12 v ------~.------______~ ~_V~O~L.2, NO
(Continued from page 11) ~ "I have received 12 cartons of cigarettes 'Zentsuji dated January 26, 1944, and re and one other parcel so far, and am look PARCELS FOR GERMAN\' ceived at Minneapolis. Minn., on August·4. in!? for the other food parcels soon." a Prohibited Items pnvate at Stalag II B wrote his family in A letter received in Memphis, Tenn., in Wooster, Ohio, on May 28. August from Zentsuji, said, in part: "Still . C:erman. postal regulations well and in good spirits, so don't worry. hI bIt the Inclusion of the foll ~ Hope you are all well at home. By I the A letter received in the latter part of items. in individual parcels add~WI T way, D~d , I've learned to appreciate your August by ~he .brother of a prisoner at to prIsoners of war: es Luft III saId, m part: "Life still drags ~~?OI:~~~OW ,' Here's to bigger and bet- + on here. Our mail and parcels are about the only interruption to the monotony. We in;:o~n:Je~~.~:;: :~;;td~~~~~i~~ ~o RISO N E R S 0 F WAR B U I; LET I N "I ~m in fair health. I am still working have camp entertainment in the form of shows and . music, enacted by all of us. I over znto cIVllzan cloth in ( ae here m Osaka along with some of my ship work clothinO' sweaten a gd spec lished by the American National Red Cross for the Relatives of American Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees mates. Please do not worry. I do hope to even sang m one show; sang in a quartet. . b' , n ath[ hear. from you," wrote a prisoner at Osaka The YMCA and the Red Cross have sent suzts are . permitted): weafJons e'L______in athletic equipmerrt and musical instru to hIS mother in Geraldine, Montana. The w eapon-lz~~ e tools, zncluding la~ 3 N 1 WASHINGTON D. C. JANUARY 1945 card was received in August. ments. We also received one Red Cross food parcel per man per week. Aside from the pochet-/m~v es and s~1 ears; munitio L., o. , and blastzng malenals; tools whi i-" "I find my stay here very interesting and good work.. thank my friends for writing, and explam to them why I can't answer. the ~ime passes quickly. I hope all of you could be used. for escape pur/JOS Every little article and letter has infinite or sabotage; apparat1f:s, cha • are 111 the best of health and prosperity. value, since they are all we have to look pr~ntzng Say hello to everyone for me and be sure forward to," coal, and traczng fJaper; compass Moving Supplies to Prison Camps to include my new nephews and nieces maps,. knapsacks,. cameras and lensel I should have some," wrote a marine cor A' By Henry Wasmer poral from Umeda Bunsho to his family An Australian prisoner of war in Ger electnc lamps, lIghters of any m Wyatt, Indiana. Received in August. many wrote on March 31 last to an official an,d can,dles; alcoholic drinks, e::; of the British Red Cross in London: "The wznes; znfiammable liquids, match . ~~r:~a:to;~fe{;g!n~~tt~:I~1 Ph~tIt~a maintaining the fundamental prin The Committee, therefore, has At; ensign he~d at Zentsuji wrote in April Amer!can Red Cros~ has got magnificently ciples of the Red Cross by being the two main centers of activity: the orgamzed, and provIdes each new prisoner and fire hazards; telef!hones, raai s,i ~:dl71~t~b;;::.aa~ ~;~~eeJ l~/tJ~il~~ to hIS mother m Washington, D. C.: "Just or pG;r~s thereof; chemIcals, acids, a s in November, on the maiden voyage guardian of the Geneva Convention Central Agency, on the one hand, yesterday I received a telegram from you, as he goes through the transit camp with a complet~ new set of clothes, and, in fact, medlczr:es; books, maps, newspa l~~~~~thh oS;I/J.a~a~fot~~ ~~:;;~as;tPl;~ and of the emblem of the Red Cross. which collects and passes on all in Mother, and also have received at least almost everything." one letter dated every month from you. and pnnted matter; cigarette hold s. On December 11 he addressed a rel- In wartime, however, the Committee formation concerning the where They are most enjoyable. Sorry to see that and papers,' f)lain paper, noteboo s'e;~~t'E'~r~;;e 'ia~~~i7i?t~r:e ~(Jn~ii. 'Wt~ begins at once to function actively abouts of prisoners of war, civilian you have to print. Perhaps you could get A sergeant at Stalag XVII B wrote to his and postcards; potatoes. was most ttmely and useful.-Ed. by organizing the Central Agency for internees, and their families; and, your letters typed at the office. Still well and fa~ilr. at Lewiston, Maine, on June 12 . I.f any parcels contain prohibite{De s pit e increasing ~ifficti~ties prisoners of war and civilian in on the other, the relief activity which ~~o~~?d spirits, and still hoping to see you last. We hav~ volley~all and bridge to keep us occupIed beSIdes school subjects artIcles, the regulations state th ed by the greatly IntensIfied ternees, and by immediately offering consists in distributing Red Cross and baseball. Except for the fence and wi.!l be .confisca.ted, and only the p ?ing of Germ.any and the heavy its good offices and services to all relief in various forms to prisoners . European the .guards, one might think it was an ex mItted Items wIll be delivered to tmg now takIng place on that national Red Cross societies and of war and civilian internees. The clUSIve r.esort. Boys are all sunning them A 'pfls.one.r at MarIag Milag Nord wrote prisoner. ntry's borders, I can assure the other welfare organizations, for the Committee's services are available for s~lves WIth few exceptions. There are all .