following Red Cross articles: pullovers, scarves, gloves and towels.

We noticed the same state of affairs, significant of an abusive "Economy" contrary to the intentions of the Red Cross, in all the Labour Detachments attached to Stalag VIII B.

MEDICAL SERVICE This is provided by a British Doctor (who arrived on the day of our visit) and by two orderlies. The equipment in the Infirmary is satisfactory. The state of health is good on the whole.

Medical supplies are bought and paid for by the prisoners. Some days before our visit they made a purchase of various medical supplies and dressings from a chemist for 400 RM. The cost of these purchases had been covered up to now by a levy on the wages of the prisoners. We pointed out to the Commandant of the Detachment that this method of procedure was contrary to the regulations. He promised that it should not take place in the future. The medical equipment supplied by the German Authorities is totally inadequate. It consists actually of ointments, paper bandages and a roll of "Leukoplast" 3 cm. wide and 5 m. long per week. There is no alcohol. Tincture of Iodine has to be bought and paid for by the prisoners.

CHAPLAINS SERVICE An Anglican religious Service is celebrated every week by a lay prisoner. The Catholics receive no religious help whatever.

Games are scarce. A box of out-door games announced by the Y.M.C.A. is awaited. There are no indoor games whatever and a consignment of such things would be very welcome.

WORKING CONDITIONS The men work in the mine in three shifts. The following is the timetable for the shifts, calculated from their departure from the compound until their return to the Camp:

a. Overtime Every two weeks, at the Fosse Kastelengo, the prisoners do 4 days with 4 hours overtime. The representative of the mine stated to us that in January, one third only of the prisoners had been forced to work overtime on three or four occasions. The civilian workmen forced to work the same hours. It was not possible for us to check these statements. The prisoners' representative assured us, however, that the civilians only have to do one day a week with overtime.

b. Sunday work. The prisoners are forced normally to work two Sundays a month. In the Fosse Abwehr, however, a large proportion of men who are free on Sundays are forced in addition to work on Saturdays in a manner called "Doppelschicht". This manner of working is as follows: The day shift does a first spell on that day from 5.15 a.m. until 4 p.m. and then a second shift from 9.15 p.m. until 7.30 a.m. In other words, the Saturday day shift, who are reputed to benefit by a Sunday of rest, takes up night work from Saturday to Sunday. That is to say that these men work 21 hours out of 26 hours, from Saturday morning until Sunday morning, with a break of 5 hours and 15 minutes.

We checked these statements with the Mine Time Table which was shown to us by the Mines representative. From this we saw that in the month of January 1942, the strength being 138 men:

The prisoners told us that the number of civilian workmen forced to work in this manner was very much lower in proportion to the number of prisoners forced to do so. It was not possible for us to check this fact, which was denied by the Mines representative.

c. Dangerous work The Camp Leader informed us that in the Fosse Kastelengo there is one section where the temperature is very high. This pit, called "Brandfeld" is actually in the neighbourhood of a burning mine (incendie de mine). The work there is particularly distressing; the civilian workmen only work for 15 minutes there and then have 15 minutes rest. The prisoners, on the other hand, have to do other work during the 15 minutes when the civilian workmen are allowed to rest. The Mines representative said that this statement was incorrect, but he would not state definitely to us that the conditions of labour for the prisoners were the same as those for the civilian workmen.

This conversation with the Mines representative led to us to think that, even allowing for some exaggeration on the part of the prisoners in making their complaints, the Mining Company is abusing them.

WAGES Wages vary from 0 to 75 RM. per month. The sum of 75 RM. concerns a unique and exceptional case. Wages can be reduced to 0 when the deductions surpass or equal the amount due.

The prisoners complain of these deductions from their wages, on the subject of which they are never given any explanation. They serve chiefly to cover the expenses of repairs to the miners' lamps when it is considered that the latter have suffered from neglect on the part of the miner. In other cases, it appears, they cover the maintenance of working clothes which have deteriorated through the fault of the miner.

SOAP The prisoners each draw 3 cakes of soap a month and one packet of soap powder. They have to pay for these themselves.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS The N.C.Os. who work in the mine can return to the Camp if they express the desire to do so.

MAILS The number of formulas for letters and cards distributed to the prisoners conforms to the regulations. It is the same for the medical personnel.

