Prisoners of war bulletin Vol. 1 #3 August 1943

personal, and with an unreveal-
ing background.
There must be no writing on
the print.

Any description of the photo-
graph can be given in an ac-
companying letter.

gxi/iadbu ftwm. <&dfcihA.

4

v

*2>L

REPATRIATED FROM ITALY

(Continued from page 8)

to question some of them. "They
were stuffed with propaganda," said
Peter.

They observed considerable bomb
damage in Genoa and Spezia. Pass-
ing through France, Peter found the
French enthusiastic. They were given
the Victory sign again and again.
"We'll be seeing you," called the
Frenchmen when the guards were
not looking.

"It all seems like a bad dream,
those days of imprisonment," said
Peter, as he lounged in the American
Red Cross Mostyn Club in London,
where he is staying. "And I some-
times dream about it still. I can hear
the German soldiers yelling 'Kom-
men sie aus!' when they captured us,
ordering us to come out of there."

A recent letter from an Italian
camp began: "This letter is being
written by the light of a sugar tin
filled with olive oil."

From Campo P.G. 65, Italy: "I am
very pleased to be in a building and
not in a tent, as I have previously
been. We are able to have hot show-
ers every day. We also have a canteen
where we are able to buy such things
as grapes, apples and onions, and,
during the fruit season, such other
additions as peaches, watermelons,
plums, tomatoes, and pears. We are
paid one Italian lira per day, every
seventh day, which enables us to pur-
chase at the canteen."

From Ofiag VII B: "From talking
with the most recently captured pris-
oners ... I don't think people at
home realize how welcome they (Red
Cross parcels) are, often thinking
them a luxury rather than a necessity,
which in practice they are. I can't
tell you some of the funny episodes
of life here as the censors might not
think them so funny. I spend most

of my time reading; we have pie
of books and no less than (fig
deleted by the censor) waiting
pass the censorship. There are ab
2,000 officers in the Camp, incluc
3 American colonels from Tuni
we got some up-to-date news."

From a British prisoner in O
IX A/Z, Germany: "The only i
of interest at the moment (M
30, 1943) is that we have over
American boys in the camp i
They are a fine lot and if they a;
sample of what you are sending
there is no fear of what the re;
of this war will be."

From Dulagluft, Germany:
were shot down over France. I am
right, though I was a bit shaken
and got a little bump on the hea
am being treated very well by
Germans. Do not worry, as conditi
are not half as bad as you mi
think. I am allowed to receive par;
here and you can find out from
local Red Cross how to send th overing from wounds
What I would like to hav>
cigarettes."

The first shipment of two new
es of American Red Cross par-
s has been discharged at Marseille,
mce, and is now on the way
ough Geneva to prisoner of war
nps. One of these special parcels
medicine kit for general camp
j and the other an invalid food
kage for prisoners who are sick or

On their promise to make payment
after the war, 20 British naval officers
now in a German prison camp have
obtained wrist watches, totalling $800
in value, from a Swiss manufacturer.

Change of Address

The names and addresses of the nearest relatives of American prisoners of
war and civilian internees, to whom this Bulletin is sent, were furnished to the
Red Cross by the Prisoners of War Information Bureau of the Provost Marshal
General's Office. To enable us to keep the mailing list up to date, we must rely on
our readers to advise us of any change of address. Please inform your Red Cross
chapter whenever you change your address and always give the name of the
prisoner as well as your own.

Prisoners of War Bulletin

Published by

The American National Red Cross
Washington 13, D. C.

Sec. 562 P. L. & R.

U. S. POSTAGE

PAID

Washington, D. C

Permit No. 84

Librarian

University of Texas Library

Austin Texas

+

THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS

NOV 1 1943

THE LIBRARY

RISONERS OF WAR BULLETIN

jshed by the American National Red Cross for the Relatives of American Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees

1, NO. 3

WASHINGTON, D. C.

AUGUST 1943

Special Red Cross Parcels

Invalid Food Package

The invalid package, which will
w go regularly to the camps and
np hospitals in the same way as
tandard 11-lb. food package,
itains the following:

tscorbic acid —twelve 25 mgm. tblts.

ump sugar 4 oz. pkg.

igarettes, pk. 20's 6 packs

oncentrated soup, four 2 1 /_ oz. pkgs.
nstant coffee 2 oz. tin

iver paste __; 6 oz. tin

Vhite or malted milk

biscuit 7 oz . tin

'ork loaf three 3% oz. tins

>range concentrate 4 oz. tin

nstant chocolate 14 oz. tin

runes 16 oz , pkg .

J my spread butter

three 3 3 /4 oz. tins

messed cheese _____ 8 oz. pkg.
v hole powdered milk 16 oz. tin
J>uiIlon powder __eight Vi oz. pkgs.

am and eggs two 33/4 oz. tins

f two 2 oz. bars

m erican prisoners of war who are
1 m good health will receive one
" alld Package each week instead of

standard food package. The over-
Wei ght is approximately the same,
: th e invalid package has added

nutrition values which make it par-
ticularly suitable for building up
health. The invalid package is being
made up by women volunteers in
Red Cross Packing Center No. 3 at
39 Chambers Street, New York.

