CONFIDENTIAL
No. 70.
STALAG III D
Date of visit: January 29th, 1943.
Camp Commander: Generalmajor Henke.
Abwehr-Offizier: Major Heimpel
British Man of Confidence: R.S.M. Seward.
There is no base but the British prisoners are divided in 7 working detachments in the suburbs and the neighbourhood of Berlin.
On the day of the visit there was a total number of 1475 British prisoners of war:
8 medical officers,
2 padre
65 NCOs.,
1400 men.
This time only working detachment 528 Teltow was visited. The accompanying officer was Major Heimpel.
WORKING DETACHMENT 528 - Teltow
British Man of Confidence: Sgt. G. Stanway, p.o.w. no.11539
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This camp is situated in the open country not far from Berlin. It is spacious, composed of 6 large modern wooden barracks and makes an excellent impression. There is much free space and vegetable and flower gardens around the barracks.
The prisoners are working at railway building for the Reichsbahn; they have to work 8 hours a day and are always free on Sunday; they are paid a minimum of 70 pfg. a day and some are on accord work; they all receive heavy-work food rations.
At the time of the visit no prisoner was living in the camp, all of them having been transferred temporarily to the nearby camp 520 following the damages caused to some of the barracks when an airbomb fell near the camp during the airraid of January 16. Parts of some barracks were damaged and they are being repaired; some of them will be ready for reoccupation in about a week's time and the others in about 5 weeks. After having visited the empty camp the inspectors went to camp 520 to see the Man of Confidence, the British medical officer and the prisoners. For the time being the camp 520 is of course more than overcrowded, 2 prisoners having to sleep in each bed, but it is only a temporary measure.
There is no industry in the neighbourhood of the camp and the area cannot be described as dangerous from the airraid point of view, except that there is an antiair-craft battery about a kilometer from the camp; the weak point in this camp is the airraid-shelters which consist only of open ditches; the necessary material to have them covered was ordered a long time ago but has not yet been received; since the airraid of January 16, when a prisoner lost his life they are being covered with the material at hand but the trouble is to have them digged deep enough as the soil is sandy and the water not very deep; the whole question was discussed with the camp commander who was asked to have the ditches made deeper and cemented to prevent the water of coming in; however the difficulty seems to be, as so often nowadays, the impossibility to obtain the necessary material and specially cement; the attention of the German High Command will be drawn on that very important question.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
442 British prisoners of war (1 medical officer, 5 sanitators, 16 NCOs., 420 men).
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
The wooden barracks are new and of the same type used in the German Army, with a central passage and rooms on both sides; 24 men are lodged in each room; they sleep in double-tier beds and each man has 3 blankets; the meals are taken in the sleeping quarters and enough tables and seats are provided. There was no complaint about the heating and lighting, which could not be verified by the inspectors as the camp is neither lighted nor heated during the repairing work.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
There is in each barrack a spacious and well installed wash-room and enough showers; very satisfactory.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
In each barrack, of the flush-type; satisfactory.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
The food cooked by British cooks was said to be good; the kitchen is modern and clean and the cook has the possibility to control the rations given out. Excellent store-rooms are provided as well as a refrigerator-room.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
British medical officer: Major Palandri, p.o.w. no.23899.
4 sanitators.
One sanitator, pte. Smith, p.o.w. no. 11859, although recognised, is in the camp doing no work at all and he asked to be sent to a camp where he could work as sanitator; the accompanying German officer will take the necessary steps.
There are besides about 20 not recognised protected personnel in this camp working like prisoners of war; their names have already been sent to the British authorities and therefore it is hoped that their situation will soon be cleared up.
There is a revier in the camp with 12 beds and the British doctor declared himself satisfied with it as well as with his working conditions. There were no serious cases and the general state of health was said to be good; there is an average of 5 to 6 patients at the revier.
The dental treatment is adequate; there is a British dentist, Capt. Cooper, for the British prisoners of the whole Stalag; he is stationed at camp 404 and prisoners in need of treatment are sent to him once a week; he has received enough material and can do prothesis work.
VIII.) CLOTHING
The Man of Confidence described the general clothing condition as pretty fair. However each man has only one uniform which is deteriorating rapidly. The question of providing materials for the work was discussed with the camp commander who stated that the employer has received the permission to buy them but that none can be found on the market; then the Man of Confidence made the suggestion that he be allowed to keep the old uniforms to have them repaired and issued to the men doing dirty work; about 75% of the men could thus be provided with two uniforms; the camp commander agreed in principle with it; will be checked at next visit.
Boots were said to be in general in bad condition; the Man of Confidence complained that he never received enough small sizes, specially 7 & 8.
There are two cobblers in the camp and the boots could well be repaired but they have not enough leather and repairing material; could not the I.R.C.C. send some more repairing material to this Stalag?
IX.) LAUNDRY
Given out; satisfactory.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
Nothing to be reported.
XI.) CANTEEN
There is a monthly issue of different articles from the Stalag; one razorblade per man is issued monthly. Not too badly stocked considering the present conditions. Beer for sale.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
There are in the Stalag one Church of England and one Roman Catholic padre who pay regular visits to the different working detachments.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
There is a large recreation hall with a stage in a special barrack adjacent to the kitchen. The camp has an orchestra of 12 musicians and there are often concerts and shows.
The camp is well provided with indoor games as well as with books from the Stalag library.
Sports facilities are adequate and football is played in a field just outside the camp. The Man of Confidence state that the camp is rather short of sports outfit at the moment but that a shipment is on the way.
A copy of the camp's newspaper is attached.
XIV.) MAIL
Like in most camps recently visited the incoming mail was said to be very poor since Christmas.
The Chief Man of Confidence of the Stalag stated that the fault does not like with the camp administration, that he has regularly access to the postroom and has not ascertained an unduly delay in the delivery of the mail to the prisoners.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
Nothing to report.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
Except for the question of the airraid shelters referred to under point I there was no complaint.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp makes decidedly, as well from the material as from the moral point of view, a good impression. Both the Chief Man of Confidence of the Stalag and the Man of Confidence of the working detachment stated that the treatment is fair and the collaboration with the Camp authorities easy.
Gabriel Naville.
