CONFIDENTIAL
No.270
BRITISH
WEHRKREIS IV
STALAG IV A HOHNSTEIN
Date of Visit: October 7th 1943.
Commander: Oberst Kratz
Arbeitseinsatz: Hptm Kurz
British Chief Man of Confidence: Q.M. Sgt. W. Adams
There are altogether 7 British prisoners of war acting as assistants to the Chief Man of Confidence.
The Delegate discussed with Oberst Kratz general questions referring to labour, working hours, Sunday work, health and recreation.
Work Camp depending on Stalag IV A
Arbeitskommando No.531, Grube Ostfeld
Kontroll-Offizier: Hptm. Shaefer
British Man of Confidence: Cpl. Noel Vasey
This man of confidence came to Arbeitskommando 502 to confer with the delegate of the Protecting Power.
There are 90 men interned at the Kommando 531 at Grube Ostfeld of whom 5 are at present in hospital; no serious cases.
The interior arrangements are satisfactory, also the washing and bathing facilities. The men have up to 5 showers a week. Latrines are adequate.
Food and cooking is satisfactory. The men have applied for a bigger stove for the cooking of their Red Cross food. The supply of a new stove was promised.
Medical attention is given by a German doctor twice weekly. An English physician, Lt. Col. LeSouef from Res. Laz. Elsterhorst visits the camp once a month. There is a British sanitator in charge. Medical supply is adequate. Dental treatment, fillings and extractions, is done by a German dentist.
The clothing position is satisfactory as a consignment of clothing has arrived recently. The laundry is done by a German woman and is satisfactory.
Money and pay is correct. The canteen is very badly stocked.
Every Sunday the men hold their divine service and once a month padre Cpt. Frazer visits the camp.
ARBEITSKOMMANDO 531 - STALAG IV A
The mail is reported to arrive satisfactorily from Britain, however irregular from the Dominions.
Some minor points were amicably settled on the spot with the Kontroll Offizier and the Lagerführer.
ARBEITSKOMMANDO 502, GRUBE BRIGITTA
Date of visit: October 5th, 1943.
British Man of Confidence: Cpl. F. Eustace.
No change with regard to interior arrangements, except that the kitchen for Red Cross food cooking and its stove have been enlarged and are very satisfactory now.
91 men are interned in this camp, all working in a coal-mine on surface jobs.
Bathing, washing and toilet facilities are satisfactory; the men can have as many showers as they want.
The cooking is done in the works kitchen together with the food for Russian and French Prisoners of War. The British prisoners of war do not object to this as they have now a very nice Red Cross food kitchen.
Medical attention is given twice weekly by a German civilian doctor. There is a British sanitator in the camp. The medical supply and the dental treatment are adequate.
Every man has two uniforms. Some of them are doing very dirty work and ask for overalls. This was discussed with the Lagerführer who will gradually provide them with overalls. The Laundry is done by the firm.
Money and pay is correct. The canteen is very poorly stocked, some beer is available from time to time.
Religious attendance is given by padre Capt. Frazer who visits this camp once a month.
As physical exercise and sports outside the camp's compound is forbidden by the new order of the O.K.W. there is very little opportunity for outdoor sports. There is a nice and cheerfully decorated recreation room with a piano; some indoor games are at the men's disposal.
Mail is reported to be irregular.
The camp made a good impression to the delegate of the Protecting Power, moral and physical health of the prisoners of war are satisfactory.
Arbeits Kommando No.508 Grube ERIKA
British Man of Confidence: S/Sgt. L.H. Price.
Date of visit: October 5th, 1943.
No change in the general outlook of the camp except that a new recreation-room has been built and a half for theatres and concerts is under construction.
There are actually 184 British prisoners of war in this camp. About 100 new British prisoners of war from Stalag are reported to arrive soon.
No change with regard to interior arrangements. Some of the sleeping rooms have recently been painted.
The bathing and washing facilities are satisfactory, the men can have hot showers every day. The latrines were on the day of the visit under repair, otherwise in order.
Cooking is done in a common kitchen for the British, Russian and French prisoners of war by German women and is said to be satisfactory.
