Stalag IVA

In the base camp were at the time of the visit only 21 Belgian prisoners of war together with about 400 Frenchmen. There were no British prisoners there. In the whole area depending on this camp were 2155 Belgian prisoners of war and 286 British. The latter were all in the work camp "Grube Erika", or in Reserve Hospital Koenigswartha (see separate report.) Besides the base camp and the hospital, the following work camps were visited: 1) 51/21 Fischbach, 2) Niedersedlitz, and 3) "Grube Erika", the two former being Belgian.

There have been no special changes in this camp, which has been described fully in previous reports.

The 21 Belgian prisoners live together with French prisoners in a big room on the upper floor. The room is rather crowded and dark but as it is used only as a dormitory it may be considered satisfactory. It was stated that this room had only been in use for a short time and that by using this room a big room on the first floor had been cleared for theatre and concerts. The Belgian Man of Confidence stated that the Belgian prisoners preferred this arrangement. The room has electric light, and stoves in sufficient number had been ordered and will be installed soon.

The sanitary arrangements are satisfactory. Warm showers are provided once a week.

There were no complaints about the food. The official menu card shows the usual food ration, containing weekly:

Meat

Fat

Cheese

Farines

Sugar

402 g.

260 g.

62 g.

75 g.

210 gr.

Coffee sub.

Marmalade

Bread

Potatoes

Vegetables

90 g.

180 g.

2250 g.

3500 g.

Health conditions was stated to be good. There was no Belgian prisoner in the infirmary.

Clothing was good. Each man had one good uniform, 2 pairs of undersuits and two pairs of shoes. There was a rather good stock of shoes so that bad pairs could be changed immediately. Several of the Belgian prisoners work as tailors and shoemakers.

Six RM is paid out regularly every other week to those working. The Belgian prisoners can send home up to 80 RM monthly.

The canteen was well stocked. French cigarettes in unlimited number can be had for 2 pfg. a [piece?]. A bottle of beer costs 23 pfg. Usually German caviar and different kind of salads are for sale. There were also all kinds of necessary toilet articles and writing tablets.

From the castle court there is a wonderful view over the country. The court is nice looking with trees, flowers and benches but too small for ball games. There is, however, close to the castle a fence-in little park where the prisoners are allowed on Sundays and nice afternoons. In this park is sufficient space for walks and there is also a sport ground. For indoor use there are different kind of games. The library contains 900 French books. Book boxes are regularly sent to the work camps. A big room for theatre and concerts had just been put into use.

Mail arrives regularly. A letter from Belgium usually takes 8 days which is good. The prisoners are allowed to write the usual number of 2 letters and 2 postcards monthly. For the last two months no parcels have arrived from the Belgian Red Cross. One shipment of parcels from the International Red Cross arrived about a week ago.

The only complaint mentioned was a wish for more blankets. The Commander stated that he had already ordered more and that he hoped they would arrive soon.

In this camp are 46 Belgian prisoners together with 68 French. They are all working with the peasants and sleep in the camp. The work was stated to be hard. They work about 10 hours a day and have Sundays free. They receive the usual pay of RM 0.70 per day paid out every second week.

The prisoners are lodged in an old inn where they occupy one big room on the upper floor. The room is furnished with the usual double-tier wooden bunks. It has electric light and two big stoves, which also can be used for preparing the food received in parcels. Each man has at least three blankets.

The prisoners usually wash at their workplaces. There is, however, a rather good washroom where warm water is provided every Saturday. The latrines are also satisfactory.

All the prisoners eat with the peasants for whom they work. The food was stated to be sufficient and good.

The camp is visited by a German doctor from a nearby lazaret three times a week. There is also a French sanitary man at work in the camp.

Clothes are satisfactory. Each man has one quite good uniform, 2 sets of underwear and 2 pairs of shoes.

There is no canteen but the prisoners can order what they want to buy through the German camp leader.

In the camp is no religious activity. The Commander promised to try to send the chaplain from the STALAG now and again.