SPECIAL CASES In December 1941, the prisoners George STRACHAN 16742 was killed in the course of an altercation between himself and two German N.C.Os. A witness of the scene, who was standing in the ranks, gave us the following details. Strachan, who was late reporting for work, arrived on parade running. A German N.C.O. went up to him and an altercation started. At a certain moment the N.C.O. recoiled sharply and ordered a sergeant who was standing closeby to fire on the prisoner. The latter, shot in the stomach, died half an hour later.

The Lieutenant in Command of the Camp, to whom we spoke of this affair replied that it was a question of mutiny.

James McCOWAN, 108,687. On February 2nd, 1942, the eve of our visit, this man had his eyes scorched by the fire in the hutment where he lived. The lesion was not serious and no traces were visible the next day. He reported sick to a medical orderly, who took him to the German medical orderly at the Guard Room. This latter refused to recognise the man as sick and sent him to work. After half-an-hour passed down the mine, the prisoner was taken ill and the foreman sent him to the surface. The N.C.O. who was the cause of the death of Strachan took him violently aside and took him to the Lieutenant in Command of the Camp. There the prisoner received orders to return to work.

This man suffers from stomach trouble. He spent a month in hospital in 1941, where he was examined. He was discharged "Fit for Light Work". After having spent 6 months on a farm, he was sent to Labour Detachment E.51 which is in the Category for Very Heavy Labour. He was sent to the deepest galleries where the work is the most gruelling.

The Sergeant who shot Strachan has been replaced and is no longer in the Camp. The N.C.O. in question, who appears most brutal, continues to be in power there.

OBSERVATIONS The material equipment of the Camp and the prisoners' food are satisfactory, but the men appear to be exploited by the Mining Company and seem to be the butt of the brutalities of the personnel of the guard.

Strength: 161 British (English, Scottish, 1 New Zealander) amongst whom are 1 C.S.M. Company Sergeant Major, 1 P.S.M. Platoon Sergeant Major, 1 Colour Sergeant, 25 sergeants, 11 corporals.

This Camp is situated in the neighbourhood of a pit shaft ("fosse de mine"), and occupies a large brick building. The general rooms and the dormitories occupy the three floors of the house.

The dormitories are well equipped and very orderly. There are up to 18 men in each room. The bunks are in double-tiers and are supplied with palliasses, two blankets and a pillow. The blankets are good. There is no vermin. On the day of our visit some of the rooms were in process of being disinfected, but these were only rooms on the ground floor where the general offices and the quarters of the personnel of the guard are situated.

The men have cupboards where they can keep their personal effects. These cupboards are placed partly in the corridors and partly in the dormitories. Generally speaking the latter rooms are overcrowded. This is all the more regrettable since a new contingent of 100 Britons was expected on the day following our visit. Owing to this fact, it is to be feared that the rooms will be over-populated.

The prisoners have a Common Room for their leisure hours, where there is space for about twenty men.

The men draw the rations for heavy labour, these being supplied by their employer. Up to the present the Camp Leader has not been able to check the rations on delivery, but he will do this in future. It was noticed on January 5th that since the 26th July, 1940, the prisoners have only drawn 9 kg. of sugar instead of the 15 kgs. to which they are entitled.

We asked for an explanation from the representative of the mine about this subtraction from the foodstuffs on which the prisoners depend. He was unable to give us any explanation on this matter, and was unwilling to undertake any effort to compensate the prisoners for this wrong which has been done to them.

The Red Cross parcels arrive regularly. The Detachment had a reserve of 1800 parcels, which is a stock sufficient for 11 weeks. We advised the Camp Leader to reduce his reserves, in collaboration with the Camp Leader at the Stalag, to a quantity sufficient for 8 weeks.

Every prisoner has a complete uniform, tunic, trousers and overcoat, and two changes of underclothes.

The clothing store is nearby. This is the central depot for the various Detachments in this region and is entirely under the control of the personnel of the guard. The Camp Leaders can make no check whatever on it. For the past three months there has been no issue of knitted socks, and the men have only been given triangles of canvas which are called "Russian socks" or "Fusslappen". 140 men have no gloves and have been unable to obtain any. They all have pullovers but 50 prisoners are destitute of scarves.

This consists of 4 beds. There were three patients there on the day of our visit. Medical attention is given by a member of the British medical personnel. The latter is not authorised to take the walks to which he has the right.

Twice a week an N.C.O. from the German medical personnel examines the patients and decides who shall be sent for medical examination. The latter are sent to the Lazaret at Hindenburg, or to the Lazaret Charley. The Doctor does not visit the Detachment and the condition of these patients is therefore left entirely in the hands of the N.C.O.

