CONFIDENTIAL

No. 476.

BRITISH

Date of visit: May 16th, 1944.

STALAG III D - WORKING DETACHMENT NO. 428, ZERNSDORF

        On the day of visit there were 220 British prisoners of war spending a holiday at this camp. Since our last report there have been no changes and the camp today makes as good an impression as ever. There can be no doubt of the real benefit and great amount of pleasure which the prisoners of war derive from a stay here.

        Recently Lt. J.B. Calthorpe from OFLAG IX A/Z (Rothenburg) arrived at this camp to take over the work connected with the selection and presentation of films (Lt. Calthorpe is a former film-director).

        The only request put to the delegate of the Protecting Power concerned the provision of steel helmets and gas masks for this camp. When discussing the matter with the Germans it was stated that already applications had been put in for those men detailed for duty in case of fire, but it was very doubtful whether all men could be supplied with the articles just mentioned.

DR. MEIER sgd.

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH

No.477.

Date of visit: May 16th, 1944.

STALAG III D, WORKING DETACHMENT No. 428, ZERNSDORF.

British man of confidence: Pte. M. Molony, POW No.11738.

        144 British prisoners of war, still engaged on the same type of work as on the occasions of our previous visits (railroad work). The men work about 10 hours each day, excluding Sunday, which is free.

        With the exception of the two complaints mentioned hereafter, conditions in this camp are satisfactory. (The camp has been described in previous reports and there have been no changes). The treatment of the prisoners of war by the Germans appears to be correct and good.

        Complaints concerned the following:

                (1) The latrines are still inadequate, particularly as far as the arrangements for emptying are concerned. Although the employer has promised an electric pump, so far it has not arrived and the men must make use of an inadequate hand-pump. The delegate of the Protecting Power insisted most strongly that action must be taken to improve this situation, which has lasted far too long and to which an end must be put. The Germans promised definitely to discuss the matter with the employer and take the measures best suited to satisfy the prisoners of war.

                (2) Owing to a further cut in the coal ration the Prisoners of war are unable to cook their private food and for the time being manage with "pinched" coal or wood, which they collect on their way back to the camp in the evenings. The question was discussed at great length with the Germans by the delegate of the Protecting Power who insisted also in this matter that a practical solution be found. As the existing facilities for the cooking of private food are none too good, the construction of a new brick stove with a large iron plate was promised; all details were discussed and it is to be hoped that the plans decided upon will be carried out at once.

        The above two points, which gave rise to complaints, will be checked on the occasion of our next visit.

Date of visit: May 17th, 1944.

STALAG III D - WORKING DETACHMENT No. 961 FRIESACK.

        117 British prisoners of war (from Northern Ireland, the Irish Free State or Dominion citizens of Irish descent).

        This camp  was described in our report of October 19th, 1943. Since then there have been no changes as far as the material conditions are concerned, these are and have remained satisfactory. When calling this time, the delegate of the Protecting Power was received with the statement by the man of confidence that "we have all we want, yet we are an unhappy crowd". Indeed, the camp itself is most pleasantly situated and is well run. The men only go to work if they feel like it, in fact out of the 117 prisoners of war only 30 work regularly. Materially all that can be done is done for the men here.

        The reason for the statement of the man of confidence that they were an unhappy crowd relates to quite other than material shortcomings or deficiencies: It is entirely psychological. As pointed out in our last report there are only Irish prisoners of war here and according to the man of confidence no man has left this camp since May 1941 so that the pleasant surroundings or the excellent camp mean absolutely nothing any longer and only the fact matters that ever man is supremely conscious that there are and always will be only Irishmen in this camp and that there is no getting away from each other. It is quite correct to say that the men almost hate the sight of each other and would all much rather go to work in a coal mine in Upper Silesia, no matter under what conditions, than stay another day here. Although much of this unrest, illfeeling and intolerance amongst the prisoners of war may, perhaps, in some cases be put down to the Irish temperament or character, it can in no way be taken as a general fact, as many of the men have never lived in Ireland, but were sent here because they may have been born in Ireland, etc. "We want to see new faces", said the man of confidence, referring to the constant coming and going in other prisoners of war camps, while here nobody leaves throughout the year. The desire for a change is therefore stronger than ever and, according to the man of confidence, the only solution is the splitting up of the camp.

        When discussing the problem with the Germans, they pointed out in the first place that everything was being done for the men that possibly could be done and that nowhere else Prisoners of war enjoyed such liberty and material advantages. From the German point of view, therefore, there is no room for any real complaints, though it is admitted that the prisoners of war lead a somewhat isolated life here.

        The delegate of the Protecting Power, realizing the point of view both of the British and the Germans, proposed to discuss the problems with the OKW as nothing could be achieved on the spot under the circumstances. For the time being, the delegate asked the Germans to considering sending regularly a certain number of prisoners of war to the holiday camp at Genshagen for a change of surroundings and ideas, to alleviate the tense and unhappy atmosphere in this camp until such times as a more satisfactory solution may be found.

        The man of confidence also informed the delegate of the Protecting Power that none of his men had ever been seen by the Mixed Medical Commission although there was a high percentage of elderly and ailing men in the camp. In his opinion there has been a definite tendency on the part of the German authorities to isolate this camp in that none of the ailing prisoners or war have been presented to the Mixed Medical Commission. This matter too will be discussed with the OKW. In any case, medical attention here has not improved since our last visit, a fact particularly stressed by the delegate or the Protecting Power in his discussion with the Germans.

DR. MEIER sgd.