Books and games have been sent from the STALAG. A deck-tennis set and a football have also been provided. Each Sunday the prisoners are allowed to play football on a meadow just outside the camp. For indoor use they have games and some musical instruments including a piano.

Mail arrives regularly. The prisoners are allowed to write the regular number of letter and cards. They receive parcels from home now and again and some have also arrived from the Belgian Red Cross.

In this camp there are 62 Belgian prisoners of war together with some French prisoners. They are employed in a machine factory, most of them as skilled workers but some as ordinary workers. They work in shifts, 10 hours a day, but are free from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. The wages are for the ordinary workers RM 8 every other week but the specialists receive RM 13.10. They are allowed to send home up to RM 30 monthly.

All the prisoners are lodged in wooden barracks situated inside the factory fences. The barracks are painted green and surrounded by flowers and made a very pleasant impression. Each one of the two blankets contains one big dormitory which is rather crowded with beds. As, however, the prisoners work in shifts so that only half of the number sleep at the same time the air space is satisfactory. The barracks are well heated and lit. The beds are the usual wooden bunks. Each man has two blankets.

There is a good washroom with troughs, faucets and showers. Warm showers can be had whenever wanted. The latrine is of the pit type but with a modern septic tank system.

The food is prepared by two Belgian cooks who used to work in a restaurant in Brussels. The kitchen is modernly equipped. The French Man of Confidence stated: "La nourriture est tres bien".

There is a Belgian sanitary man working in the camp and if a doctor is needed, the local German physician is called.

The factory has provided the workers with special work suits. In addition, they have one quite good uniform, a sets of underwear [with "a sets", unclear if "a" is a mistake and should be a number, or "sets" should read "set"] and 2 pairs of shoes, one pair of which is wooden clogs. There is a special laundry room and a place for drying clothes.

In the canteen the prisoners can buy as much beer and cigarettes as they want. Toilet articles are also for sale.

There is no religious activity but, when questioned, the prisoners did not seem to mind this.

In a special building adjoining the kitchen there is a big dining and recreation room. Books and a few games have been sent from the Stalag and the Commander promised that more games would be sent. There is also a small orchestra. The factory court is big enough for sport and the prisoners use to play football there.

The Belgian prisoners in this camp have received very few parcels but otherwise there were no complaints about the mail. They are allowed to write the usual number of 2 letters and 2 cards monthly.

The only complaint about this work camp is that the Belgian prisoners did not have a Man of Confidence of their own. This was pointed out by the Embassy representative and the Commander immediately agreed and gave order that it should be arranged.

In this work camp are 226 British prisoners of whom 6 to 10 Australians, and 1 Cypriot. They have been here some weeks, and are living together with about 450 French prisoners. They are all working as miners and the Man of Confidence stated that most of the men are used to this kind of work. They work in shifts of 9 hours a day. They are supposed to be free every third Sunday but not even this has been fulfilled. They have no day in the week free instead of the Sundays. (This violation of article 30 of the Geneva Convention of 1929 was immediate pointed out to the Commander and the German manager, but the latter stated that he could do nothing as he acted on orders from the German High Command. Representations have therefore been made to the German High Command.)

The camp is situated not far from the mine which makes the surroundings rather dirty and unpleasant. There are, however, some lawns and flowers and a quite big meadow used as sport ground inside the fences. The buildings are brick barracks from the time of the last war and not very modern.

The present number of prisoners seems to fill the camp completely and a new barracks is being built.

The dormitories are furnished with triple tier wooden bunks and about 20 men live in each room. At the window in each room are tables and chairs. The rooms have electric light and are heated sufficiently. There is no real overcrowding but as the windows are rather small it would be much more pleasant if a smaller number could be lodged in each room. This was pointed out to the Manager who promised to consider the matter when the new barracks are ready. Each man has two blankets.

In each barrack is a washroom with faucets with running cold water. Each man has his own basin. Warm showers are provided in the showerroom of the German workers once a week.

The latrines are of pit type in special buildings. They were kept in good order and chlorine of lime added every day.