The latrines are installed in a hutment in the courtyard. This installation is primitive and evil-smelling, and is completely inadequate.

There are no night latrines in the building, and during the night the prisoners have to use one solitary bucket placed in the entry vestibule. The doors are locked from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m.

There are 2 washrooms, each of which has 14 taps. These installations are adequate. The prisoners bathe each day at the mine. Workers in the mine receive 4 pieces of soap per month and also 1 packet of soap powder for laundry.

A Catholic religious Service is celebrated every week in the Camp by a layman amongst the prisoners. None of the Catholic prisoners, however, have been able to attend Mass. The Camp Leader, a Sergeant-Major, holds a Protestant religious Service every Sunday.

The Camp has two boxes of various games supplied by the Y.M.C.A., and two gramophones. The prisoners hope to be able to install a billiard table in the Recreation Room.

Wages vary from 14 to 60 RM. per month. Some workers never draw more than 14 RM. They never know the reasons for these retentions of salary, and are never given any explanation of them. These monies retained have a particular bearing on soap, which has to be paid for by all, including the medical orderly. They also have to cover certain expenses in connection with the upkeep of their miners' lamps.

The prisoners have the right to write 2 letters and 4 cards per month. The medical orderly does not write the regulation number of letters and cards and is on the same footing as the other prisoners.

The work in the "Preussengrube" presents special dangers on account of the special working places called "Pfeiler". According to the mines representative, who gave us the explanations reported further on, 75 per cent of the coal hewn from the mine comes from these "Pfeiler".

The exploitation of the coal in the "Pfeiler" can only be made in the sections of the mine where the seams of coal are at an almost vertical angle. Access to the bed of coal under exploitation is achieved by horizontal of the bed of coal is therefore made from below up to the ceiling of the free space. The men who hew the coal are at the bottom of this free space which can be up to 20 metres high and are exposed constantly to being hit by pieces of coal falling from the ceiling.

Professional miners are far better able to realise the instant when the mine charges will explode than the novice. For this reason the prisoners are particularly exposed to the risk of accidents.

We asked for explanations on the nature of this work from the representative of the Mining Company. The latter began by informing us that the work in the Pfeilers was no more dangerous than the work in the rest of the mine. A little later he admitted that there were less exposed places. Finally, some minutes afterwards, he described the "Pfeiler" as the places where the work is dangerous. We are therefore right in considering that work in the "Pfeiler" is particularly exposed to accidents.

Fatal accidents are not exceptional in the "Pfeiler" but Sgt. Major CURRY has, however, reported to us that even if these have not occurred amongst the prisoners, accidents are frequent. 80 per cent of the accidents in the mine occur in the "Pfeiler".

25 N.C.Os. who work at the mine and who requested to be allowed to return to their Camp were not authorised to do so.

Many of the men receive regular consignments of tobacco until the autumn of 1941, but have not received any for some months. We heard the same complaint in numerous Camps from the British. We speak of regular consignments - weekly, fortnightly, or monthly - ordered by their relations from the Imperial Tobacco Company in London, or from other suppliers. The invoice is always received, but those invoices are never followed by the tobacco announced.

This is a bad Labour Detachments. The material equipment is mediocre. The cutting down which the food rations suffer, the inadmissible profits made on the soap, the very dangerous work, all indicate the exploitation of the prisoners by the Mining Company.

Subject:- International Red Cross Committee Reports on Stalag VIII B and Work Detachments E. 46 and E. 51.

1. Note No. 356, 0103/2899 of 24th April, 1942, drew attention to the highly unsatisfactory conditions believed to exist in many of the Work Detachments of Stalag VIII B and expressed the hope that the visit to some of these detachments to which the Protecting Power was arranging would be made at an early date.

2. The information now received in the above mentioned International Red Cross Committee reports on visits to the Base Camp on 27th January, to Work Detachment E.51 on 3rd February and to Work Detachment E.46 on a date which is not given, confirms the previous allegations and increases the urgency of the Protecting Power's projected visit. It also indicates that conditions at the Base Camp are less satisfactory than would appear from the Protecting Power's report on its representative's visit on 12th February, 1942.