Medicine Kit

The medicine kit, which has been
designed to cover the first aid needs
of 100 prisoners of war or civilian in-
ternees for one month, contains:

Cotton, absorbent, USP, 14

lb. pkg 1 pkg.

Phemerol topical (mild
germicide), 1 oz. 2 pkgs.

Dressing, gauze, 3"x3", ster-
ile, in envelope 50 envelopes

Adhesive, USP, 3"x5 yds. __ 1 roll

Readi-bandages, l"x3", 100
in box 1 box

Pins, safety, assorted sizes _ 3 cards or
3 doz.

Aspirin, tablets, 5 grains,

500 in carton 1 carton

Soda, bicarbonate, USP, 5
grain tablets 1 pkg.

Cathartic, compound, pills,

NF VI, 500 in carton 2 cartons

Contents of the invalid food parcel packed by Red Cross volunteers in the New York
Packing Center. This parcel is for prisoners recovering from illness or wounds.

VOL. 1, N

son!-: Acid
V. ".' Burn Ointment
Antiseptic *nd Germicide- • ■ : ;- , ^k/> ."-" ~

prisoners of war for

This medicine kit is designed to cover the first aid needs of
one month.

Ointment, yellow oxide

mercury, l /g oz. tube, 2% 2 tubes

Ointment, ammoniated mer-
cury, 10% 1 oz. tube or
box 2 tubes

Ointment, blue, 1 oz. tube
or box 4 tubes

Ointment, sulphur, 1 oz.
tube or box 4 tubes

Ointment, tannic acid (for

burns), 1 oz. tube 1 tube

Ointment, fungicide, 1 oz.

tube or box 1 tube

Ointment, boric acid, 1 oz.

tube or box 4 tubes

Boric acid, powder, or gran.,

8 oz. in carton 1 carton

Tweezers, 4" to 6", blunt 1 pair

A stock of these medicine kits is
being kept in Switzerland, and they
are sent by the International Red
Cross Committee to the camps at
the request of the camp leaders or
the I. R. C. C. Delegates who visit
the camps. When the kits reach the
camps they are issued by the camp
leader to the barracks leaders. The
latter are responsible, under proper
medical supervision, for the use of
the contents by the prisoners.

Capture Parcel

Another special package, which is
now being made up here for ship-
ment overseas, will provide newly
captured American prisoners with
immediate personal essentials. Since
most camps have little in the way
of lockers or dresser drawers, this
rapture parrel is to be packed in a

light, strong case that will be con-
venient for carrying and for keeping
each man's toilet articles and other
odds and ends neatly out of sight.
It will simplify the business of out-
fitting the men who arrive in the
camp with only the clothes they wore
in battle, because it contains all in
this one package:

1 pair of pajamas

1 pair of bedroom slippers

1 safety razor

3 packages of razor blades

1 sweater

2 pairs of socks

1 light undershirt

1 pair of light drawers
6 cakes of toilet soap

2 bars of laundry soap
1 tin of tooth powder

1 tooth brush in container

1 clothes brush

1 hair brush

1 shoe brush

1 pocket comb and cover

1 plastic jar of brushless shaving cream

2 bath towels
2 face towels

1 tin of shoe polish

4 handkerchiefs

1 "housewife" (containing needles,
thread, buttons, safety pins, pins and
darning cotton)

2 pairs of shoe laces
1 box of cascara

1 box of vitamin tablets

1 box of band-aids

1 pipe

1 package of pipe cleaners

3 packages of smoking tobacco
1^ carton of cigarettes

1 carton of chewing gum

Labor Regulations fo

Prisoners of War in

Germany

The Geneva Convention of

provides that labor furnished I 111 P , ■ „ t .. -,,

r . t , „ , par the ancient town of Ascoh Pi

prisoners of war shall have no c e

relation with war operations

that "it is especially prohibite

ise prisoners of war for manufa

ing and transporting arms or n

tions of any kind, or for transpo

materials intended for combat ui

The German authorities have

scribed that "the. regulations con

ing conditions of work for prisi

of war must be based on the prin

of preserving the productive cap

of prisoners of war, for the ben^

the German economic system

an indefinitely long period.'
cordance therewith, a prisoner o
who is a private must:

a

(a) "perform any work that i<

performed by a Ge
worker, and for which
physically fit (except
such work as is prohibit
the Convention) ," and

(b) "have applied to him all

ditions of work as are
cable to a German wor

pendent on the granting of a c

the right of a prisoner of war
weekly rest period of 24 consec
hours (as prescribed in Article
the Convention) is interpreted i
sense that as a general rule prisi
of war are only to be granted
same consecutive hours of rest \
permitted to German workers
same locality.

