Stalag IIID

As mentioned in previous reports this Stalag has no base camp. All prisoners of this Stalag are working in various camps.

At the time of this visit British prisoners were working in the following Kommandos: (The number of men in each camp is correct for the camps visited this time, but only approximate for those not visited, for which the exact number of prisoners could not be obtained.)

No. 404 Dabendorf Nord

" 714 Staaken

" 520 Grossbeeren West

" 517 Genshagen

" 322

" 837

" 729

Reservelazarett 119

Reservelazarett 128

400 men

400 "

518 "

366 "

250 "

228 "

30 "

63 "

66 "

2319 men

R.S.M. Seward, who is now in charge of the clothing for all the camps dependant from Stalag III D, said that almost all prisoners, with a few exceptions had now a good complete outfit. But all his reserves are exhausted and it will be necessary to send some more supplies before winter to enable him to build up a small reserve.

The camp holds actually 498 British prisoners mostly English (2 Australians, 1 New Zealander, 1 Spaniard - Gibraltar -), also 2 British doctors and 18 sanitators, 6 of which are recognized. The other 12 not recognized are working with the rest of the prisoners.

The work dine is still the same, as described in our report of February 1942, also the working hours and the pay.

The British Man of Confidence said that the work could not be considered as being very hard.

The space between the barracks has now been nicely arranged by the prisoners. Flowers and small trees have been planted and things look quite nice.

There are no changes considering the interior arrangements of the buildings. The rooms are kept very clean, but the men complained that during the hot nights the air in the barracks was very stuffy as the shutters have to be closed at night on account of the blackout.

The commander of the camp promised to look into this and if possible, some improvements will be made.

No remarks were made about the food which is the regular one. The kitchen is run by the prisoners themselves and the food was said to be well prepared.

Capt. Neale, R.A.M.C. is still at the head of the infirmary. At the time of the visit 25 men were not working, of which 4 were in the infirmary. Three men were waiting for X-rays to be taken. The others are all light cases of influenza, sore throats and minor working accidents.

Since the last visit in February a British dentist has arrived here and is now working to the satisfaction of everybody. He asked if there was a possibility to receive a certain number of teeth through the British Red Cross. If this could be arranged it would mean a great help in his work.

The clothing conditions are good. Also the shoes, but there are still 50 pairs of boots of all sizes needed here. The British Man of Confidence Stalag III D promised to send them as soon as the next consignment of boots arrives.

The reverend Scarborough, who formerly was in Laufen, is now here and holds regular services.

The men also asked for some more musical instruments, some playing cards and games. This will be brought to the attention of the Y.M.C.A.

There were no remarks concerning mail and parcels. Letters and parcels are coming in regularly.

No real complaints were brought forward and this camp can still be considered a very good one.

No changes have occurred in the physical outline of this camp since our last visit in February 1942. The large open space inside the wire fence looks now very pretty, the prisoners having planted flowers and quite a quantity of potatoes, salads, and other vegetables, which will enable them to get for a change fresh food planted and raised by themselves.

There are at the present time in the amp 351 prisoners: 3 New Zealanders, 348 English, of which 16 are N.C.O. Three of the latter ones are not working, while 13 are doing work voluntarily. Besides the 351 men mentioned there are in the camp 1 British Doctor and 14 sanitators, of which 3 are recognized and 11 not. These 11 men are working with the other prisoners. The number of prisoners having been reduced since the last visit by about 50, the barracks are no more crowded and the men are now quite comfortable in their barracks.

Washing, bathing and toilet facilities are adequate and give no reason to remarks.

The food was still said to be well prepared and sufficient. The men get now the special rations for heavy workers. The work is not particularly hard, as the British Man of Confidence stated.

Capt. Wright is in charge of the camp-infirmary. Six men were treated for minor diseases such as influenza, bad throats etc. The infirmary is visited once a week by a German Stabsarzt. Medicaments have arrived in sufficient number.

The clothing condition in this camp is good. Every man has received a new outfit and new boots.

The British Man of Confidence stated that he had now full control of the incoming uniforms and boots.

For indoor recreation 2 empty rooms have now been put at the disposal of the prisoner, which is quite satisfactory. For theatrical performances or concerts the men can ask to use the big hall in which religious services are held on Sundays.

There was one complaint. One man received in a private parcel a piece of cotton material, which he claimed to be a blanket. The German camp authorities however said that it was decidedly not a blanket but a piece of material to make a civilian dress. It was taken away from the prisoner against receipt. As the British Man of Confidence agreed with the German point of view no representations will be made.