~o, hiS· WIfe m New Britain, Conn., in June: kmdll of boys here, musicians, cooks, and -----______...... : ~ tives and friends of American transport, distribution, and control prisoners of war and civilian inter I ve been getting quite a lot of letters lately. they are old but that doesn't make many others who flew for Uncle Sam. Here, "I have been recalled to tl St I ,.Iooners of war that the food pack of relief goods to war victims, and nees of all the belligerent nations, any difference. I've had about five hun they al~ rever.t to their old professions to sume that my 'Med.' proor ha: ~.;.fvJs and other relief items sent by particularly to prisoners of war. regardless of nationality, race, color, make lIfe a lIttle more pleasant and time wrote a prisoner at n BAmerican Red Cross are actually dred or more from you . I'm here sitting pass a little faster. There are a swell bunch from.Washi~gt~n , " listening to some new records: they sure of boys here, and all seem to have the co ~,o hIS famIly. m New Jersey. He added:Jching the men in the camps. Only make me homesick. W<; 're still baving bad After spendmg seven months on Kom. I I ' 0 b I operative spirit. We chat and reminisce of mando, it sure is good to have a rest. Tim re~ e nt y ~s ~SL cto er, saw weather here, but nothmg bothers me since good times in the past and ones to come the 6thl I hope it won't be much longer." soon we hope." passes much slower when you're not work. plIes mOVIng Into German camps, ing, but time won't stop, 'thank God·... since then I have received re------______J t ts b y cable from Red Cross head- rters in Switzerland that relief ds are still moving regularly into rmany. Certain difficulties, how r, are only to be expected in a ntry under continuous bombing m the air, and when primary tar- are railroad junctions, bridges, shaling yards, and rolling stock. , ·p;)d)UeIlm.8 sr lprqA\ IOJ ;llIE)so L.f% W~O.o{ uo I;lpU;JS ,(mou 'Ui\\ou)J S! SS;l e International Committee of the M.dU pue PdAOlli;)I seq ddSSdIppe JI-.I;1)SlllUlSOd Red Cross Before I go into further detail, I $'eXGiL en u'nsnv uld like to explain why it is really .l.re.lttt-y S13X9Jj JO A\~ s.zaA1UQ GqtL cessary to make Geneva, Switzer uot n s1-i\I:)~ v sTt?! .zes .d, the clearing house and distrib pa;nUu.Ilm~ a~clsod U.Inla}l ng center for prisoners of war re- f. Although the name Interna L ~ nal Committee of the Red Cross ':J 'U 'H UOl~U!qscM .lIy implies an international in tUlion , the Committee as such is 1'8 -ON l!lU.I"d sSO.I:J pa}l ICuoPCN UE:>!.Iamy aq~ iss. Its 20 to 25 members must he -::> -u 'UOl~U!qsu.M. f:.q P3lfs?zq na ~ . SWiss nationality, but the Com activities are exclusively in UIVd ~lttee's Mr. Henry Wasmer, of the International Committee of the Red Cross, speaking in 3~V .LSOd 'S 'Il fot61 1I3JIW3:J3U ~tna ti onal. In peacetime, it per Washington, D. C., before 500 relatives of American prisoners of war. The meeting was -R '1'jJ -'1 -d 699 O;)"S ~lIns the rather formal function of arranged by the District of Columbia Chapter of the American Red Cross. unanng .IU & }O S.Iauosp _2 ______~~~------~-V~0~L~.~3~.~ S ONERS OFVVAR BULLETIN or religion. May I just say a few trustees. As th(r American Red Cross words about Swiss neutrality? Neu is now the 'largest supplier of relief RELIEF DIRECTOR VISI'fS Stalag III B Revisited trality is a fundamental pillar of our for American as,' well as for other EUROPE national life and existence. In this United Nations prisoners, it is the Mr. Maurice Pate, dir ecto (The May 1944 issue of PRISONERS you hadn't forgotten us." Here and hours of doing nothing. And now war as in the last, we have again A.merican Red Cross which pays the Relief to Prisoners of Wa r o WAR BULLETIN contained an ac there on our way through the gray the handicraft workshop, as well as and again declared our neutrality, bIggest share-approximately 50 to th e American Red Cross r at LIn t of a visit to American prison barracks I am hailed with similar the theater, where the camp orches and we are convinced that we have 60 percent, with British Common turned to the United Stat;s r~. r5 of war at Stalag III B by Mr. words by several students who come tra of 16 instruments gives excellent carried it out. Switzerland is one of wealth Red Cross societies closely up and shake hands. In this hearty performances, are humming with the oldest democracies, and it is following, and with other Red Cross mid . De,:e~ber from a tw~~ ngv e Fr~kholmo£ the European Stu month VISIt to Europe. His jo rot RelIef Fund. Mr. Frykholm, atmosphere there are no difficulties life. The camp library is a model at freedom and democracy for which societies also contributing. ney, which took him to Engla~~' /10 is a Swedish national, revisited in getting the education committee neatness and efficiency. The book we stand. Whatever an individual together for a quick survey of the lending system guarantees the most Swiss may think personally about Relief Items to Prisoners France, Switzerland Spain dt alag III B one ye~r later. A report Portugal, was conc~rn ed ':~h nh is second visit is given below. study program. We sit down on profitable use of the study material belligerent nations is his own con Having briefly explained the In benches and Red Cross boxes and received through Geneva from the cern; but the government and the the move~ent of prisoner lot Th e characteristic shape of .a ternational Committee's setup, I will form a circle representing all man ESRF, the YMCA, and other or~ani nation as such are neutral, and they ~ar supplies to camps and hos. 'atc htower suddenly looms up zn ~ow go in.to some tecn ical and prac pItals in Germany. Everything ont of us, giving the familiar aspect ner of subjects, grades, and univer zations. It is a strange feeling to be try to help all suffering humanity re tlcal detaIls. The relief items which p~ssibl.e is b~ing done to main. la prison ~a1'}'lp as it will be remem sities. With a German officer dis able to pick a book at random from gardless of political backgrounds. are sent to prisoners of war consist creetly in the bachground, we work the shelves and to see the ESRF label The care which each country, tam thIS serVIce on an adequate Ired by mtllzons of men for the rest of food packages, cigarettes and to level. I th eir lives. This camp, which is through the study program, point inside the cover; to realize that this through the International Commit bacco, clothing (including under by point, and discuss the means of or that study book has been bought tee of the Red Cross, can give to its A report on Mr. Pate's jour. :1 1' fi rst goal, does not, however, give wear, shoes, uniforms, blankets, etc.), ney will appear in the next is. e that strange awe-struck feeling of facilitating the work for the class in or given by a student in an A meri prisoners of war naturally depends medical supplies and sanitary articles, structOTS and the individual stu can university and shipped across to a great extent on the country's sue of PRISONERS OF WAR BUI_. truding among strangers-I have personal comfort articles (such as LETIN. 