The kitchen and store rooms are good and modernly equipped. Although not all the prisoners are employed as "heavy workers", they all receive the additional food rations given such workers in Germany. He also stated that as the Company has its own farms they get more and better food than otherwise would be possible. The British Man of Confidence stated that the food is allright. The only complaint was that some of the men did not like to have the bread issued in slices. The matter was discussed and the manager stated that they had tried to issue the bread in loaves for three days but that it then quite often happened that some of the men had nothing left on the second day. The Man of Confidence stated that he himself preferred this new way and that he did not think the complaints serious.

Health conditions in the camp was stated to be good. The infirmary is very small and rather dark but a new and bigger one is being arranged in one of the new barracks. The Manager stated that the medical equipment of this new infirmary is already ordered. He has also made arrangements to have a French doctor sent to the camp. The British prisoners expressed the wish to have a British sanitary man in the camp and it was arranged that one of the British prisoners, a medical student, should be given that position. In the infirmary were at the time of the visit only 4 British patients, 3 with bronchitis and one with diarrhoea. They were all doing well. In case of more serious illness, the patients are sent to a nearby Reserve Lazaret.

The prisoners who have to do special dirty job have been provided with work suits from the Company. The others have to work in their army uniforms. These are partly in bad conditions and several of the British prisoners have to wear French and Polish uniforms. The Commanded stated that unfortunately there were no British uniforms in the STALAG bit that he would do what he could to obtain some. (The matter will also be brought to the attention of the German High Command.) Each man has two sets of underwear and one pair of leather shoes and one pair of wooden clogs.

The laundry is sent away to be washed, for which the prisoners pay a small and reasonable amount. The Man of Confidence stated that this arrangement works very well.

The canteen was rather poorly stocked. A few toilet articles, writing paper, etc., were for sale, but no beer or lemonade or any kind of food. It was promised that this matter would be looked into.

There are a few Catholics among the British prisoners who usually attend the Mass read by the French chaplain. For the other confessions there is no religious activity.

The sport ground belonging to the camp is quite good but there is only one football and very little other sport equipment. Even for indoor recreation these prisoners have not much. There are no books and very few games. They have been able to buy some musical instruments. The Commander promised to try to send some books and games but stated that he had very few English books in the base camp. The Embassy will also send some books and bring the matter to the attention of the International Y.M.C.A. in Berlin.

Mail arrives regularly. All British prisoners in the camp have heard from their families. They were only allowed to write 2 letters and 2 postcards monthly but this matter was immediately arranged with the Commander and for the future the British prisoners will be allowed the regular number. Parcels have arrived regularly but so far it had only been possible to issue one parcel every third week.

The complaints have been mentioned under the different points above. A copy in English of the Geneva Convention of 1929 has been sent to the Man of Confidence.

This work camp makes only a fair impression. There were several things to complain about. The Manager and the German camp leader, however, make a reasonable impression and it is believed that the things pointed out will be settled. The work camp will be visited again at the next visit to the STALAG.

All matters subject to complaint in this report have been discussed with the local Camp authorities. Defects which the local camp authorities refuse to correct or state they are unable to correct, have been taken up with the German High Command.

This hospital has recently been established instead of the Reserve Hospital Schmockwitz which now is used for other purposes. All the patients, all of them tuberculosis cases, have been transferred here and the sanitary personnel is the same as in the former hospital. (The new hospital is also under the jurisdiction of Stalag IV A.)

For the Hospital a former home for blind men is used. The main building is a rather old brick building and in addition a few wooden barracks have been built. The houses are, however, very nicely situated in a big garden.

The hospital can at the moment take 200 patients and is filled, but without any overcrowding. It was stated that some more barracks will be built and that the hospital will thus have about 150 more beds. Among the patients are 2 British officers and 58 soldiers, of whom 3 are Hindus and a few Cypriots. There are also 1 British and 2 Hindu civilians. There are 5 Belgian soldiers. The other patients are mostly French and Serbian and so are the doctor and the sanitary personnel.