The average work week for
in Germany was recently report
be between 56 and 60 hours, so ij
be assumed that prisoners of w

56 hours a week. This picture
dark enough, but it may be w
remember that for most men
six days' work a week is betteij

of preserving the productive caj
of her prisoners of war, it is ii
own interest to keep them heali

R ISONERS OF WA R BULLETIN

Prisoner of War Camps in Italy-— No. 59

By Franklin Abbott

One of the largest prisoner of war
is No. 59, situated

n o, which before the war had a
opulation of some 25,000. Ascoli Pi-
no lies in the valley of the river
ro nto in mountainous country
50Ut 90 miles northeast of Rome in
ie direction of the Adriatic coast,
fountain peaks rising over 3,000 feet
ible to the north, west, and
kith of Camp No. 59. For many
ars before the war the Ascoli Pi-
no region was a popular one for
iurists from other countries.
The latest information available,
sed on a visit in March of this
ear, shows that there were nearly
000 prisoners of war in Camp No.
)— mostly British, but including 445
mericans, of whom =77 were non-
>ms and 368 privates. All the Ameri-
prisoners had been captured in
ie North African campaign and had
lly recently arrived at Camp No. 59.
he camp leader, at the time of the
sit, was Sgt. Major Hegarty (Brit-

h). Besides Camp No. 59, there is
so a military hospital for American
More specifically^ German rejid British prisoners of war at As-
li Piceno.

tions provide that the hours of

of a prisoner of war must be af

as long as those of a German w(

in the same locality; that, in

where Germans are required to

on Sundays, prisoners of war

also be required to perform Suj ly e this year arrived in fairly lar;

work-which work must not be' umber - the abundant stocks of

Relief Supplies

Because of the urgent need for
othing at Italian camps to which
risoners of war from North Africa

othing at Camp No. 59 were drawn

sponding rest period of 24 hours n to help supply other camps. This
some other day of the week; and :ft Camp No. 59 without reserve

pplies, but these have since been
uilt up with the shipment of 500
oats, 500 pair's of trousers, 400 pairs
£ shoes, 400 pairs of socks, and other
applies from stocks held by the In-
rnational Red Cross Committee in
witzerland.

Shipments of Red Cross standard
>od packages and next-of-kin par-
"Is are also reaching Camp No. 59

gularly. American Red Cross food
pckages were among those reaching
te camp, but it is probable that at

labor detachments are working a I m American prisoners of war

arn p No. 59 received food packages
°ni English or Canadian stocks al-
- a dy in the camp. As has already
ee n explained in this Bulletin, there

complete idleness for months ° n< J* reciprocal arrangement between
And while Germany keeps to th^

rtish and American Red Cross
)Cl eties by which American prison-
s share in British supplies when-

ever they reach a camp that has not
yet been stocked by the American
Red Cross with food packages and
clothing.
Religious Services and Recreation

Religious services are conducted
regularly at Camp 59, and at the ad-
jacent military hospital, by an Eng-
lish chaplain.

Food and tobacco rations, it was
reported, were being distributed ac-
cording to regulations, while 127
prisoners engaged on various kinds
of work in the camp were receiving
extra rations. Tailors, barbers, and
cobblers working in the camp re-
ceive wages for their labor.

The water supply was adequate
for the men to have showers.

Decided improvement, the report
concludes, has been made at Camp
No. 59 during the past year. The
grounds, however, are still muddy
after rain, but work is now in prog-
ress to improve this condition. A
British prisoner writing from this
camp last fall said; "The country
looks lovely, and it is a jolly good
tonic to see such a sight, especially
the thousands of bunches of grapes
hanging on the vines. We can buy
grapes, pears, tomatoes, melons,
peaches, etc., in the camp canteen."

Bales and cases of clothing sent by the
American Red Cross for prisoners of war
are stored in bonded warehouses of the In-
ternational Red Cross Committee awaiting
rail transport from Switzerland to Axis
camps.

Playing Cards for
Prisoners of War

The War Organization of the
British Red Cross has transferred the
equivalent of $ 10,000 to the Inter-
national Red Cross Committee at
Geneva which the Committee's Dele-
gate in Italy will use for the purchase
of playing cards for distribution' in
British prisoner of war camps there.

Many thousand packs of cards have
been dispatched by the War Organi-
zation for the use of British prisoners
of war in Germany, but the Italian
authorities do not permit cards to be
sent in for prisoners of war. They
can still be purchased, however, in
Italy.

For prisoners of war in Germany
the Y.M.C.A. shipped from the
United States in the latter part of
1942 about 3,000 packs of playing
cards. A further 18,000 packs are on
order and have been duly licensed
for export. A substantial part of these
is now ready for shipment.

American Internees
in Shanghai

Financial Aid

The American Red Cross, through
the International Red Cross Commit-
tee in Geneva, has recently sent an
additional sum of 200,000 Swiss francs
(approximately $46,600) to the Com-
mittee's Delegate at Shanghai. This
sum is to be converted into local
Shanghai currency and used for the
purchase of relief supplies for about
2,500 American civilians interned in
Shanghai and some 700 American
prisoners of war encamped in the
vicinity of Shanghai.