'I, en here before. Last summer I saw dents. An ever-increasing flow of the A tlantic to Geneva to be thence resources, and, in the first instance. soap, toothbrushes, shaving soap and textbooks is required and it is cer dispatched to the prison camp where on that country's adherence to the 1-----______--1 lis very camp while it was still in equipment, etc.), sports articles and e process of getting organized and tainly going to be a hard job satis it now shows every sign of having Geneva Convention concerning the games, and, last but not least, books fying all the requests expressed at been thoroughly studied by many humane treatment of prisoners of could store some 75,000 tons at oneltling down. My new arrival at and educational materials, All these time. !a lag III B is therefore particularly this gathering. A lthough I have to student prisoners. All the individual war. During the present war, we goods are consigned to the Interna explain carefully the great distances students as well as the class instruc ha:re to care for some 2Y2 million These various relief goods are dis-: ,rilling, as I am hoping to meet tional Committee of the Red Cross patched to the camps strictly in ac.rueral friends from last summer and and the manifold obstacles which tors express their deep appreciation pnsoners of war scattered all over by the national Red Cross societies must be overcome before an Ameri of the books received. These turned the world, and comprising over a cordance with the instructions we see how they have carried out or other welfare organizations in the receive from the national Red Cross e educational program which was can textbook is safely in the hands up as the fiTSt tangible evidence of doze~ nationalities. This naturally belligerent countries. societies for whom we act as trustees. tlined on my first visit. of a ' student prisoner, the meeting interest and sympathy coming from reqUIres a huge organization, with is closed in an atmosphere of new the outside world, enablin.g individ To get these goods across oceans For instance, we ha.ve a standing And I am not disappointed. After delegates and representatives in courage and fresh energy. ual students to resume_ their work, and through blockaded seas, it was order .from the Amenc~n Red .Cross~ing through the usual formalities, countries throughout the world. necessary to create a special Red and to set a new goal for their camjJ t~ deliver to e:,e.ry A~encan p ~lsoner e enter the main camp street. The Results Achieved Only the citizens of a neutral na r:ross fleet. We now have 12 ships activities. o war and CIVIlIan mternee III Eu· st American jJrisoner to greet us tion can move freely from one bel (the fleet is being constantly en It is indeed stimulating to see what rope one sta?dard food package per the same one who saw me off last Student Solidarity ligerent cou ntry to another, and larged) that carry the International results have already been achieved thus fulfill the high humanitarian week .. We ShIp to the camp~ whatever me with the words: "Please don't since my previous visit. Then, therr It is a peculiar privilege to be able Red Cross emblem and are manned supplIes we are told to ShIp, as long /" purpose of the International Com by neutral crews. A convoying agent as it is not contrary to German camp lTget us and~lease come ?ack. " He was a general atmosphere of depres to see with one's own eyes how, in mittee. of the International Committee sails regulations. elcomes me ltke an old frzend, Oh, sion and apathy; ihere was just a the interval be.tween two visits, the on each ship. These ships carry the · . 1110 , there you are again. We !mew gray crowd trying to kill endless whole aspect of the same prison Financing Relief Operations goods across the north and south At S a f eguard mg SupplIes camp can be changed with the help A question often asked is how such lantic, and a special fleet of smaller From the moment relid goods of a little assistance coming from the an organization as the International vessels plies between the European delivered to a Red Cross shi outside world. It is not less inspiring Committee of the Red Cross is ports of Lisbon, Barcelona, Mar Philadelphia until their arrival to have such a striking concrete fJroof financed, and where all the money seille, and, more recently, Toulon. German camp, the Internatioil of the fact that student solidarity as required for its big task comes from. These ships in the aggregate have Cross assumes responsibility for expressed by the ESRF and its col It is th'e Swiss government and the made hundreds of voyages, and, to safety- subject, of course, to the laborators throughout the world can Swiss pt;ople who pay about one-half the middle of 1944, had moved nearly gencies of war. At every camp alter the whole outlook and mental of the Committee's administrative 300,000 tons of relief goods, sufficient is a spokesman who acts as attitude of lonesome and despairing expenditures. The remainder is cov to fill 30,000 European freight cars, sentative of all the prisoners student jJrisoners. ered by voluntary subsidies and con These goods represented a value in nationality in that particular These things are not ex17ressed in tributions from the various national excess of $500,000,000. According to the Geneva Co so many words by . the students I Red Cross societies or the govern From the continental ports, the tion, this spokesman writes or meet. But I occasionally {eel it in ments of the belligerent nations. gE>0ds are carried by railroad or by telegraphs to us in Geneva on the grip of a hand or see it shining The expenditures of the Relief trhck to Switzerland, where they are Cross matters. We thus have d' trom many keen and ardent faces, Division, with which I am particu st<;>red. in warehouses pending dis contact with the spokesmen in and it is this which mahes the edu larly concerned, are borne by the tnbutlOn to the camps. Prisoner of various camps, and I would lik cational service of the ESRF so vay