Translation from French

(Camp Report K/J.R.L./F.P.D/F.P.D.)

Germany

Reserve Hospital at BILIN Visited 24th February 1945 by M. KLEINER.

British Camp Leader: No. 94159 (Cypriot Corporal) DRACOPOULOS, Nicos.

Strength: Among the patient are:

                26 British

                  1 Canadian

                  2 Australian

                  3 South Africans

                  5 Other British

                  5 Americans

        9 British members of Medical personnel.

        The above figures were given by the Camp Leaders.

Position and Quarters: Please refer to previous reports, to which there is nothing to add, except that there is a slight increase in the strength of the hospital, although not beyond its capacity.

Food: The German rations have been reduced. For instance, they do not allow more than 250 Grammes of potatoes per day, instead of 500 gr. The quarantine camp used to receive 8 Kilos of Sugar per day at one time, whereas now it is only supplied with 4 Kilos. The Chief medical officer states, with regard to this, that the deficiency in potatoes has been made up by vegetables such as cabbage, turnips and beetroot. The Camp Leaders consider, however, that the vegetables given in replacement, do not correspond to the quantity of potatoes deducted. As for sugar, the Chief M.O. thinks it advisable to economise, in the interests of the prisoners. He could continue to deliver (or issue) 8 Kilos, but he fears subsequent difficulties in providing and would like to make sure of a reserve. It would be advisable to verify, with further reference to this, whether the sugar thus economized would eventually revert to the prisoners. The bread is apportioned at the rate of one round loaf for six men, which corresponds to a daily ration of 215 grammes.

        Some diets may be followed. Patients suffering from Stomach trouble receive white bread in the form of 5 rolls per day. In addition, the patients on a lactic Diet receive about 2 or 3 cupfuls of milk "complete" (i.e. with bread and butter) and sometimes an egg. Thus, as a rule, the questions of special diet is arranged satisfactorily.

        The reduction in the German rations is explained by the influx of evacuees from Silesia to the Eger region and the Sudeten Districts. Transport difficulties also play their part. The ration cuts are to be restored later. Hitherto, these reductions have not been very perceptible to the prisoners, as they still had sufficient food supplies from the Red Cross.

Clothing: The British camp Leader asks that a stock of 50 complete uniforms should be dispatched, and some linen for those British and American men who arrive during the evacuation of camps and detachments that have fallen back from "Wehrkreis" VIII. Most of these men arrive at the hospital in a pitiable condition. They nearly always need to be completely re-equipped.

Collective Parcels: Until now, every Britisher has been receiving regularly a half-parcel of the "2 standard British" type per week.

        During the Year 1944, everyone regularly received one parcel per week. Some patients sometimes still receive - on the Doctor's orders - as many as two and a half parcels per week if they have special need of "building up". Geneva have telegraphed to the British camp leader the order to distribute, from the 2nd February on, one British parcel and 50 cigarettes per week to each man - which cannot be done for lack of parcels.

        There are only 15 British parcels left, 54 Diabetic parcels borrowed from some labour detachments, 37 Medical parcels "units 1, 2, 3, 4", 83 units of Cigarettes. These reserves will be exhausted in a few days. Nothing is to be expected from the Stalag at the present moment, according to what the Delegate was able to gather from the neighbouring Stalag IVC. The Delegate ordered that, if a consignment should arrive at the Stalag soon, part of it should be forwarded to the hospital at BILIN in the event of their not having received anything from some other Source.

        The stock of clothing comprises sufficient apparel for equipping six men.

        The Camp Leaders request Geneva to bear in mind, when dispatching the next parcels probable new arrivals of sick prisoners who must be expected after the evacuation of Wehrkreis (Recruiting District) VIII. In fact, numerous cases have already been admitted, early all of which are of a serious character, with pneumonia and pleurisy.

        Hitherto, the British have received their parcels from Geneva, following upon previous reports.

Medical Services: The Doctors emphasize that the food question is the principal cause for anxiety at the hospital. They are well supplied with medical stores, and their surgical instruments answer all their requirements. If, thanks to the supplementary supplies furnished by the collective parcels, the food could be maintained at the present level, it would be possible to continue to count on good  results at the hospital.

        The surgical Section houses 75 prisoners, among whom are some very grave cases. All, however, are dealt with successfully and have some prospect of improvement.

        The Medical Section at present treats about 5 or 6 cases of pneumonia and pleurisy in an advanced stage every week, but up to the present, all these have been successfully treated. Most of these cases are evacuees from Stalag VIIIC, who arrive in an exhausted condition and are very markedly undernourished after having been housed under the worst conditions. Their clothing is also in a very bad condition.