The June issue of Prisoners of
War Bulletin gave details of sup-
plies and financial aid which had
previously been made available for
relief of prisoners and internees
through the International Commit-
tee's Delegate at Shanghai.

This issue of Prisoners of
War Bulletin contains a map
of the Far East showing the ap-
proximate location of all pris-
oner of war and civilian internee
camps known, or believed, to
contain Americans.

The September issue will in-
clude a similar map showing the
location of Axis prison camps in
Europe,

VOL. 1, I

Prisoners of War and the International
Red Cross Committee

By Marc Peter

Delegate in the United States of the
International Red Cross Committee

The Geneva Convention of 1929
Relative to the Treatment of Prison-
ers of War is an achievement of
which the Red Cross may well be
proud, for it is the result of the ex-
perience of, and preparation by, the
International Red Cross Committee
and the national Red Cross societies.
The most important initiative taken
by the I. R. C. C. in the course of its
80 years is indeed the one which led
to the adoption of these regulations
for the protection of prisoners of
war, as this had not been assured 'by
the Convention of 1864, except for
the wounded or sick.

In the Hague Conventions of 1899
and 1907 there were some vague pro-
visions such as the one which decreed
that "prisoners must be treated with
humanity," and receive the same
food and the same clothing as the
troops of the detaining Power. Other
provisions dealt with the employ-
ment and the pay of prisoners. In-
formation bureaus were to be set up
by each belligerent where all infor-
mation about names, location of
prisoners, injuries, etc., should be
centralized; but no provision was
made for the transmission of this in-
formation during war from one bel-
ligerent country to the other. Special
agreements were also concluded be-
tween belligerents, but these were
not satisfactory. Therefore, after the
outbreak of the first World War in
1914, the I. R. C. C. organized in
Geneva a Central Agency for Prison-
ers of War in order to centralize all
information received from every na-
tional agency and to forward it to
the others. This agency was very use-
ful as it was the only link between
the prisoners of war and their fami-
lies. Furthermore, the I. R. C. C. sent
delegations and missions everywhere
from 1914 to 1918 to visit prisoners'
camps. The privilege of visiting the
camps was readily granted by the
belligerents to these missions and 41
delegates made 524 visits which were
most useful.

Protection and Welfare of Prisoners

Soon after the end of the war it
was considered necessary to use all
the experience gained during the

DR. MARC PETER

war for the future protection and the
welfare of prisoners of war, and to
establish regulations with regard to
prisoners. It was accordingly decided,
at the General Conference of all Red
Cross societies in 1921 at Geneva, to
recommend the calling of a diplo-
matic conference in order to adopt a
special convention relating to prison-
ers of war. The I. R. C. C. imme-
diately set to work asking thff opin-
ion of the various organizations and
governments, collecting facts, re-
ports, requests, proposals, sugges-
tions, and preparing the necessary
drafts. When this preliminary work
was done, the Swiss Federal Council
invited the governments to a confer-
ence which took place in Geneva in
1929, in order not only to revise the
Geneva Convention of 1864 for the
Amelioration of the Condition of
the Wounded and the Sick of Armies
in the Field (Red Cross Convention),
but especially to elaborate a code for
prisoners of war. In due course this
code was adopted and signed by 52
states and ratified by 43. On the out-
break of the present war the I. R.
C. C. asked the governments of the
belligerent states which had not rati-
fied the Convention if they were
ready to apply it, and the answers
were favorable.

Worked out chiefly on the basis of

^ISONERS OF WAR BULLETIN

The Points System in Prison Camps F <* r Eastern Mail

experience gathered during
1918 by the I. R. C. C, the Co
tion contains, in its 97 articl
the regulations for the protectio
the welfare of prisoners of
namely, for the notification o
ture, the conditions of intern
the food and clothing of the p
ers, their intellectual and
needs, the sanitary and medica
ices in the camps, the correspon
of the prisoners, and so forth. I
camp the prisoners can app<
representative who, as spot
has the authority to speak
commander of the camp or
Delegate of the protecting ■
He also assists the prisoners in
relations with the I. R. C. C.
gates. Furthermore, the prison
war are visited and helped by ;
resentative of the protecting P
that is, the Power which is ent:
with the protection of the in
of the prisoners' country.

As for the I. R. C. C, close!
was linked with the creation
Red Cross Convention of 18(
Geneva, it is neither expresshj
tacitly referred to in it. For
than 60 years before and durinf
first world war it exercised itl
activity without being recognizl
any diplomatic document as ha
any definite mission. As a merj
vate association of Swiss citizj
had not even any public stati
alone a recognized status und
ternational law

International Committee Exclu
Swiss

The Committee, which
founded in 1863 by citizens of

its members are to be recruited

American prisoners of war who
have recently entered what can fairly
be described as the well-organized
camps in Germany and Italy are, like
their folks in the homeland, now
learning something of the complexi-
ties and possibilities of trade under
the points system. This applies par-
ticularly to camps where there are
large numbers of British prisoners of
war who have been "in residence"
long enough to be receiving their
Red Cross and next-of-kin packages
regularly, and who thus have sup-
plies on hand or in sight to enable
them to "make a market."