natlOnal Red Cross societies and war supplies are moved free of say here that we have not en worth-while. I only wish I could pass am<:>unt to about $1,000,000 a' year. charge by the European state·owned praise for these men who look on a little of that inslJiring peTSonal ThIs covers administration costs, railroads. the welfare of their comrades. contact from Stalag III B, even if ex wages for staff and labor, freight and 0 . T~ store such tremendous quanti send out to the spokesman jJressed with such simple words transportation charges, warehousing, and inventory forms every roo tIes, Jt was necessary to create special as those I heard when I left: "Please and so forth. These costs are charged bonded warehouses in various parts On one side of the form he lists pro rata among the national Red of Switzerland. When I left, we had necessary amount of relief goodS the hurry back. We'd like to see you Cross societies, for whom we act as Th e A merican librarian (right) and his assistant at Stalag TIl B, Fiirstenburg/Oder. real often!" 14 such warehousing centers which (Continued on page 11 )
I ¥~ONERS OF WAR BULLETIN 5 4 VOL. :1, NO. I r which, information has preceded, MAIL FROM THE FAR ~ lssistance to Air Forces Next of I(in some Urnes by weeks, the receipt of Japanese Camp Report official information as released by In the middle of December ab In accordance wit~ Article 77 of prisoner of war matters. It is felt the Detaining Power through neu Hakodate 1,5~0 pieces of mail arrived in ~t Ger:cva ConventIOn, the Am~ri- that such a service will help to ease tral channels. !wo American army doctors, Cap Umted States from the Far Ee l Pnsoner of War InformatIOn the minds of the men held prisoners Fa~ilies are also urged to notify tams John Reed Bumgarner and Al This mail was brought on a S a.st. reau of the Provost Marshal Gen- of war as well as their dependents Last September a Delegate of the bert N . Brown, were interviewed by the Pnsoner of War Information Bu International Committee of the Red the Delegate in the presence of the steamer across the Pacific from ~~kt 1'5 Office is the cer:tral agency I~ is the sort of undertaking' in reau of the Provost Marshal Gen Cross visited the main Hakodate hodka, where the Japanese h . Ignated. by t~e Amencan govern- whIch the next of kin can be of as- camp.command~r. They said that the eral's Office (or the Personal Affairs camp, and Kamiso, one of the two picked l!P surplies for Americ:~ ot to. dlssemma.te all in.formation sistance to t~e War Department. Re- protem and fats III the American Red Officer of the Prisoner of War Sec Hakodate subcamps. Hereported by a!1~ . All.led pnsoners of war and Icernml? . ~me~lcan pnsoners of cently, a WIfe wrote for a parcel tion who may have been in contact I( ~ross food packages received were CIVIlIan mternees. r and CIvlhan mternees. The Pro- label by which she could send food cable that of the 334 prisoners in the Important factors in their diet be with them) whenever they receive a r main Hakodate camp 48 were Ameri Most of the mail was dated in t Marsh~l ~~neral is ~har~e~ with and clot~ing to her husband. The c~u.se the camp rations, although pro communi~ation from a prisoner of cans. Among the prisoners at Kamiso vldlr:g er:ough carbohydrates, .' were September, though one letter bore e~ esp onsibIllty of. mamta~nm& ~ll letter whIch she had received from war beanng a camp or hospital ad there were 5 Americans, and at the a date of October 16. The mail came Ids .and answ~rmg all .mqUln~s ·her husband, and which she for- defiCIent m fats and proteins ~ They dress other than the one given to other sub camp, Muroran, which he from Hong Kong, Osaka, Hakodate i1 cernmg Ar,nenca!1 natIOnals m warded, was the first information them by the Provost Marshal Gen said they considered two Red Cross Tokyo, and Zentsuji. There w ' my hands, mcludmg members of the War Department had received did not visit, 6 Americans were held. food packages per month per man eral's Office. This will assist in keep cards September 25 Army, Navy, Marine. Corps, concerninl? him, although he had In the main camp prisoners were necessary, although a year ago one ~ritten fr~~ ing the records accurate and cur ZentsuJI from several men who had as.t G\lard, Merchant Manne, 'and been a pnsoner of the Germans for housed in thirteen one-story wooden package a month would have been rent. buildings ~ith wood floors. Ten of b~en transferred from the Phili . '1 lJ an. mternees. ~ve months. Furthermore, he wrote sufficient. Drugs and medicines had CHRISTMAS GREETINGS the buildings were new. He stated been received from the Japanese pmes on .Septembe~ 2. Many priso~. To .I.mplement , and supplement m such detail that it ~as possible to ers receIpt of mail from s eX Istmg there has re- remove the names of nme other men FROM LUFT III that electric lighting was provided, Army, and a large shipment of Red me~tloned ser~lce, the Umted States. , jIItly been e~tabhshed, at h~adquar- from t.he rolls of missing in action, that fire-fighting equipment was Cross medicine had also arrived and General Vanaman, senior Ameri Although the. recent dates s, Army All' Forces: a Pnsoner. of: lIst t,hem as safe and well. available, and that there were suffi was in use. drugjtems needed f~irly an~ can officer at Stalag Luft III, sent ~everal on much. of mcoming mail is ar Th,e pnmary IS not dlffic.ult to imagine the re- cient dugouts for air raid protection. were mentIOned. They; also stated .t~IS ~e ctIOn: fu~c~IOn I~ the ~ollowing message through the en,couraglr:g, It IS regrettable that the th IS sectIOn IS complete lIaISO? lIef the famIlies of those nine men. Each man had five or more thin that the prisoners needed new rec t~ Berlm Delegate of the International shIpment mcluded none from some th the. Provost Ma~sha.l General s I!1 thIS case, the Prisoner of War Sec- blankets, one sheet, a pillow, and a ords, playing cards, gloves, boots, Red Cross: mosqu.ito net. Japanese-style hot soap, and some more blankets. of the. camps, a?