CONFIDENTIAL
No.76.
STALAG IV C - Toeplitz-Wistritz
Date of Visit: January 20th, 1943.
Commander: Colonel Lorenz.
Stellvertreter: Rittmeister Dr. Jaeckel.
Accompanying Officer: Cpt. Jaeckel.
Man of Confidence: Sgt. Jack S. Parsons.
Stalag IV C is mainly the Office regulating the different Work Camps depending from it.
WORK CAMP SCHWAZ II
Date of visit: January 21st, 1943.
Man of Confidence: Cpl. H. Mickelbourgh.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This Komnmando is lodged in the stable buildings of a former Convent.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
114 Britains; 10 in hospital.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
The prisoners of war sleep in what seems to have been a riding school built in the XVIII century. The beds are triple-tier bunks. Each man has 2 blankets.
There are two iron stoves, one at each end of the room. One end of this is formed by a stag [stage?] on which tables and benches are posed. Below there is a room, where the prisoners of war have installed a cobblery.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
There are no showers. Also the water supply is very poor. The inspectors were told that the whole town of Schwaz was suffering from this. By the intense exploitation in the mining fields the ground water level has sunk deeper, so that the original wells are slowly drying up.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
Adequate.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
Adequate.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
There is a Revier on the second floor of the building containing 3 beds. A Sanitator is in charge of this.
Dental treatment is done by a civilian dentist in Schwaz. It is said to be adequate.
VIII.) CLOTHING
Adequate. No working kits.
IX.) LAUNDRY
The laundry is done by the men themselves.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
Adequate.
XI.) CANTEEN
There is no canteen in this camp. Some articles can be obtained from Stalag IV C.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
No religious activity. The representatives of the Protecting Power approached the German authorities of Stalag IV C in this question. If a Chaplain could be sent here, they are welcome to the idea to let him visit the different work camps of Stalag IV C.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
Football can be played 5 hours per week. The inspector insisted that walks should be organised. There is no recreation room in this camp.
XIV.) MAIL
3 letters and 3 cards per month can be sent out. The incoming mail is very irregular.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
Satisfactory.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
The Man of Confidence complains that sometimes Red Cross bulk parcels arrive in a bad state.
Sgt. Parsons, the Chief Man of Confidence in Stalag IV C stated that this happened frequently and that complaints were made to the German Reichspost, who in some cases had paid for the damage.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp is overcrowded and not in good running order.
The accompanying officer agreed to this and explained that he had foreseen to build a new barrack in the garden next to the old camp. But it is to be feared that the execution of this plan will take a long time.
WORK CAMP NO. 36 - Brüx (Heeresstandortverwaltung)
Date of visit: January 21, 1943.
Man of Confidence: Cpl. Nicolos Kyriakidos.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Former military barracks, built in the middle of the town in the XVIII century, are partly reserved for the prisoners of war.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
77 Cypriots. 4 in hospital.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
They sleep in two big attics. The heating does not seem adequate. The three stoves used there are not of a sufficient size and so the fires have to be kept blazing to get a temperature bearable for the Cypriots, who suffer from the cold. The accompanying officer promised to try and get bigger stoves.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
Showers can be got every day. The washing facilities are adequate.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
Toilet facilities not satisfactory. The accompanying officer promised to have this straightened out.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
Cooking adequate. Done by a French cook.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
The medical treatment is done by a French prisoner of war doctor. Visits daily.
Priv. Mangeon, No.94171, from Malta, works as sanitator and interpreter. He is not acknowledged but as he is efficient the German authorities are ready to keep him on this place.
Dental work is done by a French dentist.
VIII.) CLOTHING
In order.
IX.) LAUNDRY
The laundry is done by the men themselves. There is no special drying-room.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
No complaint.
XI.) CANTEEN
No canteen.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
No religious activity. No orthodox priest is available.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
The men complain that they have not sufficient exercise. The inspector obtained that walks will be organised.
XIV.) MAIL
There is some amelioration since our last visit.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
No complaint.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
No complaints.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
The men work as cobblers and tailors in a place where the prisoners' of war outfit is mended. The camp may be called middling good.
WORK CAMP TSCHAUTSCH III - Maunesmann
Man of Confidence: Sgt. Major R. Simmonds.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Good healthy camp on a big Sport area.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
66 British prisoners of war. 1 man in civil hospital in Brüx.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
Wooden barrack of the average type, well heated and well lighted.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
No showers. Washing allright.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
No complaint.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
Adequate.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
A French doctor in Brüx looks after the sick.
A French dentist does the dental treatment very well. He cannot make dentures.
VIII.) CLOTHING
Satisfactory.
XI.) LAUNDRY
Adequate.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
Adequate.
XI.) CANTEEN
The Man of Confidence can go to Wistritz for errands.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
The prisoners of war would like to be visited by a chaplain. This point will be taken up for the whole Stalag IV C with the German High Command.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
Satisfactory.