        As for the other cases, these consist of the more usual complaints, such as gastric trouble, stomach ulcers, etc.

Medical Stores: Four cases arrived from Geneva on the 23rd February; they contained first-aid or field messings and blood (for transfusions). Unfortunately, among the bottles of blood, four half-litre ones were broken. It is requested that the quantity should be doubled when the next consignment is dispatched, in anticipation of the influx of patients from Stalag VIIIC of Russians from the front, and of men wounded in air raids.

        The Doctors enumerate as urgent needs, the following medical stores: campher, glucose (in solution and phials), calcium "sandoz" "transpalmine", sulphamides (for injections and in tabloids), cardiacs, "La Roche" Digaten, "Coramins Ciba", grape sugar as an excipient for solutions.

        As to other points raised at the usual interview, there is nothing further to add to the previous report.

Interview with Doctors and Camp Leaders.

        The foregoing questions were studied freely and without witnesses at this interview. No complaint was made against the German management of the Camp.

Final interview with the Senior German Medical Officer: The Delegate expressed to the Senior German M.O. his appreciation of the work accomplished, and the care given to the prisoners.

Conclusions: The hospital at BILIN is good.

        DETACHMENT LICHTENSTEIN VISITED 800 AMERICANS 200 BRITISH IN 6 HUTS AN INFIRMARY BEING SET UP HYGIENE FOOD INSUFFICIENT AMERICANS [?] YOUNG HUNGRY NO PARCELS SINCE 6 WEEKS CLOTHING DEPLORABLE 3 DEATHS RECENTLY PNEUMONIA STILL OTHER VERY SERIOUS CASES BRITISH OR AMERICAN DOCTOR NECESSARY NO CHAPLAIN 5 HOURS WORK PER DAY TIRING FOR PRISONERS ALL FEEBLE STOP BAD TREATMENT STOP COMMANDANT OPENING ENQUIRY STOP BAD DETACHMENTS STOP

        DETACHMENT GROEDITZ ONE RECENT AMERICAN DEATH FROM PNEUMONIA THROUGH LACK OF TREATMENT GENERAL CONDITIONS BAD DELEGATE OBTAINS PROMISE IMPROVEMENTS FULLSTOP

        STALAG IV C VISITED 25TH FEBRUARY SEE REPORT 27TH OCTOBER SAME REPRESENTATIVES AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVE MEYER WERNER 311541 OUT OF 26273 PRISONERS 4236 BRITISH INCLUDING ONE OFFICER 263 NCO 7 DOCTORS 2 CHAPLAINS STOP 220 SCOTCH 27 WELSH 10 IRISH 7 CANADIANS 44 AUSTRALIANS 29 NEW ZEALANDERS 710 SOUTH AFRICANS 986 CYPRIOTS 5 EGYPTIANS 6 PALESTINIANS 10 MALTESE 736 AMERICANS 1255 DUTCH INCLUDING 1 DOCTOR 2 CHAPLAINS NO CHANGES HEATING SATISFACTORY DURING WINTER OFFICIAL RATIONS INSUFFICIENT AMERICANS ARRIVED JANUARY FROM STALAG IV B BADLY CLOTHED STOP THEIR OVERCOATS AND GOOD UNIFORMS WERE STOLEN STOP COMPLETE EQUIPMENT INCLUDING BOOTS NECESSARY FOR ALL BRITISH HAVE URGENT NEED BOOT SIZES 7 TO 11 STOP DUTCH NOT RECEIVED CLOTHING CONSIGNMENTS BUT THREE CONSIGNMENTS FOOD AND CIGARETTES 4 MONTHLY PARCELS PER MAN DISTRIBUTED UNTIL BEGINNING NOVEMBER ONE PARCEL IN DECEMBER 475 IN JANUARY STOP DISTRIBUTION IN JANUARY TO BRITISH AND AMERICANS OF LAST BRITISH RESERVES EXCEPT STOCK 1100 INVALID DIET PARCELS OF WHICH 550 DISTRIBUTED TO 4400 BRITISH ARRIVING FROM STALAG 344 EVACUATED STOP HYGIENE GOOD STOP INFIRMARY 30 BEDS ALL OCCUPIED STOP TB CASES KEPT TOO LONG SHOULD BE EVACUATED GERMAN DOCTOR RAISES DIFFICULTIES FOR EVACUATION OTHER SICK TO BILIN DRUGS BANDAGING MATERIAL REQUIRED STOP