~ n?thing from any . ~e . Smce the begmnmg of hos- tlon at headqua;ters, Army Air , Please pass on to our headquarters baths were available every other day, camp m the PhIlIppme Islands. ll ~e s, the Provost .Ma~shal Gen- Forces, routed thIS communication .15 O~ce has m,amtamed close through the Prisoner of War Infor- zn Amerzca our Yuletide greetings and cold showers at any time. and say to our families and loved The Delegate stated that food was son WIth The Adjutant General's mation Bureau, Provost Marshal NEW MAP ce of the Army, the Department General's Office, which took immedi- ones that our faith in them, their identical to that served the camp prayers, and the ultimate peace is The. Februa~y issue of the BULLE.. State, the Protecting Power ate steps to change the status of guards. The daily ration consisted unshaken. of bread, baked weekly in the camp, !IN wIll cont~m a new map show. II'I.SS government) through diplo- these men from missing in action to rice and other cereals, vegetables, po mg ~he l~catlon of all camps and IIC channels, the American Red prisoners of war. The status of many The message, which was sent in tatoes, a small amount of meat and CHRISTMAS IN THE hospItals m G~rmany :"hich were '\oss, the International Committee men has been changed f?om MIA to the name of all American· aviators fish, sugar, green tea, and fruit in known to con~a~r: A~encan prison. th ~ Red Cross, the Office of Cen- POW by the sole J,Ileans of a direct at !--uft III, arrived a few days before FAR EAST / Christmas. . \ season .. Eggs and milk were limited ers of war or CIVIlIan mternees at the ~hI P, and the War Department's communication from the prisoner to the SICk, and no butter, margarine, Several broadcasts arourid the mid end of 1944. Publication of the new ~re au of Public Relations for the ' or cheese was provided. On the day dle of December from American pris map, wh.ich was arranged for the "rpose of render~ng all aid' possible of the Delegate's visit, breakfast con oners of war held by Japan spoke of January Issue, has been held up' for mterned Amencan nationals. sisted of bean soup, potatoes, cab the recent distribution of Red Cross a ~onth ir: order to get the latest I~ addition, the Prisoner of War bage, and pumpkins. For lunch, the ~oxes,. and 0.£ the expectation that avaIlable mformation from Ger· etlon of the Army Air Forces is p~isoners r~ceived bread, jam, pump we wIll receIve more at Christmas." many. . epared to answer all routine ques- kms and pIckles, and for dinner, po One broadcast said, "Red Cross par ~ll ~ed Cross chapters will reo ns from next of kin or interested tatoes and pork soup. cels :ecently arrived in camp and celve, m due course, through area tsons regarding prisoner of war One Japanese medical officer, pris we WIll get them at Christmas." offices, enlargements of the map suit· tters. As in the past, however, all oner doctors assisted by prisoner or The 1;>roadcasts presumably came able for wall display. es tions concerning the internment derlies, and one dental officer looked from pnsoners of war held in Japan tus of interned American nation after the men's health. There were proper, and referred to the supplies HUBER RESIGNS AS PRESIDENT ' should be directed to the Office the Provost Marshal General, War 20 patients in the infirmary, nine of picked up by the Japanese steamer OF INTERNATIONAL COM whom were suffering from amoebic T«akusan Maru at the Soviet port of partment, Washington 25, D. C., dyst:;ntery. In addition, some men not N akhodka early in November. MITTEE .alI information reaching the in the infirmary were recovering from A cable fro~ the International On the attainment of his 70th nIted States from neutral and beriberi, the Delegate reported. The Red Cross Delegate in Japan indi birthday at the end of 1944, Judge emy sources is channelled to this men's average weight had increased cated that approximately 15 percent Max Huber resigned as President of eney. All possible assistance will be from 132 pounds in 1943 to 138 of\ the relief supplies brought to the International Committee of the ndered to the next of kin of Air pounds at the time of the visit. Japan from Nakhodka in November Red Cross. Judge Huber was ap- tees personnel in matters of em Eleven deaths were reported between w;mld be distr'ibutedin'. the Philip pointed in 1928, and was the fourth ,oyment, failure to receive allot August 1943 and September 1944. pIlle Islands, This would amount to President of the International Colll' mt checks, a:nd other kindred situ At Kamiso, the Delegate found a mittee since its formation in 1863. Be Ions , In short, the aim of the Prio a.bout 45,~00 II-lb. food parcels, be garden being cultivated and a few will continue to serve the Committee ~e r of "'\!\Tar Section is to h"",aden SIdes medIcal supplies and clothing. pigs and rabbits being raised. The in an advisory capacity. ;e scope of prisoner of "'Af infor~a - her garden produced tomatoes, peppers, The plan provided for similar ship: Mr. C. J. Burckhardt, who has ~n to next of kin and or m beans, eggplant, radishes, and spin ments to Shanghai and North China been a member of the Committee .rested persons, and not Ito cause ach. About two-thirds of the prison ~nd, if possible, some 300 tons fo; since 1933, and has acted as DepUty Idupl ication of effort 00 tJ;:e part.of Prison·ers of war at Stalag lIt' Sent by Pfc. Dale M . Timmerman, first row on extreme ers were working in a nearby cement distribution in Malaya, Thailand. President since 1942, was appointed lIty existing ap'~Lcy deaJmg WIth le,t. No other ttames furtzished. plant. . and the N etherIands Indies. to succeed Judge Huber, I ______------______V_O_L-.::.~: NO. JrRISONERS OF WAR BULLETll\
and divided into cubicles. There are put on a stage show. It was full of good contributions. 'Ve know that your undying ------men per cubicle and each of us has a jokes and acts and we all got a good laugh efforts and fuIl support, both spiritually locker. There is a table in the room out of it. Do nof worry. and materially, have made our life more Far Eastern eight stools. Each cubicle even has its pleasant here. windows. H itting here was like striking Stalag XVII B I beg to remain, for all Americans in this Zentsuji . After an uncomfortable ride, we June 28, 1944 camp, June 6,1944 were greeted with cups of real Dear Folks: Thankfull y yours, (Received at Washington, of American cigarettes, a good I had this one letter form left so I (S igned) S/Sgt. Joseph C. Gasperich 'D. C., Dec. 6) two new sets of everything from thought I'd write again. Things much the American Man of Confidence Dear Mother: on up. You have no idea how same-except we're going to have a big Message No. 12. Have received three of ,e al_'}, ":U