The rooms for the patients are mostly big ones with up to 30-40 in each room. For the more serious cases there are, however, small rooms. The two British officers are also lodged in a small room together with two non-commissioned officers. All the rooms are light and airy with big windows. They are all furnished with comfortable hospital beds provided with two blankets and clean bed linen.

Washing and bathing facilities with running cold and warm water are satisfactory.

There are several small latrines of the pit type. They were all kept in good order.

The food ration is the same as that mentioned for Stalag (IV) A (see separate report), with the addition that the patients can receive as much bread and potatoes as they want. For those who specially need it full milk is provided also. The kitchen is modernly equipped. Adjoining there is a big dining and recreation room for the patients who are not in bed.

The majority of the patients in this hospital are cases of open tuberculosis. There are also a few cases of pleuritis without certain tuberculosis and a few suspicious cases. The hospital is well equipped with everything necessary to run a tuberculosis hospital. The usual operations as pneumothrorax and exeraesis are performed. Especially good X-ray pictures were noted. The German chief doctor stated that most of the patients were doing quite well but that there are a few patients who probably are too seriously ill to be transferred on for possible repatriation. The stocks of drugs were very good and it was especially mentioned that no drugs need be sent. The only thing asked for in this respect was codliver-oil which apparently is scarce in Germany.

For use in the hospital the patients have good clothes of the usual hospital type. The British Man of Confidence complained, however, that their uniforms are to be used when transferred or let out of the hospital are bad. They need about 26 British battle dresses, 30 pairs of shoes and 31 caps. Lt. Butler wrote to the Red Cross about this in June, but so far has not received an answer.

The officers receive their pay according to rank. The soldiers receive RM 0.25 per day from the camp funds. They were usually able to earn some more by working with some light indoor work but for the moment there were no working material to be had.

There is no special canteen for the patients but they can order what they want from the canteen for the German personnel.

For the Catholics among the patients Mass is read now and again by a French chaplain. For the British patients belonging to Church of England Lt. Butler reads a short sermon twice a week.

There is a nice garden around the hospital where the patients can walk and rest in easy chairs. The German chief doctor stated that soon a very nice looking little park adjoining the garden will be fenced and added to the recreation space. The patients are naturally not allowed to engage in any sports but Lt. Butler stated that they would be very pleased if they could have a dart-board. They would also like to have some chess and other games. (This has been brought to the attention of the International Y.M.C.A. in Berlin.) It was stated that there is quite a good library with French and English books. Books in Greek and "Urdu" are wanted for the Cypriots and Hindus.

Mail arrives regularly. There are, however, still three prisoners who have had no mail from home. They are:

S.S. Mobberley, p.o.w. 11009, Home address: Mrs. Nellie Mobberley, Princess Avenue, Staunforth York, Dorchester.

Corporal D. Quinne, p.o.w. 3851, Home address: Mr. Quinne, 473 Glasgow Road, Clydebank, Glasgow.

L. Hammond, p.o.w. 13778, Home address: 10 Lower Cross Street, Tirphin, Glamorgan, South Wales.

Parcels have arrived for the last 3 months in sufficient number to issue one every second week. Lt. Butler stated that they would be glad to receive more if possible and that the number of British patients seems to be on the increase. It was also stated that no cigarette parcels need be sent here as the patients are not allowed to smoke. The Belgian prisoners have received very few parcels from the Belgian Red Cross or from home.

There were no real complaints except those mentioned above. On the usual question about repatriation the Embassy representative was glad to be able to tell of the latest developments.

This hospital gives more the impression of a sanatorium than a hospital for prisoners of war. As the present hospital had only been in use for a little more than a fortnight there were of course still several things to be arranged but the general impression is already very good. The German Chief Doctor has a very good way of handling the patients and the relations between him and the Man of Confidence seemed to be the best. He also seemed to run the hospital with skill and competence.

All matters subject to complaints in this report have been discussed with the local camp authorities. Defects which the local camp authorities refuse to correct or state they are unable to correct have been taken up with the German High Command in Berlin in a letter dated September 27, 1941.