A British prisoner, for example,
recently wrote from Stalag Luft III
(a German camp for Air Force offi-
cers and noncoms) :

'We have an exchange system
for surplus foods. It's called
'Foodacco' and works very well.
Cigarettes are 40 points per hun-
dred and chocolate 37 points per
quarter pound. So those who re-
quire chocolate trade in their cig-
arettes and everyone is happy."

Likewise, we learn from an in-
formed British source, that:

"Prisoners do a great deal of
'swapping.' Some camps even have
a regular market, run on a system
of points very much like our own-
so many points for a piece of soap
or a tin of food."

As a suggestion for next-of-kin
packages, a late report says that pen-
cils have a high points rating. These
are now on the Office of Economic
Warfare list of items permitted to be
sent to prisoners of war and civilian
internees.

Camp Values Fluctuate

'Do market prices interest you?"

eva, and whose statutes enact a Scottish prisoner asks. He goes

to say that "Oatmeal was very firm

operation from among Swiss n this week, i/ 3 of a packet obtaining
als, has from the foundation

as much as a steak and kidney pud-
Red Cross been known as "Th< ding. Pancake mixture and coffee, on
ternational Committee of the the other hand, were very low on an

overloaded market; while spreads
was exclusively Swiss. The term (jam, etc.) reflected the paucity of
ternational" therefore applies n* w hat one puts them on."
its membership but to its activj So, if any American relatives are
because, in contrast to nationH^orried over their men in prisoner
cieties, it operates in the in8 * war camps receiving certain items
tional sphere. ft n Red Cross packages that the men

As it has no interest whafcp ha d no particular liking for in private

— *

life, it may be reassuring to know
that they always have a trading value
among prisoners. Shady practices,
however, are not unknown even in
prison camps— one prisoner com-
plaining that "market confidence,
and particularly in broken lots, has
been seriously undermined by a shark
who dealt in tins of 'love apples' (to-
matoes) which were relabelled 'beef
roll.' "

Cake a la Stalag

Most of the large German camps,
incidentally, have their own news
sheets prepared by the prisoners, one
of which published the following
recipe for "Cake a la Stalag":

"Take some large biscuits, raisins,
cocoa and milk. Bash down the bis-
cuits to a powder, add raisins, mix
with water and bake. Mix cocoa to a
paste and spread on when cooked.
Decorate with mixed milk powder."

Oflag IX A/Z, Germany, now has
a stage furnished by the Y. M. C. A.,
for amateur theatricals. Bernard
Shaw's Man of Destiny, with a com-
plete prisoner of war cast, was the
first performance given on the new
stage.

On page 9 of the June issue of
Prisoners of War Bulletin it was
stated that no enclosures or photo-
graphs are permitted in letters going
to prisoners in Japanese hands.

Specific reference was intended to
printed matter. We have since
learned that photographs enclosed in
letters are actually reaching American
prisoners in Japanese camps. The
wife of one prisoner writes: "I feel
they do enjoy receiving pictures and,
unless it is strictly against rules and
regulations, families should continue
to send them."

Americans at
Baden -Baden

Since the occupation by the Ger-
man Army of "unoccupied" France
last November, a group of United
States and Latin American diplo-
matic and consular officials, Red
Cross personnel, newspaper corre-
spondents, and others have been
held at the German resort of Baden-
Baden. The group numbers 143, and
is quartered at the Brenner Park
Hotel.

Although they are neither prison-
ers of war nor civilian internees, they
are regularly receiving American Red
Cross relief supplies. In due course,
it is expected, they will be repatriated.

Swiss frontier station, once an important junction for international express and freight
trains, is now used entirely for the storing and moving of prisoner of war supplies.

VOL. 1, NO

PRISONERS OF WAR BULLETIN

MteJUL

FROM

PRISONERS OF WAR AND CIVILIAN INTERNEES

(Editor's Note: The following let-
ters have been furnished to the
American Red Cross by relatives of
prisoners of war. We shall always be
pleased to publish similar letters of
general interest. If you are willing to
let us publish the letters you receive,
please send copies to your Red Cross
chapter. In case it is inconvenient for
you or the chapter to copy them, ask
the chapter to send the originals to
m and we will have them copied and
returned to you. If you send copies
of, or extracts from, prisoners' letters,
please be sure to give the date of the
letter, the name of the camp, and the
prisoner's name.

It is'important to remember that
all mail coming from prisoners of
war and civilian internees is censored
by the detaining Power.)

Zentsuji War Prison Camp
Japan

December 24, 1942
I am well and in good spirits, as
usual, so please keep your mind at
rest My hair is back to normal and
I have developed a fine beard, which
Toe has aptly said makes me look like
a fugitive Santa Claus. I'm still de-
termined to take a psychology M. A.
at Columbia. I have designs on an
interesting future and I am confident
of success . , , Remember me to all
my relations and friends. My love to
you all.