Christmas Gifts For German "KRIEGIE LIFE" AT ST r PHILIPPINES'SURVIVORS Prisoners REQUEST FOR LETTERS LUFT I Most of the 83 American survivors AND PICTURES A special group of women volun A copy of Kriegie Lite, the from the torpedoing of a Japanese teers at the Philadelphia Red Cross Luft I camp monthly, issued at freighter off Mindanao on September Packaging Center showed the true The prisoners' letters and is the latest American prisoner camp pictures published in the 7 reached the United States in No Christmas spirit when they packed publication to reach this vember. The freighter was transport gifts from the German Red _ Cross BULLETIN are obtained mainly from Germany. An editori",l from the men's families. Since ing 750 American prisoners of war, which were shipped from Goteborg, states that, "Any resemb veterans of Bataan, from Camp No. Sweden, on the Travancore and the letters and pictures frorn the to a magazine is purely camps have wide public in 2 at Davao to the north-presum Saivo in October for German prison The follow ing Air F ably to Manila. The fate of the re ers of war in the United States. The terest, and especially for rela produced by pen and ,tives who have not yet begun to maining 667 prisoners, a -War De representatives of the International 24 pages which made up the partment announcement stated, was Red Cross Committee on ' this side receive mail direct, readers are 1944 issue of Kriegie Lite: urged to continue sending copies unknown. asked for volunteers to pack the Editors: The 83 survivors comprised 79 Travancore gifts, since Swiss volun of the letters and pictures they 2nd Lt. receive to PRISONERS OF WAR army and 4 navy personnel. Two of teers frequently repack bulk gifts for 2nd Lt. BULLETIN, Arne ric a n Red the survivors chose to stay in the Allied prisoners of war in Germany. Staff: Cross, Washington D. C. If Philippines. Since their return to the The German Red Cross, too, has at 13, 2nd Lt. originals are sent, they will be United States, many of the men have times repacked bulk shipments for 2nd Lt. J. P. Crowley been decorated for their indomitable returned as soon as copies have 2nd Lt. E. Shorb Allied prisoners. been made for the BULLETIN. courage and resourcefulness in suc The Christmas boxes for German Art: cessfully evacuating the group, Even though it is not always prisoners made up fr<:>m the .bulk 2nd Lt. J. V. Matthews which included seriously wounded possible to publish all the let supplies shipped to ~hIladelph:a on 2nd Lt. E. P. Winslow prisoners, to American control. ters "'and pictu res that are sent oner of war food packages stored in one of the International Red the Travancore con tamed such Items Sports: Representatives of the American in, they are carefully read for mittee's 14 warehouses in Switzel'land. as pencils, hair and nail br~shes, 1st Lt. H. C. DeLury Red Cross have interviewed several harmonicas, metal cups, soap dIshes, any helpful information or sug Typist: gestions they may contain. of the survivors. They confirmed the razor blades, spools of cotton and 2nd Lt. J. P. McLeod MOVING SUPPLIES TO the time I left Geneva were trans receipt of the relief supplies which cards of darning wool, bread boards, Kibitzer: PRISON CAMPS ported on diplomatic exchange ships. the Red Cross had already been in foot powder, tobacco pouches, small 2nd Lt. R. N. Dahly (Conti nued from page 2) Their number, unfortunately, was formed were distributed in the leather money bags with a drawstring Christmas Parcels For Swiss Moral Supporter: will require for the following few. Still, some food packages, cloth Internees Philippines in 1943. The men also attached, and notebooks. These sup Major W. P. Todd and, on the other side, an ing, medical and other supplies have said that, early in March 1944, dis plies shipped by the German Red Red Cross CHristmas' parcels, the Kriegie Life is very similar in tory of the goods still on hand. been sent through this channel, and tribution began of the supplies Cross on the Travancore were suffi contents of which were listed in the and makeup to Barbs and Gripes, we are able to keep track of all just lately a full cargo of relief goods shipped some months earlier on the cient to make up gift parcels for December BULLETIN, were delivered Stalag II B newssheet which was which, of course, we must left a Russian eastern port and Gripsholm. From the last Gripsholm about 250,000 prisoners. to all American military internees in viewed in the October 1944 issue by monthly report to reached the Japanese mainland. Be shipment each man in Camp No.2 The Saivo shipment of about 4,000 Switzerland. These military internees PRISONERS OF WAR BULLETIN. that is, to the national sides that, large sums of money have at Davao received four 13-lb.food been transferred to the International cases included cigars, German Red are mainly fliers whose planes ======[ Cross societies. A further control packages, but the last was not de Cross calendars, raisin bread, canned through accidents have been obliged supplies is performed by In- Red Cross delegates in the Far East livered until August 1944. They fruit, tomato soup, and toilet ar to land on Swiss soil. unrationed goods, the au tional Red Cross delegates who to purchase relief goods locally for ticles. These cases went direct from In view of the fact that military in do not consider it necessary camps at intervals, and who distribution among prisoners of war said the choice and packing of the Philadelphia to the camps for Ger ternees receive, from the Swiss au plementary Red Cross supplies checkup with the spokesmen and civilian internees. It is earnestly food parcels were good. Medical sup man prisoners, no repacking being thorities, the same rations as Swiss distributed to