There are now 228 prisoners in this camp of which 152 are Cypriots and 76 Arabs. This means an increase of about 125 men since the visit in February. For the present the barracks are overcrowded but the men do not seem to mind this, saying it was warmer when a great number of men are in one room. They even now heat the barracks every night.

New barracks for about 150 men are almost finished, so that in a short time things will be straightened out again. Additional washing facilities are toilets are also being built.

An English sanitator is now working here. 17 men were not working the day of the visit. They were suffering from minor things, such as boils, wounds from accidents etc. No serious cases were treated at the present time.

The clothing question is here not as well settled as in the other Kommandos. 50 complete outfits are still needed also boots for about 50% of the men. They are also short of shirts and other underwear.

This question was discussed with the British Man of Confidence Stalag III D who said, that he had already taken note to supply this Kommandos as soon as the next consignment arrives. Most of the men are now wearing French uniforms which they received from the German authorities.

Every Sunday the men are taken to a place where they can play football. The recreation space near the barracks is unfortunately rather small. This point was discussed with the German officers and the Directors of the factory where the men are working. There is however hardly any possibility for additional space as the factory is in the middle of a very densely populated quarter in a big city.

The prisoners have received some games, but asked for playing-cards, greek, turkish and arabic books. The Y.M.C.A. will be approached about this.

This is a new Kommando. 30 Arabs are working here. These 30 men were first transferred to W.C. 322, but they were not able to do the work which was asked from them there. They came then to this place where the work is quite light, and the directors of the factory seem to be quite satisfied with the way the work is done. The men are working in a bulb factory (Osram) and have to get the packages ready for expedition. The only thing the men do not like is that the work has to be done standing up.

They work in 3 shifts of 8 hours from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The pay is the usual one. No special ration of food is given out for this work. Sundays are free.

The prisoners are lodged in one big room, kept very clean. The beds are good. Each man has two blankets. There is plenty of light and air. Also enough space for tables and benches. Each man has his own locker.

The washing facilities are adequate and the men can have showers once a week in the showerrooms of the factory.

The only weak points are the toilets. They are however kept very clean and cannot be called unhygienic. The matter was discussed with the representatives of the factory who agreed with our point of view and promised to look into the matter and to see if something could be done to improve conditions. This will be checked at the next visit.

The food is prepared by the prisoners in an Arabian way. The rations are the usual ones.

The state of health at the time of the visit was good. There is no British sanitator in the camp but the doctor attached to the factory takes care of the prisoners in case of need.

Mail is hardly coming to this camp at all. Only a few prisoners receive every once a while news from home. Of the 30 prisoners here only about 5 know how to write. If the relatives of the prisoners are as poor writers the reason for no mail coming in is quite plain. A lost of all the men not having received news from home will be sent within a short time.

The open air space for recreation is quite small. But there is enough space for the men to spend their free time outside the barrack. To offset this lack of space the Accompanying Officer was asked if it could not be arranged to take the men out for walks, for instance on Sundays. This was promised and will be checked later.

The men asked for some games and cards. The Y.M.C.A. will be asked to send some.

Some of the men complained that their state of health was not good enough to do the work asked of them. They came from lazarets with papers showing that they were only able to do very light work. The German officer from Stalag III D promised to have the different cases investigated. This will also be checked at the next visit.

The Senior British Doctor we saw when we visited this lazaret in February, Major Weston, escaped together with Capt. Stoker and Capt. Heatherington. They were all three retaken shortly after their escape, but it is not known where they are kept at the present time. They were replaced, as mentioned above, by Major Fosbrooke, Major Palandri, Capt. Balentine and Capt. Wiltcher.

At the present time there are 4 British doctors, 22 sanitary personnel and 37 patients here. 2 of the patients are Cypriots, 10 Arabs and the rest English.

The crowdedness which was mentioned in our last report has completely disappeared. The interior arrangements, the bathing and washing facilities as well as the toilets are still good and no remarks were made about them.

Food and cooking are satisfactory. The 4 British doctors treat the British patients and also assist in the treatment of French and Belgian prisoners.

The 22 sanitators are all treated as such, but their cards of identification have not yet been received by them.

There are at the present some cases of Pneumonia, Fleuritis and some abdominal affections treated amongst the British prisoners, but none of the cases were serious. Also three cases of open Tuberculosis and 2 of closed Tuberculosis. These 5 patients will be transferred in a few days to Reservelazarett Koenigswartha. There are still 7 cases of diphtheria, also some surgical patients. (Hernia, appendicitis).

Some orderlies have arrived to assist the surgeon in the operating room. (See last report). Some of the orderlies have received white jackets for their work.