(From a Roman Catholic chaplain

in a German prison camp, to

his former bishop)

The news of my capture at Tunis
on Feb. 17 has already reached you.
Thank God, I am all in one piece,
unlike so many of my less lucky com-
' rades, but they never fail who sacri-
fice in a great cause. The group in-
cluded very many of your friends . . .
they all suffered my fate and I hope
to be with them very soon. I have
not requested repatriation with the
medics, as I feel my obligation is with
my boys through these days of sorrow
especially. At the moment I am at
the officers' camp, but am certain the
Germans will permit my return to
Munich and the boys imprisoned

there.

This is my first opportunity to
bless the stars through bars and think
it luxury, and rounds out a liberal
education. Indeed, this 1943 has
brought me the experience of a hun-
dred lives. Prison life may be one of
the petty tyrannies, but is assuredly

one of good fellowship. There is a
hidden wealth in humans that only
suffering will reveal. This life is not
one of "jaded emptiness, and hours
pass recapturing the past and plan-
ning for the future. Here men are
most themselves, so poor creatures
of circumstance in defiant patience
await the dawn of the Great Day.

Camp P.G. 21, P.M. 3300
Italy

December 23, 1942
The days are flying by now, what
with cooking, washing, lectures,
classes, reading. You should taste our
Welsh rarebit, prune whip, and fig
and raisin puddings. Weather still
warm and I'm glad, as I've very few
clothes, especially socks. Would you
inquire from Red Cross as to what
you can send me? We can use any-
thing and everything. Nothing goes
to waste here. Gave a talk on Com-
munity Chest last week and there
were questions for several days, so I
g-uess it went over well.

January 23, 1943
I'm refreshing lots I covered in col-
lege especially political theory, his-
tory and philosophy. In addition we
put on stage and variety shows, orig-
inal in every respect.

Stammlager VIII B
Germany

(From a British prisoner of war to
liis sister in the U. S.)

February 7, 1943

Dear Dolly:

I have just received a post^
from you

card

dated September 29th

think the postman

walked most of

Prisoners of War Bulletin is sent
free of charge to those registered
as next of kin with the Office of
the Provost Marshal General, to
American Red Cross chapters, and
to workers engaged in prisoner o,
war relief.

If we have omitted the names of
any persons falling within these
categories, they may be added to
the mailing list by writing to your
Red Cress chapter.

Gilbert Redfern,

Editor.

the way with it. Nevertheless, I
very pleased to get it, though the i
parcels which you mention as na il
sent are still on the way! Actual},
we've had an extremely mild wij
this year, so that I did not miss j
sweater which you said was in ^
of the parcels. And, to judge h
recent events in other parts of]
world, I shall not require it next I
We do not hear a great deal abj
the war, but we have all firmly co
to the conclusion that it will end
year. Incidentally, I came to the 1
conclusion last year and the yea
fore that! Things, however,
much more hopeful just now.

I hear that Mrs. Stalling G
has recovered from her attack of
man measles.

There is nothing in particul;
require which you can send mej
cept razor blades. My present i
will last me until the end of
month; after that I can only gr<
beard! And if, perchance, I am
here next winter, my beard by
will be of such length that I
use it as a sweater,

*

Dulag Luft, Germany

February 26, \M
Dear Mom:

Well dear everything is all
and boy the Red Cross sure is
to us for they see we get stuff tc
and smokes. So give some
money to it. It is through thei
are able to receive packages from ,

Zentsuji War Prison Camp
Japan

23 October, If

Received three of your letters,

two from mother and one fromj

W It is impossible to say

letters mean to us here. It is s
grand pleasure that it hurts at|
Then you read, reread and r<
them until you are again happ
home. When I received your It
I realized what a fool I had beej
send that radio message for clef
-it seemed to worry you. My
radio message seems to have
astray some place. After San Fra:
radio inquired about me I was
an opportunity to send a secon*
second message was sent just
time we heard about the excJ
ships, after someone here had st;
the rumor that we could get
lbs. each by these ships. Hen
(Continued on page 12)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The Provost Marshal General's
Office wrote me that my husband
has been taken a prisoner by Ger-
many and is now held in Italy at
a transit camp. They gave me no
address to write to, nor did they
send me labels, though I under-
stand these are needed before I
can send him a package. Must I
ask for them before I receive
them? If so, will you take care of
this for me?

You will receive, without asking,
a mailing address for your hus-
band when it has been received
by the Provost Marshal General's
Office. The address you receive
will doubtless be a German camp,
since he was taken by the Ger-
mans. At that time, you will prob-
ably receive your first parcel label,
though there may be a little fur-
ther delay in sending that. Labels
are usually mailed bi-monthly on
the tenth of July, September, No-
vember, etc., though if word of
a prisoner's permanent address is
received up to the first of those
months, the Bureau will send the
label for the last preceding date.

/ sent a cable message six weeks
ago through the Red Cross chap-
ter here to my sister who is in-
terned at Santo Tomas in the
Philippines. I have just now re-
ceived the bill and wonder
whether this means that my cable
has just been delivered.