XIV.) MAIL
Incoming post very scarce.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
Satisfactory.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
Some NCOs. are working in this camp. 2 of these are recognised. For three others this is not possible, as their pay-books, collected at Stalag IV C seem to have disappeared. The accompanying officer promised to make a thorough investigation.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp gives a very good impression.
WORK CAMP BRUCH II
Man of Confidence: Sgt. Major Williams.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The prisoners of war live in modern gymnastic hall with attaining rooms. They do railway work.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
37 British prisoners of war. 2 in hospital.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
Satisfactory.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
Showers can be had once a week. Washing very good.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
Satisfactory.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
Satisfactory.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
Two acknowledged sanitators work in this camp. Civilian doctors tend the sick and can be called for if needs be. There is a civilian dentist at Oberleutensdorf nearby who does good work.
VIII.) CLOTHING
Satisfactory.
IX.) LAUNDRY
No complaint.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
Satisfactory.
XI.) CANTEEN
Things are ordered from Stalag IV A.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
No chaplain.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
No complaint.
XIV.) MAIL
No complaint.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
No complaint.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
No complaints.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp is one of the best the representative of the Protecting Power has visited.
Work camps in and near KOMOTAU visited on January 22nd, 1943
Man of Confidence: Gunner V.C. Stillwell.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
No change.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
25 Britains. 2 in hospital.
7 Cypriots.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
No complaint.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
The washing accommodations were frozen and the men had to wash in the kitchen. The accompanying officer gave orders to the guard that the washing facilities should be immediately put in order.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
Satisfactory.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
New boilers have been installed.
There are two French prisoners of war working in the kitchen. One of them will be replaced by a British prisoner of war on the request of the inspector.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
An English doctor works no at Komotau to everybody's satisfaction.
The dental work is done by a civilian dentist. He is overworked, so that the men have sometimes to wait very long time to be admitted.
VIII.) CLOTHING
No complaint.
IX.) LAUNDRY
No complaint.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
No complaint.
XI.) CANTEEN
No canteen. Things can be bought through the Man of Confidence in Komotau or asked for at Stalag IV C.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
The men would gladly receive the visit of a Chaplain.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
The men can play football.
XIV.) MAIL
No complaint.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
Satisfactory.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
The men have to cut reed for mats on a neighbouring lake, in deep snow. Coming home they are thoroughly wet and cold. The town has promised to furnish rubber-boots for this work, as it is done on its behalf. But until now no distribution was made.
There is no room where the vegetables for the kitchen can be kept, without freezing. It was arranged that one part of the kitchen, which is pretty big, will be used as store-room.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp is not a very good one.
WORK CAMP NO. 73 - Komotau (Rulandhalle)
Brit. Man of Confidence: Sgt. Nicos Epiphanion.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The prisoners of war live in a big theatre-hall attaining to a hotel.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
70 Cypriots.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
They sleep in the hall on 2 storied beds. There is plenty of room. Part of the hall is used as day-room. The heating is satisfactory with two big iron stoves. There is also a stove for cooking the private food.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
Adequate.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
Adequate
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
Cooking is done by the Hotel and is said to be satisfactory.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
Medical attention by Cpt. Dr. Meyerhofer, an Australian prisoner of war who stays at a central Krankenrevier of Komotau.
VIII.) CLOTHING
Satisfactory.
IX.) LAUNDRY
Satisfactory.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
Satisfactory.
XI.) CANTEEN
No canteen.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
None.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
The prisoners of war are allowed to play football.
XIV.) MAIL
Mail very irregular. Letters from Cyprus written in Turkish or Greek take 3 to 4 months to arrive at Komotau.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
No complaint.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
Two men complain that they have to do Sunday work. As the civilians have to do the same, a protest from the representative of the Protecting Power had no effect.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp is a good one and the prisoners of war say that there is no real cause for complaint.
WORK CAMP 47 - Komotau (Reichsbahn Werklager)
Date of visit: January 22, 1943.
British Man of Confidence: Mehemet Hussein Kavaz.
No changes since last visit.
There is one complaint. The men doing hard work ask to be relieved. The question was discussed with the German authorities at Stalag IV C who promised to look into the matter.
On the whole this camp gives a good impression.
WORK CAMP 8 - Tschernowitz (Reichsbahn)
Brit. Man of Confidence: Negos Kastandenides/
There are 64 men in this camp nearly all Cypriots with the exception of the sanitators.
They had nothing to complain about and said that the work was reasonable and that the food given out from the "Reichsbahn" canteen was excellent.
This camp looks really good and accurate.
WORK CAMP SPORRITS (Reichsbahnwerk)
Brit. Man of Confidence: Lampros Georgantes, Cpl.
I.) GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The men live in a big dancing hall of an Inn which is well built and well aerated.
II.) CAPACITY AND PRESENT PERSONNEL
29 Cypriots.
III.) INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
There are 2 storied beds with two blankets. A third one will be given out immediately upon the request of the inspector.