Medical attendance is given by the German doctor of the works who visits the camp twice a week. There is a Revier in camp and a British medical Officer pays monthly visits. As more British prisoners of war are due to arrive, the delegate of the Protecting Power asked for a resident British doctor for this camp. The German Stabsarzt at the Stalag IV A promised to consider this request.
The clothing and the laundry position is in order.
Money and pay is correct but there is very little to buy at the canteen.
Padre Capt. Frazer is attending
divine service once a month.
The men played Basketball and a new football ground and a tennis court will be built within the barbed wire to meet the new order of the O.K.W.
Mail is reported to be irregular.
The prisoners of war are allowed to go to a cinema about every fortnight. Indoor games are available.
The British Man of Confidence St.Sergt. Price has arrived only a few days before the visit of the delegate of the Protecting Power. He makes a very good impression. The men are engaged in the coal mine of Grube Erika.
ARBEITS KOMMANDO No.543 GRUBE HEYE III
British Man of Confidence: Sgt. Thomas Voller.
Date of visit: October 5th 1943.
Sgt. Thomas Voller came to Arb. Kdo. 508, Grube Erika, to confer with the delegate of the Protecting Power.
There are 51 British prisoners of war of whom one is a Cypriot.
Interior arrangements adequate, except damp barrack walls during rains.
The men are allowed hot showers at the works, washing facilities and latrines in the camp are in good order.
Food and cooking is satisfactory. The prisoners of war have control over the weighing out and preparing of their food.
Medical attendance is given by a German civilian physician twice weekly, a British medical officer attends once a month. There is a British sanitator in charge.
Laundry is done by the prisoners of war themselves; they are, however, short of soap. The accompanying officer instructed the Lagerführer to apply for a higher soap ration from the firm.
Pay is correct. The canteen is poorly stocked.
Capt. Frazer, Church of England, holds a divine service once a month.
Mail is reported to arrive irregularly.
Various minor complaints were settled amicably in the presence of the Kontroll-Offizier and the Lagerführer.
The men are engaged as workers in the coal mines of Grube Heye III.
WEHRKREIS IV / Stalags A. B. C. and D.
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
Accommodation.
With the exception of the Arbeitskommando Schwaz II (Stalag IV C) the general accommodation of the British prisoners of war has been found satisfactory. The interior arrangements of some Reserve Lazaretts are indeed excellent. Of course, further improvements had been asked for by the Delegate, however, the acute shortage of material in Germany must be borne in mind. Air raid precaution is as a rule adequate, providing splinter trenches or cellars.
Labour
To this problem particular attention had been accorded. The Delegate discussed it with work-managers, German staff physicians, British Medical Officer, Men of Confidence and prisoner-workers.
Obviously the Detaining Power tends to exploit the utmost of the prisoners' working capacity.
Regarding the length of working hours which vary from ten to twelve or more a day on heavy work, this working time is too long and may here and there exceed reasonable limited. An increasing number of accidents is reported to occur.
A considerable number of prisoners of war of this Wehrkreis are engaged as workers in the coal mines of Saxony and the Sudetenland. To a large proportion they do surface work and are in no direct contact with coal. They lay out sleepers and rails, dig trenches or construct roads. Others, particularly in the Sudeten-mines, do underground coal mining under trying conditions. No professional abilities or individuality is taken into consideration and amongst these coal miners, clerks, students or any professional men may be found. With reference to the physical fitness of these prisoners for this nature of work, a German staff physician took the view that they had passed examination by their own Medical Corps and found fit for war services, he concluded - consequently they are equally physically fit to work on coal mines.
In many cases medical examinations are made without the assistance of an interpreter and it is therefore impossible for any inquiry to be made as to the past medical history of the man.
In the mines of Saxony where the British prisoners of war do surface work, the air is coal dusty and there is a medical condition known as Otitis media in which the ears are constantly discharging. Too many of these cases are:
1) completely untreated
2) employed on dusty-work which aggravates the condition and may result in permanent deafness.
In the mines of Sudetenland our proteges are employed in underground coal mining under trying conditions. At the time of the visit about 1600, mostly Union Defence Forces men who had recently arrived from Italy, had begun on this nature of work only a few days ago. Cases of complete prostration had already occurred. It is understood that a large part of the 15000 British prisoners of war from Italy who have arrived or are bound to arrive at the Wehrkreis IV, shall be concentrated in this area; this situation requires our continuous and careful attention.