No remarks were made as to clothing, laundry, money and pay and canteen. All this is still in perfect shape.

Additional books have arrived as well as games and sporting goods. (See last report.)

Quite a number of private parcels came in lately. Mail and Red Cross Parcels regular.

The general impression of this lazaret is still a very good one, and the cooperation between the German and the British Medical personnel seems to be quite good.

This lazaret is in one of the buildings of a former hospital, situated about 40 miles from a large city. It is surrounded by large gardens and makes quite an agreeable impression.

It is the first time that representatives of the Legation could visit the lazaret as it has been closed for quite a long time to all visitors on account of typhus. The British doctor confirmed this and said that there were quite a number of cases all along mostly amongst the Russian and French prisoners in this hospital. No British prisoner ever had typhus here. The building is very well suited to its purpose, is in good condition and has as mentioned before an attractive park all around it.

There is no overcrowding in the hospital and quite a few beds are empty waiting for additional patients.

The patients are in rooms with 20 to 30 beds. Each man has a regular hospital bed with sheets and blankets. The rooms are high, with large windows and plenty of air and light.

There are showers and bathrooms available for the patients. A washroom is on each floor.

The hospital has the usual kitchen, clean and well kept with pretty modern installations. This kitchen is run by a German cook who is assisted by some of the prisoners, amongst them 1 British. The food is well prepared but the British prisoners do not like the fact that all the food is cooked together. Special supplementary diets for certain patients are given out also.

Amongst the 8 sanitators is one not yet recognized. The identification card has been asked for quite some time etc. The patients suffer mostly from Malaria (10 cases) Pleuresie, Jaundice, Multiple sclerosis, 1 Polyscrotitis. No infectious diseases were treated at the time of the visit.

A few men with fractures and burns came in lately. They are aviators shot down by airraids in the North of Germany. As said before no British prisoners ever had typhus here.

The doctor asked if he could not receive through the British Red Cross dressing gowns, slippers and hospital pyjamas. Such articles would be greatly welcome.

The medical equipment seems to be quite satisfactory. The operating room is modernly equipped and very clean. The patients spoken to, admitted that the treatment was good.

The clothing question as well as the supply of boots is in this lazaret not yet settled. The British Man of Confidence, S.M. Seward, who was with us at this visit said that he was aware of this and would not fail to send the necessary supply of uniforms and boots here as soon as a new consignment of such articles arrives.

The laundry is done in the hospital by the prisoners. The arrangement is not very satisfactory as they have to use the bathrooms to do it. They also have to use for washing their private soap received in parcels.

There is a canteen in the lazaret, but very poorly stocked. The men would like to get from the British Red Cross toothbrushes and toothpaste, articles which can hardly be bought in Germany. The British Man of Confidence promised to send from Stalag a certain number of articles, such as razors, razorblades, pencils, writing paper etc.

The catholic patients can attend mass read by a French priest every Sunday. The men of the Church of England would greatly appreciate to be visited once a while by an English Padre.

The German officer promised to arrange such a visit. This will be checked when the next visit is made to this lazaret.

As this lazaret was closed for a long time to all visits a very little has been done for recreation of the patients. No sport goods, such as football etc. have been sent here, but Stalag III D will send immediately a box with sporting goods and also some books. Games and playing cards will be asked from the Y.M.C.A. Around the hospital is a large park where the prisoners can spend part of the day in the open air.

Mail and Red Cross Parcels seem to come in regularly. No remarks were made about this. However private parcels are still very slow in arriving.

For the reason mentioned above this lazaret has not been visited for quite some time by representatives of the Y.M.C.A.

No serious complaints have been brought to our knowledge. But several questions were discussed.

1.) Lieut.Col. Bull has to share his room with Corp. Bond, the Man of Confidence. He thinks he is entitled to a room for him alone. This matter was discussed with the German commander who promised to try to arrange this. It will be checked at the next visit of this lazaret.

2.) The possibility for cooking private food is very poor. The men have only one small fireplace in the kitchen and only at certain times of the day. Also this matter was promised to be taken care of. To be checked next time.

3.) The British Physician complained that he had no control whatsoever over the Medical Red Cross Parcels coming in. He is never informed about the number of such parcels nor about their contents. The German commander promised to give the necessary orders that Lt.Col. Bull is informed immediately of arrival and contents of such parcels.

4.) One sanitator was punished with 10 days' arrest for having refused to work on barracks which are built near the hospital. During the 10 days his pay was withheld. This being against the rules set up in the Geneva Convention a protest was immediately made at Stalag III D. The commander agreed with the point of view of the representatives of the Legation and gave immediately the necessary orders.