IV.) BATHING AND WASHING FACILITIES
The washing facilities are poor. There is no running water. It has to be carried up to the washing room from a pump in the courtyard. As the whole village has no running water in the houses there is nothing to be done about it. The men can have hot showers every Friday in a special establishment in the near town of Komotau.
V.) TOILET FACILITIES
No complaint.
VI.) FOOD AND COOKING
No complaint.
VII.) MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SICKNESS
The medical attention is given in the Central Revier Komotau.
Dental treatment also is done in the town by a civilian dentist who does extractions and conservative work.
VIII.) CLOTHING
No complaint.
IX.) LAUNDRY
The laundry was done by washer-women. These, however, doubled their prices and the German NCO commanding the camp forbade to continue to give it to them. So the men do it themselves, which is not an ideal solution, the water not being available in sufficient quantity.
X.) MONEY AND PAY
No complaint.
XI.) CANTEEN
Some articles can be had at Stalag IV C, but there is no real canteen.
XII.) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
No religious activity.
XIII.) RECREATION AND EXERCISE
No complaint.
XIV.) MAIL
No complaint.
XV.) WELFARE WORK
No complaint.
XVI.) COMPLAINTS
The following complaints were made to the representative of the Protecting Power:
(1) When the men were considered to work below the average amount they were threatened by the German NCO that their private food supply would be stopped. The inspector stated that this was strictly forbidden by the Geneva Convention. The accompanying officer agreed and the matter was settled once for all.
(2) The men are not given heavy-workers rations while their work is very hard. It was explained that they had been working on trial and from now on, as they had worked to satisfaction they would be given the according rations.
(3) The Man of Confidence had the following personal complaint: He is a Greek from Alexandria, who lived and worked in Athens before the war. He joined the Greek army and later was sent to Crete to the Australian Army as an interpreter. And there he was caught. He asks to be considered as a member of the Greek Army and to be sent back to Greece. The question was brought to the camp authorities who promised to take the matter in hand.
XVII.) GENERAL IMPRESSION
This camp, except from the water question is not at all bad. Unluckily the British Man of Confidence and the German NCO in charge of the camp do not go on very well together.
WORK CAMP 137 (Lagerkeller)
Brit. Man of Confidence: Agatopsulos Kokenides
No change since our last visit.
67 men, all Cypriots, except the Sanitator who is an Australian.
There was no complaint whatever.
KRANKENREVIER FUER KRIEGSGEFANGENE KOMOTAU
Brit. Physician: Capt. Meyerhofer RAMC.
The Revier is installed in a former factory. It is in a rather bad state of disrepair. The first floor is inhabited by civilians who do not seen to be very clean. So from above the whole Revier is overrun by bugs, flies and other vermin.
The Oberstabsarzt of the Stalag IV C agreed that it was unqualifiable. However, there was at present, no accommodation to be found in Komotau.
The consultation room is spacious and well equipped.
The dormitory, containing 35 beds, is in no way suitable for its momentary use. The beds are two-storied, very near to each other. The ventilation is bad, The lavatories are next door to the dormitory and the smell invades the whole room. They are not heatable and it is difficult to keep them clean.
In the dormitory there is a copper trough with one tap as washing accommodation. The floor below it is always wet and slippery.
Bathing and lighting are satisfactory.
Only minor cases are kept in the Revier. The others are brought to Re.Laz. Bilin.
The doctors live in a small room separated from a passage by a glass partition. There is just room for two beds, a table and a stove.
This Revier should be changed as quick as possible and as the Oberstabsarzt, notwithstanding his own opinion, has so far not been able to do anything, the matter should be brought before the German High Command.
ZWEIGLAGER SCHOENBRUNN-WISTRITZ
This camp is a Durchgangslager for prisoners of war of all nations.
It is a big theatre-hall on whose 4 sides a second floor has been built. 2 stories beds stand on both floors. The number of occupants varies. Sometimes French prisoners of war before repatriation are laid up here during a week or more to the number of 400. The overcrowding resulting from it is evidently terrible.
On the day of our visit there were 24 British prisoners of war in this camp. Some Cypriots, and 8 NCOs who had come from work camps.
The washing facilities are adequate.
Toilet facilities are very bad. The accompanying officer gives strict orders to have them cleaned and put in order.
The heating is poor.
The cooking is done at the Stalag IV C and sent over.
Medical attention is in the hands of the Oberstabsarzt Preiss from Stalag IV C.
Several men are waiting for transfer to some place where the Medical Mixed Commission will see them. But for men, unfit for work, this place is very bad. The room is dark and gloomy. There is no place where the prisoners of war can go for exercise. Walks are not organised. The general impression is a bad one.
The accompanying officer had to state this too. He said that the idea was that this camp should be closed. But as once already the problem was treated with the Stalag and has found no solution, it might be good to approach the German High Command about this matter.
Rudolph Burckhardt.