The presence and attendance of a sufficient number of British Medical Officers in this area is of the greatest importance. Strong requests to this effect had been made by the undersigned Delegate at the conference with the respective Stalag commanders and at the Wehrkreiskommando IV at Dresden.
In complete disregard to Article 30, last sentence, of the Geneva Convention, our proteges employed in the coal mines of both, Saxony and the Sudetenland, receive only one rest of 24 consecutive hours within three weeks. This measure apparently falls beyond the jurisdiction of the military authorities and is to be dealt with competent quarters in Berlin.
The comparatively satisfactory state of health and morale of our proteges is mainly due thanks to the additional food and clothing supplied through the International Red Cross at Geneva. Unnecessary to mention that these generous gifts from Britain and the Empire are highly appreciated by them.
RUDOLPH E. DENZLER.
No.270a
BRITISH
Reserve Lazarett (Kgf.) ELSTERHORST
Stalag IV A
Date of visit October 6th 1943
Camp Commander: Oberstabsarzt Dr. Zemmin
British Senior Man of Confidence: Lt. Col. Le Souef
No change with regard to the general arrangement. The shade-shelters have not yet been built.
There are about 400 prisoners of war of whom a large part is assembled for repatriation.
The interior arrangements are adequate and the washing facilities and the latrines satisfactory.
Food and cooking is reported to be in order.
Under the command of the new German Stabsarzt Dr. Zemmin it is hoped that a better cooperation with the British Medical Officers may result.
The clothing position is satisfactory, as well as the laundry. Bed-linen is changed fortnightly for the patients and for the Medical Staff.
Pay is correct. The canteen is very poor.
Religious attendance is given by Church of England padre, Capt. Frazer, who lives in this camp.
There are some facilities for outdoor sports.
Mail is reported to be irregular.
Welfare work in order.
No.270b
BRITISH
Reserve Lazarett (Kgf.) KOENIGSWARTHA (Stalag IV A)
Camp Commander: Stabsarzt Dr. FRITZ
British Men of Confidence: Capt. Randin Singh Seagal, I.M.C.
Lt. Sardar Ahmed, I.M.C.
There are no changes in the general state of this Lazarett.
The number of British patients amounts to 45 of whom 11 are bound for repatriation.
Interior arrangements, washing and bathing facilities and latrines are adequate.
Food and cooking is said to be fairly good. Following a wish of the British Man of Confidence, one of the British Orderlies controls the weighing out of the rations.
Medical attention is stated to be satisfactory.
The clothing position is in order. The old clothing which has to be replaced is handed to the German Authorities who use them for repairing others. The laundry is done in a big washhouse by Russian prisoners of war and is satisfactory.
Pay is correct. Canteen is very poorly stocked.
Capt. Frazer, from Reserve Lazarett Elsterhorst is supposed to come every three weeks to this Lazarett for religious attendance but his visits were rather irregular lately.
There are no outdoor sports facilities, but the British Medical Staff can go out on parole walks.
Mail is reported to be very irregular, specially parcels and Indian mail.
The British Man of Confidence complained about not having full control over the Red Cross parcels store-room, as the key is with the German Authorities. A second lock will be provided now and the key handed to the British Man of Confidence. Satisfactory.
The new Camp Commander Stabsarzt Dr. Fritz made a good impression with the Delegate of the Protecting Power.
No. 270.
Res. Lazarett (Kgf.) Schmorkau. (Stalag IV.A.)
Date of visit: October 7th 1943.
Camp Commander: Oberstabsarzt Dr. Haering.
Senior British Man of Confidence: Major McKay, RAMC.
No change in the general arrangements of this Lazarett.
There are 25 British patients
2 " Medical Officers (Major McKay and Capt. Fergusson)
2 " Interpreters
8 " Medical Orderlies
The clothing position is satisfactory as well as the laundry question.
Interior arrangements, washing and bathing facilities and toilets are adequate.
Food and cooking is said to be satisfactory.
Medical attention is good.
Pay is correct but there is no canteen.
Church of England padre, Capt. Frazer visits this Lazarett every four weeks and gives religious attendance.
Mail is reported to be most unsatisfactory for the last weeks.
There are no other complaints; a good Lazarett.