\- No, the receipt of a bill for cable
costs does not mean that the cable
has actually been delivered. The
delay is not significant, since the
chapter probably gets monthly
bills from the commercial com-
pany which does the sending, and
there would naturally be some
lapse of time before you received
yours. But it may take even longer
than this to effect delivery of your
cable.

My brother was listed in May as
hissing, according to a letter we
r eceived from the War Depart-
ment. But we have just got a
letter from him, dated June 1, in
Which he says he is at Campo 66
%n Italy. Why haven't we got the

official notice that he is a prisoner?
A. It occasionally happens that the
family receives a letter before a
permanent address is available to
the War Department. Such word
must come through Geneva, while
the man's letters may come by
more direct route. When such a
communication is received, the
original letter, or a photostatic
copy, should be sent by the family
to the Prisoners of War Informa-
tion Bureau, Office of the Provost
Marshal General, War Depart-
ment, Washington, D. C. If the
original letter is sent, it will be
photographed by the War Depart-
ment and returned.

(). A friend tells me that Iter son is
a prisoner in Germany, and that
lie lost a foot just before he was
captured. Will anything be done
to provide him with crutches or
an artificial foot?

A. The British Red Cross arranged
more than a year ago for a com-
mittee of Swiss orthopedists to
visit German camps to measure
prisoners of war for artificial
limbs. These were made in Switzer-
land and sent to the camps. Some-
what over 400 prisoners were pro-
vided for in this way, including
two Americans (the only Amer-
ican prisoners then known to be
in need of such aid) . A commit-
tee of Swiss specialists recently
went to German camps from
Switzerland to measure new pris-
oners for artificial limbs. This
committee is looking into the
needs of American prisoners; and,
in "the meantime, the American
Red Cross representative at
Geneva has been provided with
funds to take care promptly of
these needs. Crutches, when re-
quired, are provided by the de-
taining Power.

Q. One of my brothers is an oil
company employee, now interned
in Japan. We hoped he would
come back on the Gripsholm a,
year ago, but he did not. Can the
Red Cross arrange to have his
name put on the list for repatria-
tion on the next exchange?

A. The repatriation of United States
citizens interned abroad is entirely
in the hands of the government,
and is handled, through our pro-
tecting Power (Switzerland) , by
the Special Division of the State
Department. All the facts in your
possession should be put in the
hands of the State Department,
although it is probable in this
case that the oil company is doing
everything possible to have its
employees repatriated.

Q. What does Kriegsgefangenenpost
mean?

A. Kriegsgefangenenpost is a com-
pound word: Krieg meaning war,
gefangenen meaning prisoners,
and post meaning mail— the com-
bination, prisoners of war mail.

Q. Is Stalag IX, Germany, the name
of a town?

A. Stalag is not the name of a town.
It is an abbreviation for Stamm-
lager, meaning a permanent, or
base camp.

Q. / noticed in the first number of
your publication the name of the
American camp leader at one Ger-
man prison camp where my son
is held. Do you think, if I wrote
to him, he could tell me whether
my boy is really all right as his
own letters say? I am afraid he
may be trying not to worry me.

A. It is not likely that the camp leader
could tell you any more than your
own son tells you. He, like your
son, is limited in the number of
letters he can write, and will want
to use this privilege to write as
often as possible to his own family.
Also, a camp leader's letters are
subject to the same censorship as
your son's.

Q\ Can I send my son a fruit cake
to a prison camp in Italy?

A. Cakes are not included in the re-
vised list issued on June 10 by the
Office of Economic Warfare—
probably because they would have
to be cut to pieces in order to be
examined by the censor. An an-
nouncement about the revised
OEW list appeared in our Julv
issue.

PRISONERS OF WAR BULLETJ

Yt

LETTERS FROM PRISONERS OF WAR

(Continued from page 10)

word about the size 13 shoes. Anyway
that should have convinced you that
it was really your dumb husband
writing. As you probably know,
Tommy P_^__ is here rooming with
me. He is feeling fine and looking
well. Tell Jean that he has gained
about twenty pounds since he had
his picture taken and is his normal
self again. Here are two of my latest
pics for you and mother. We were all
elated to hear about Joe and Bill,
may they keep up the good work.
This is my community letter, so pass
it on. It is good to know that you
have found something useful to do
that you seem to enjoy. Of course it
seems impossible to us here that life
goes on as usual, but it boosts the
spirits a hundred per cent to hear
about it. My thoughts are always with
you. I am well and safe. Note: Letters
to prisoners should be typewritten to
facilitate delivery through censors.

(Later from the above prisoner)

For the past eleven years I have
longed to settle down. Now I have,
sad and oh—so dumb. In spite of the
Navy's notification, you probably
have been worried, but you have no
cause to worry any longer. I am here
with Herbie H___ ^, our plane crews,
the officers and men from Guam and
Wake, and some Allied personnel,
entirely safe: just waiting and hoping
for an early and satisfactory end to
the war

Here we are in barracks with a
room about 30 x 20 for six of us,
Herbie, two Dutch officers, two Aus-
tralians, and myself; the entire group
of prisoners have complete freedom
in a large compound. We have daily
classes in a wide variety of subjects
of our own selection, then exercise,
play cards, or "acey-ducey." We are
living each day for the happiness in
it— may you do the same until we
can be reunited.