(i) The deaths are reported of 4 prisoners of war, one Sergeant G.W. Reid, R.A.F., at the Base Camp, another George Strachan, P.W. No. 16472, at Work Detachment E.51, and two others of which details are not known. In both of the cases of which details were given it is apparent that the prisoners were shot when there was no question of attempted escape. The report states that there is a definite recrudescence of ill-treatment in the Work Detachments, that the prisoners at E.51 in particular are the victims of brutalities from the guard and that one Non-commissioned officer who is described as most brutal has been permitted to remain there.

(ii) The nature of the work at Detachment E.46 is admitted, even by the representative of the Mining Company, to be dangerous and is rendered still more so by the fact that none of the prisoners employed is a miner by profession. Accidents are stated to be frequent. At Work Detachment E.51 the prisoners are required to work in the neighbourhood of a burning mine where the work is stated to be particularly distressing. It also appears that these prisoners are not given the same opportunities for rest as are the civilian workmen.

(iii) The prisoners at Work Detachment E.46 do not receive the full amount of the rations to which they are entitled and the representative of the Mining Company refused, when invited, to compensate them for the rations of which the company had illegally deprived them.

(iv) At both Work Detachments sums of money are retained without explanation from the prisoners' pay apparently to meet the cost of soap, upkeep of miners' lamps and the replacement of working clothes, expenses for which the employer or the German Government should be responsible.

(v) No medical officer visits Work Detachment E.46. Medical Treatment is entirely in the hands of a Non-commissioned officer. At Detachment E.51 prisoners are required to pay for medical supplies and dressings and the medical equipment provided is described as totally inadequate. The prisoner J. McGowan, No.108,678 was refused medical attention and although discharged from hospital as fit only for light work, is compelled to work at the heaviest possible form of labour. At the Work Detachments is general medical attention appears to be entirely inadequate and attention is especially drawn to the cases of seven or eight Jewish prisoners in Work Detachment 225 who remain there suffering from frozen feet and have not been evacuated to a hospital.

(vi) At Work Detachment E.46 the latrines are described as primitive, evil-smelling and entirely inadequate. There are no light latrines in the building and the 160 prisoners have to use a single bucket placed in the entry.

(vii) At Work Detachment E.46 25 Non-commissioned officer's who work at the mine and requested to be allowed to return to their camp were not permitted to do so.

(viii) The Camp Leaders are allowed no control whatever over the distribution of British Red Cross Society clothing and complaints continue to be numerous in the Work Detachments. At Work Detachment E.51 200 men arrived "in a deplorable condition", suffering from frostbite, with entirely inadequate clothing. The Camp Paymaster at the Stalag had refused to equip these men even with British Red Cross Society clothing. In consequence one man died on the journey.

(ix) Various promises made by the International Red Cross Committee delegates at previous visits have not been fulfilled. At the Base Camp it is stated that practically no improvements have been made, in spite of numerous promises. For instance, the wood wool stuffing of the palliasses is still unchanged, and the prisoners are given no control over the canteen.

(x) The conclusions of the International Red Cross Committee delegates are: that at the Base Camp there has been a recrudescence of ill-treatment; that Work Detachment E.46 is a bad detachment, equipment is mediocre, the cutting down of food rations, the illegal profits made upon the sale of soap and the very dangerous work all indicate exploitation of the prisoners by the Mining Company; and that at Work Detachment E.51 the men appear to be exploited by the Mining Company and are the victims of brutalities from the guard.

4. It is requested that the Protecting Power may be asked to include, if possible, Work Detachments E.46 and 51 in the visit it is arranging and to make that visit at the earliest possible date. If, however, no visit can be paid to these detachments in the very near future, it is requested that the Protecting Power may be asked to make strong representations to the German Government, particularly upon the following points:-

(i) The deaths of the four prisoners of war reported must be the subject of immediate enquiry in accordance with the procedure proposed to the German Government in Foreign Office memorandum K.W.5/39 of 26th February, 1942. (The death of Sergeant Reid has already been the subject of Foreign Office memorandum K.W. 2/48 of the 2nd March, 1942).

(ii) The employment of prisoners on dangerous mining work must cease forthwith and the prisoners be transferred to some other place where proper accommodation, full rations and adequate to medical attention are provided.

(iii) The sums illegally deducted from the prisoners' pay must be immediately refunded.

(iv) Disciplinary action must be taken against the employers responsible for the exploitation of these prisoners of war and the non-commissioned officer at Work Detachment E.51 whose brutality is particularly mentioned must be punished and transferred elsewhere.

(v) The German Government must revise the policy under which any attempt to deprive had employers of prisoners of war labour is invariably stultified by the efforts of the Arbeitsamt.