Transcript from copy held at US National Archives.
Source Document: US National Archives Washington (NARA) ; RG 84 Records of Foreign Service Posts ; Diplomatic Posts – Great Britain – Volume 0763
CAMP VISITS – Working Camps in Schlesig-Holstein
April 7, 1916
The “Arbeitslager” at Osterade is built on a slope and contains two rows of wooden barracks with a broad open space between them, surrounded by a double barrier of barbed wire. It is in the open country in very healthy surroundings. On April 6th there were 753 prisoners of war in the camp, of when 290 were British. As far as possible the prisoners of different nationalities are housed together, but this rule cannot be adhered to invariably owing to the fact that men are frequently coming to this camp and leaving for other places of employment. At present the two senior British N.C.Os share one large room with other prisoners of corresponding rank, the remaining N.C.Os being in another, and most of the other British being in two good sized barracks which appeared to be well-ventilated and not over-crowded.
In these barracks the beds are arranged in two double tiers in the centre of the building leaving more than Ml the floor space free for tables, etc. Those buildings were well heated during the winter and an arrangement had been made, in connection with the stoves, by which wet clothing could be dried. With the approach of Spring the allowance of coal has been reduced and clothing must now be dried in the open air. The lighting is poor, but the men are allowed to use candles which, however, they must purchase for themselves.
The men are permitted to smoke both in and out of doors. Between the two rows of buildings there is a place for football. The latrines are at the lower end of the enclosure
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and seemed sanitary. The baths can be used at all times. The health of the camp is good and there were only three British in the sick bay, two of whom had slight ailments and one, who is soon to be sent back to the parent-camp at Güstrow, has some heart trouble. Two British prisoners are on duty as attendants in the sick bay.
Religious services have been held in English once since last October, when most of the British came to the camp. Most of the British had come from Süder-Zollhaus, which camp they said they regretted to leave, as great improvement had been made in it after Dr. Ohnesorg’s visit. (Report sent London on May 11, 1915). The work done by these men is the cultivation of the neighbouring moors, and none of them made any complaint to me in regard to it. The hours are not long. The men are paid 30 pfennig per day. N.C.Os are not compelled to work, but most of them had agreed to do so, as they had been given the choice of working or undergoing a certain number of hours daily drill. Many of the N.C.Os said that they had no objection to the work itself, but did object on principle to being practically forced to perform it.
The authorities claim, however, that these men if left to themselves would not take sufficient exercise to keep them in condition and also that the amount of drill is not so much as is required of German soldiers. Several of the N.C.Os who are the leaders In this objection and are accused of stirring up discontent among their comrades, will probably soon be sent to the Güstrow camp. At the time of my Visit there were no British prisoners in the punishment sells, but one man had been released a short time before after twenty- one days confinement. This man claimed that he did not know
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for what offence he had been punished. The authorities said, however, that he had been told, and that he had misbehaved at the place in which he had been working, had made unfounded complaints to civilians and had stirred up discontent among the other prisoners. The British are represented in the kitchen and the post and other administrative departments, and generally they seemed in excellent physical condition, well clothed and in good spirits.
The British complained, as usual, of the character of the food provided and said that they lived principally upon what was sent them from home. The other prisoners, however, looked as if they were in good condition and as if they received enough to eat. Some of the men said that while they formerly received parcels from both/their regiments and ladies, they now received very few and they thought that it had been learned in England that they had had parcels from two sources and that each had stopped because of the other. They thought that the result would be more satisfactory if the various relief organizations would work more in harmony so that some men should not receive a large number of parcels and others almost none.
In the working camp at Wasbek there were on April 6th 316 British prisoners, all of whom were taken before December, 1914, and had previously been in the camp at Parchim. This camp was formerly for Russians only and in consequence Russian prisoners form the complement of most of the administrative offices, in none of which is the British element represented except the post. Under the circumstances the British feel that there is discrimination against them and there is considerable discontent. On speaking of this to the authorities
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I was told that there was no intentional discrimination, but that that organisation had been made effective before any British prisoners were brought to the camp last December, and that difficulties would arise and more work be involved if changes should ha made, This camp is much larger than that at Osterade and there are several rows of barracks as well as a place for football and other games inside the enclosure. There is a theatre in which the British have given “Concert Parties” about once a month. There is also a camp orchestra. The British prisoners live by themselves in barracks where their beds cover most of the floor. As the men had just come in from work (6 p.m.) when I visited their quarters the rooms were rather dirty and as the mattresses were spread out the place looked less attractive than that at Osterade.
The general health of the camp is good and there were only three British in the sick-bay, two of whom had trifling ailments and one was suffering from a swollen leg, the result of an illness which he had had in India several years ago.
This man said that he had not been able to work and wanted to be sent back to Parchim. Some of the men claimed that they were not always permitted to see the doctor, who lives in the camp. With regard to this the authorities said that many feigned sickness in order to avoid being sent out to work.
The work here Is also on the moors and the pay Is the same as at Osterade. There was one British prisoner in the cells, whom I did not see as the senior British N.C.O said that he was a bad character, that the other men were not in sympathy with him and that he deserved his punishment. The usual statements were made in regard to the food. Some complaint was made of the latrines but they appear to be up to the usual standard of those in camps situated in the open country
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and no dirtier and no more objectionable than one would naturally expect at the close of the day. Some complaint was also made in regard to the bathing facilities, hut the authorities said that this was the fault of the men themselves, as the baths were available all day on Sundays – when there is no work, and at other times, and that the men objected to pump up sufficient water for their own use.
My visits to both camps were unannounced and I had very opportunity to talk freely and privately with the British prisoners. Generally, the men were in good spirits, but – particularly at Wasbek – there were many unimportant complaints of the nature which one would naturally expect from men who are soldiers by profession and who have been prisoners for many months. Before leaving the camps I talked these complaints over with and made the men’s wishes known to the Commandants, and subsequently I spoke of them to the Battalion Commander at Neumüster and at the “Inspektion der Gtefangenenlager”, at Hamburg.
The camp at Süder-Zollhaus (Janneby) was evacuated some time ago, and the British prisoners in it at the time were sent to that at Tingleff. from which most of them have since been distributed to other places in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein. Throughout the province there are a large number of men, working singly or in small groups in several thousand places, at farms, etc., often without military guards. In most cases the men are sent back from these places to the principal camps or if they are found to be unsatisfactory or if they become dissatisfied or insubordinate. It would be impracticable to
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attempt to visit any considerable number of these groups airing to the difficulty in reaching them end the time which would he required, and in relatively few of them are British prisoners to he found at any one time, both number of men and places varying from day to day. Many French and Russian but few British seem to like this arrangement and many of the British are of the opinion that their Government does not wish to have them do agricultural work. The men who are brought back to the principal camps – frequently for the reasons stated above, do not speak well of the food given them and the accommodation furnished, but, as indicated, it is difficult to see those who remain and ere contented, and generally – so far as I have been able to ascertain from the few whom I have seen and from their employers, these men appear to be as well off as the local hired German labourers. Never the less, whenever complaint has been made in regard to any particular place, the attention of the authorities has been invited to it.
John B. Jackson.