CONFIDENTIAL

No.271.

BRITISH

Stalag III D / Arbeitskommando 961 FRIESACK

Date of visit: October 19th, 1943.

        The camp is situated about 70 km north-west of Berlin. It is a barrack camp with a large recreation and sports ground, flower gardens are within the camp and the surrounding forests look pretty.

        Complement: 75 men all natives from the "Irish Isle" (Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State) or Dominion citizens of Irish descent.

        There are several barracks of which only two are inhabited. Beds are of the triple-tier type, sixteen men to one room.

        Bathing, washing, and toilet facilities are in good order.

        Cooking is done by two prisoner-cooks under a German chef, it is satisfactory.

        There is a Revier with 7 beds under a prisoner-sanitator; at the time of the visit four patients were there. A German physician visits the camp irregularly, sometimes only once within three weeks. No British Medical Officer has ever visited this camp. Dental treatment is unsatisfactory, only extractions and fillings are being done. Some men need dentures badly.

        The clothing situation is inadequate, many of the men own only one pair of trousers. The Chief Man of Confidence Stalag III D has been requested to supply the shortage.

        Laundry is done by the prisoners themselves, satisfactory.

        Money and pay is correct; the prisoners of war are digging drainage trenches in summer and do farm work in winter time.

        The canteen is as elsewhere, poorly stocked.

        Football is played twice a week, swimming in summertime.

        Mail from Ireland arrives rather irregular.

        The prisoners of war own a piano and a gramophone with some records; they have an opportunity to visit a cinema once in two months. A fairly well-stocked library is at the men's disposals.

        A surprising feature in this camp is that all prisoners of war are Irishmen. This fact is, of course, not a coincidence but refers to the tendency to separate Irish prisoners of war from the other British nationals, home or Dominion. When the camp was formed in the early stage of the war three years ago, these Irishmen were subject to a certain propaganda tending to consider Ireland as a neutral State. Evidently such propaganda has completely failed and has ceased for the past two years.

        A number of prisoners expressed firmly the wish to be transferred to another camp as they feel very unhappy. Any specific complaint could however not be submitted. These men appear depressed due to long imprisonment on the same spot.

Rudolph E. DENZLER