military i erman authorities. We have 45 to be l-loped that our constant ef plies, shoes, and comfort articles were necessary. citizens, and moreover enjoy the same However, an exception was made tions and over 100 delegates forts to aid prisoners held by Japan also distributed. No personal parcels right as Swiss citizens to purchase the Christmas parcel. in the five continents will meet with greater success than were received by the men in this NEXT-OF-KIN PARCELS world. Up to the present. we has been the case up to the present. camp, but the Red Cross supplies able to telephone from A recent visit to the Office of Cen Latest Developments in Germany which reached the camp, one officer to our delegation in Berlin stated, meant the difference beween sorship revealed that such items as Since I left Geneva on October 18, matters concerning camp life and death. coffee, tea, seasonings, rice, and tooth many things have happened. Up to powder sent in cardboard containers the time I left, relief distributions in next-of-kin parcels, are frequen t to camps in Germany could still be ly damaged in transit to New York. is unfortunate that no Interna maintained at a certain level, and is going from bad to worse, and vVhen the containers break, the con Committee delegates have yet the German authorities permitted we may soon begin to lack means tents are spoiled and, in turn, spoil able to return from the Far large reserves of food packages to be of transport. Steps have recently been other items in the parcel. to report in person on camp held at most of the camps. But it is , taken , to organize transport by road It is advisable to wrap separately 'tions there. All we know on evident from the latest cable reports from 'continental ports to Switzer in brown paper items of the above bject has come by cable or . that transportation difficulties are land, using trucks supplied by the character in a next-of-kin parcel. reports which have had to increasing, and that we must expect American and Canadian Red Cross .Many next of kin, before wrapping a Japanese censorship. occasional setbacks in distribution, package of coffee or tooth powder in societies, to supplement continental have all tried our utmost, and which will become more serious with rail transport. All these matters are brown paper, first wrap it in the wax the growing reluctance of German ' 11 trying, to establish means receiving continuous and careful paper that usually goes with a loaf lar transport so that a steady authorities, for security reasons, to study, with the closest cooperation of bread. Besides affording some of goods could get through permit food reserves inside camps. packing protection, this wax paper Far Eastern camps. The only Constant hammering on the ground of the American and British Com helps to seal in the odor and flavor which had actually reached the and from the air has become so monwealth Red Cross societies, as of the item sent in the container. camps in the Far East up to devastating that the railroad system well as of their governments...... 12 VOL. 3, --NO. 1 I Expediting Mail TWENTY.MILLIONTH PACKAGE The War Department announced A portion of the prisoner of war on December 18 that transmission of mail addressed toAmerican prisoners On December 7, the anniver_ sary of. Pearl Harbor, the + letter mail to and from American in Japan will, effective at once, be twenty-millionth prisoner of prisoners of war in Germany and carried on Soviet ships leaving west ISONERS war package came off the OF WAR Japan will be expedited as a result of coast ports, as a result of instructions as. issued to Soviet ship captains by the sembly line at one of the Red cd by the American National Red Cross for the Relatives of American Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees the cooperative assistance . ren~ered Cross Packaging Centers in the American government m thiS re Soviet government advising them to gard by the governments <;>f Swe~en, accept prisoner of war mail from ~;ill~~~~~i~~ ~;:Ok1:,kN~i~, I ~j-, N-0-.-2------W- .-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-0-N-, -D-.-C-.------.."...,.--c-;;-=--F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y-1-94-5 American postal authorities for dis Switzerland, and the SOVIet UnIOn. Packaging Center operation ~ ~------~------ In the case of American prisoners patch to American prisoners of war held by Japan. This mail will be began early in 1943. A ll four as. of war in Germany, arrangements sembly lines are operated by have been completed with the Swedish transported across the Pacific to women volunteers. A Report to Relatives of Prisoners and Swiss governments whereby pris Soviet ports, and thereafter trans oner of war mail destined for Ameri ferred to the Japanese for delivery By Maurice Pate can soldiers in German prison camps to prisoner of war camps. This serv will be dispatched by air on alternate ADDRESSING NEWLY CAP. rapidly changing military picture of ice supplements that already in effect TlJRED PRlSONERS mmer and fa!! brought numerous new All kinds of arrangements, with the vessels are running constant risks. routes via Sweden and Switzerland. whereby prisoner of war mail to pments in the prisoner of war relief support of our government, have to Twenty voyages by Swedish ships This two-way shuttle service over 'ons. To coordinate the work at vari- Japan is transported by air to Iran, The November 1944 iss,ue of the l~~e ~~r ~f~~ggZ;;b~:"l::;fnglelg ~~~~ be worked out involving London, have so far been safely made between these two alternate routes will con Geneva, Berlin, Stockholm, and even and transshipped from that country BULLETIN reported that mall for new- ,e!led l~OOO miles by 'l!lane (Ind car. Goteborg and Lubeck, though any siderably reduce the transit time for ly reported prisoners of war in Ger. i~do t~~o~1h~~s !~ig ';'o:.'t~r'gi ~~~~ Moscow, because sailings of neutral day we know a ship may strike a these mails, which will be dispatched to Japan. ships now entering the Baltic Sea mine. German minesweepers cleared No postage is necessary on the many could ~e addressed in car~ 0 n~ ~?:lfz~',-f;,~.e ~ho;n~ ;~t~~:,fr!