        DETACHMENT BRUX 1900 BRITISH BOMBARDED IN JANUARY FOOD INSUFFICIENT NO SUPPLEMENTS PRISONERS VERY CROWDED IN QUARTERS IMPROVEMENTS PROMISED TWO HUTS ALREADY RECONSTRUCTED STOP

        DETACHMENT TSCHAUSEN 200 BRITISH SLEEPING ON FLOOR WITHOUT BLANKETS 2 BLANKETS EACH PROMISED BUNKS ORDERED BUT TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES DELAY DELIVERY STOP

        DETACHMENT STADTKASERNEBRUX OUT OF 251 PRISONERS 87 BRITISH 22 DUTCH MEDICAL ATTENTION HYGIENE INSUFFICIENT STOP CHAPLAINS VISIT DETACHMENT WITH DIFFICULTY RECREATION ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE SOME BOOKS STILL CIRCULATED STOP 1100 DUTCH IN CAMP NUMBER 1718 TOTALLY DESTITUTE SINCE RECENT BOMBARDMENT 1200 BLANKETS BURNT RELIEF URGENTLY REQUIRED STOP COMMANDANT ADVISES EVACUATION THREE DETACHMENTS WEHRKREIS VIII NUMBERS E 793 E 3 AND 4 91 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS R 6460 STRENGTH ABOUT 2000 BRITISH OF WHICH A GOOD NUMBER ON THE WAY CONDITIONS VERY BAD

        RESERVELAZARET BILIN VISITED 24TH FEBRUARY SEE REPORT 27TH OCTOBER SAME REPRESENTATIVE 26 BRITISH 1 CANADIAN 2 AUSTRALIANS 3 SOUTH AFRICANS 5 AMERICANS 14 DUTCH OUT OF SOME HUNDREDS PRISONERS NOT YET OVERCROWDED BUT RATIONS DIMINISHED SUPPLEMENTED BY RED CROSS PARCELS UP TO THE PRESENT HALF PARCEL PER WEEK STOP DOCTOR OBTAINS SUPPLEMENT FOR SOME SICK STOP DIETS POSSIBLE STOP BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE REQUESTS CONSIGNMENT 30 UNIFORMS AND UNDERWEAR TO FORM STOCKS FOR PRISONERS EVACUATED FROM WEHRKREIS VIII WHO ARRIVE DESTITUTE STOP PARCEL RESERVE NEARLY EXHAUSTED STOP 45 PARCELS ANNOUNCED FOR DUTCH STOP DOCTORS STILL HAVE SUFFICIENT DRUGS BUT NECESSARY DOUBLE CONSIGNMENTS CAMPHOR GLUCOSESOLUTIONAMPULLAS CALCIUM SANDOZ TRANSPULMIN SULPHAMIDE FOR INJECTIONS AND TABLETS CARDIACS DIGALINE ROCHE CORAMINE CIPA CHLOREETHYL ALCOHOL IODINE GRAPESUGAR FOR SOLUTIONS IN ANTICIPATION OF ARRIVAL EVACUEES STOP IF DISTRIBUTION FOOD PARCELS CAN BE MAINTAINED SITUATION SATISFACTORY 75 SERIOUS SURGICAL CASES IN SATISFACTORY PROGRESS ONE HOPELESS CASE VERY WELL CARED FOR DAILY AVERAGE 5 CASES PLEURISY PNEUMONIA MOSTLY FROM STALAG VIII C GOOD RESULTS STOP OTHER CASES USUAL AILMENTS TOP GOOD IMPRESSION FULLSTOP

        STALAG XVIIIA VISITED 25TH FEBRUARY SEE REPORT 28TH OCTOBER BRITISH REPRESENTATIVES UNCHANGED OUT OF 26470 PRISONERS 9700 BRITISH OF WHICH 1000 IN CAMP 2000 AUSTRALIANS 1500 NEWZEALANDERS TOP 163 DUTCH OF WHICH 4 IN CAMP STOP SIX PLANES BOMBARDED MAIN CAMP 18TH DECEMBER HALF PAST TWELVE 72 BOMBS KILLED NUMEROUS PRISONERS OF WHICH 10 BRITISH ABOUT TEN HUTS DESTROYED STOP ON DAY OF VISIT PLANE DROPPED FIVE BOMBS NEAR CAMP PRISONERS ANXIOUS STOP IN SPITE OF DESTRUCTION CAMP NOT...