Communication will necessarily be
much more difficult in this war than
in the last; it may be impossible to
send a ship in either direction for a
long, long time, but try to write, for
my heart is with you.

My only desire is that you should
make a happy and complete life for
yourself. We cannot predict when or
how the war will end, we only know
now that it will last long enough for
there to be many changes at home
before we return.

Oflag IX A/Z
Germany

May 5, 1943
Dear Mother and Dad:
We don't do very much here except

eat 2 meals a day and then spend
rest reading and playing cards,
get paid 72 marks a month but c
spend it so I usually lose mine 2 ti
a week playing roulette. I still 1
to think of being a prisoner
having only been on the front 3 we
but it's too late to think of it n
The part of Germany we are
is really pretty although we do
get to see much of it. I am attend]
German classes and hope to be a 1
to speak it soon, or read the Germ
newspapers which are the only o;
we get.

+

THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS

NOV 2 2 1943
THE LIBRARY

RISONERS OF WAR BULLETIN

shed by the American National Red Cross for the Relatives of American Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees

1, NO. 4

WASHINGTON, D. C.

SEPTEMBER 1943

PRISONERS OF WAR

AND THE INTERNATIONAL
RED CROSS COMMIT!

(Continued from page 5)
prisoned and interned, for the a
iously waiting family at homej
parcel, an amelioration of treatmi
in captivity, a word of news, I
things that bring back strength s
hope and happiness into huma
lives. That is what justifies the wc
yes, even when the only serviaf
can render is to end a long and
turing uncertainty."

Studies and Sports in German Prison Camps

Change of Address

The names and addresses of the nea rest ^latives of A-fSygSTPl
war and civilian internees, to whom this Bulletin is seni, wwc
£d C°L C by the Prisons o( War J*— J- »~ *£ we must rely on

nform your Red Cross
chapter whenever you change your ~ac anT always^ give the name of the

prisoner as well as your own.

S^lSl^^

Prisoners of War Bulletin

Published by

The American National Red Cross

Washington 13, D. C.

Sec. 562 P. L. &

U. S. POSTAG
PAID

Washington, D. C.
Permit No. 84

The reports of Delegates of the
ernational Red Cross Committee,
ed on many visits to prisoner of
and civilian internee camps
er German control, demonstrate
piratically that studies, which en-
prisoners to improve their knowl-
, and sports, which aid them
sically, are growing increasingly
par.

n one German camp, recently vis-
1 by an I. R. C. C. Delegate, two
je new barracks had been erected
>osite each other. Above the en-
ice of one of them were the words,
ning Room and University." The
liversity" was set up, at the prison-
request, as a simple center for

Librarian

University of fexas Library

Austin Texas

elected representative issued an
ieal for help to all teachers, stu-
ts, experts, and others who were
ipetent and willing to assist in the
ses. In one case motor mechanics
lged the secrets of internal cona-
tion engines to classes of prison-
while another group interested
printing listened to a printer
lain his craft. The same univer-
organized discussions on elemen-
' mathematics, mechanics, chem-
f> and physics.

hese discussions gradually devel-

i into large conferences which

place on Saturday nights. The

pects for discussion were selected

me prisoners themselves and

all the way from philosoph-

problems to colonial politics and

"" elopment of art. In some cases,

1 were given by German profes-

w ho came from nearby towns.

University Courses

due course these discussions
. ln to full lectures; and courses,
mating with examinations sent

home schools, were drawn up.
completed papers are now sent

de\

for marking, through the intermedi-
ary of the I. R. C. C. at Geneva, to
a school or college in the prisoners'
own country. American schools are
not yet participating in this educa-
tional program, but arrangements
are in hand for the Y. M. C. A. to
organize the educational activities of
American prisoners of war in Europe.
Several months ago a shipment was
made to Geneva of about 7,000 text-
books to enable prisoners to study
courses which the Armed Forces In-
stitute has found are those most
frequently demanded by American
enlisted men.

A recent report from London
stated that over 70 societies and in-
stitutions — academic, professional,
and technical— are now holding ex-
aminations for prisoners of war,
ranging from surveying to chiropody
or spectacle making, and from history
and languages to accountancy and

bookkeeping. Over 20,000 requests
for books and study courses have been
received by the Educational Books
Section of the Prisoners of War De-
partment at Oxford, and the number
of applications for examinations now
runs into thousands.

Officers can devote more time to
study because, unlike enlisted men,
they are not required to work by
the detaining Power. In some officer
camps, therefore, courses may occupy
as many as 100 hours a week, so that
the prisoners can keep completely
occupied with studies. Enlisted men
assigned to labor detachments can
attend lectures before breakfast or
after supper, and a large part of them
do. Letters from American prisoners
show that they have been taking ad-
vantage of courses offered with the
help of the London organizations.

(Continued on page 5)

Sports Day at Stalag Luft III.