~~:~ from the United States to Europe di the International Red Cross DU'ec ~e stopped tn Barcelona and Lisbon, on their relief missions must be noti a path for our Swedish relief ships to rect by air on a daily schedule. foregoing mail. tory Service at Geneva, Switzerlan I~PP~~t~.~E~ft~~ .bee n two or our mter- fied to all Powers concerned with Germany, and, at Lubeck, German pending receipt of the prisoner's .. . that area in order that these ships freight cars steadily move the food permanent camp address. IS I~ an mformal report on my may proceed without interference. packages to the camps. • t tnp to Europe to each of the Record Shipment Leaves Philadelphia e The Northern Route . At the tu:n of the announ~emen, 0 families of American prison The French Ports It :was decIded that the prIsoner ! war, and an expression of cer Few Americans perhaps realize This was the Saivo's second trip The MIS Saivo, the latest Swedish senal number should not be mad aims which the American Red that the main life line for food to It is difficult to visualize the de vessel to enter the service of the In across the Atlantic. On her maiden rart of the address. In t?e mean in the field of war prisoner re their prisoner kin in' Germany is gree of destruction I found both in ternational Red Cross, left Phila voyage in October she brought time, however, the InternatIOnal R 'ork is endeavoring to fulfill. now through Sweden. Back of this Marseille and Toulon, the, main delphia on December 2 with a record Christmas gifts from the German Cross has. advised that the i~cl~ sion e August 1944 wave of op is a sequence of events. , French ports on the Mediterranean. cargo of food, clothing, athletic Red Cross for German prisoners of o.f the. senal number would aid Id~n. m was not shared by the Ameri A year ago the American Red What Allied aviators had not done in equipment, and other supplies from war in Canada and the United States. tIficatlOn and not cause confusIO Red Cross. At that time we in Cross, backed by the United States destroying the ports while the Ger the American and Canadian Red The outgoing cargo from Phila with the POW number when the f to Prisoners of War decided government and military authorities, mans were still there, the Germans delphia was discharged at Goteborg, Cross societies for prisoners in Ger latter is report~~ to Genev~ by the prepared for at least another sent large reserves of supplies via did at the time of their withdrawal. Sweden, whence arrangements ~ere German authontIes. The senal nu m- of operations in Europe. If the Then the Americans and French per many. The supplies s hip P e d Marseille to Switzerland. That is made to transship it to Lubeck, the ber may therefore be includ \,!d aft~r came earlier, we could only be formed a miracle in quickly getting amounted to nearly 6,000 tons, and why, though Switzerland was cut north German port. International the prisoner's name and rank, but It! ful. 'With a substantial capital off from France for five months last these ports into usable condition. included over 650,000 American Red Red Cross Delegates take charge of should be clearly indicated as th y from R ed Cross funds, a summer and fall, we were able to As there was at the time (in No Cross standard food packages, and the relief supplies at Lubeck and serial number, and its use discon packaging center was opened serve the camps in Germany out of vember) a great military movement a large consignment of clothing for handle their distribution to the tinued as soon as the POW number ooklyn early in September 1944. reserves accumulated in Switzerland through Marseille, it was decided to French prisoners. camps in Germany. becomes available. plant has already turned out during the previous winter and make use of Toulon, about 40 miles over one million standard food spring. away, as the main port of entry for ------j ges for prisoners of war. But two roads of relief are always Red Cross prisoner of war supplies nded Americans repatriated on better than one. Therefore, with the on the southern route. Allied military d 'p;);)lUlmm~ Sf q:>fqM lOJ ;).\IlllSO ripsholm last September were aid of both Swiss and Swedes, we authorities have given us unstinted '!'''!ill WlIOil UO l;)PU;)S AJPOU 'UMOU1j Sf sg.iJ>p8 ully interviewed by R ed Cross sta.rted planning as far back as June cooperation in handling shipments M;)U PUl1 P;)AOW;)l Sl1q ;);)SS;)lPPl1 H - ~;)lS1!UQSOd entatives in order to find ou t 1944 the new path via Goteborg, through Toulon, and the heavy-duty means of better serving Ameri Sweden, and north German ports trucks which were shipped by the risoners in Europe during 1945. to the camps in Germany. This has American and Canadian Red Cross SU6JJ at U'nSnv borne results .. So far we have shipped societies last summer have proved eration Between, Governments 40,000 tons of war prisoner relief invaluable in getting the goods from .l~cn't "_9~ JO AUS.le4lCl£l ettiL e Allied invasion of France supplies to Goteborg. Up to Feb shipside to the nearest railhead. t10l~tslt\bOV Sl'e!.IeS ht great changes in our war ruary 1945, nearly 3,000,000 stand With the help of army engineers, it ner relief oper~tion. At any time ard food packages shipped on from was a matter of only a few hours to elivery of a single parcel to a Goteborg have reached American lift the trucks ashore and get them P;);)lue.l1m~ ;)~l!lSOel u.ml;)l1 prisoner in Europe is not as and Allied camps in Germany. rolling. French workers unload sup. l.~ Ie as it may seem to the parents The Baltic Se.a between Goteborg plies from Red Cross ships at Toulon. her relatives on this side. The t8 'ON l!UI.I;}d and Lubeck, Germany, is sown with For several months, therefore, pris .:) 'cr · U01~ U!qS1J.M. ':J 'a '~I U01~U!qSl!M. ery requires the active and al anchored mines. So, when goods are oner of war shipments (British as SSO.I:J P;)'U Il!UOPl!N Ul!:JP;)WV ;)qj. helpful cooperation of many sent over this route, both we and the alVei well as American) have been moving tInents of our own government. Swedish shipowners who provide the simultaneously from Toulon and 3:~V.LS O el -S '.fl I:,q palfsnqnJ 'n '11 ''1 'd (,;9S ':>as ~tv61 A.ICnU'E[ unanng .IlJ A\ JO S.Ianos!Jd