STILL CHAINED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 8, 20 October 1943, Page 3

STILL CHAINED

PRISONERS OF WAR IN GERMANY GENERAL CONDITIONS IMPROVE, TWO FACTORS OPERATING. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 19. British prisoners are still chained in Germany, says Reuter’s correspondent at Gothenburg, after interviewing British wounded and protected personnel on their arrival from Germany for repatriation to Britain.

. “I got the general impression that their treatment had been decent and that conditions were gradually improving. Most of the men attributed the improvement firstly to a change of guards, who in the early days were often ruthless troops, but were now boys aged from 16 to 17, sometimes even 15, or complete invalids, aged 50 to 55. Another factor is that the Germans openly admit that they have lost all hope of victory and seem to be currying British favours. Cases of brutal treatment, however, still occur. More than 1000 Canadians and Royal Air Force non-commission-ed officers were still chained three weeks ago in Stalag VIIIB “in reprisal” for the raid on Dieppe. An undetermined number were still chained at that camp, also in Stalag IXC. A Glasgow soldier who spent 18 months in Stalag XXB, at Marien* burg, estimated that in that period the Germans executed about 60 prisoners for attempting to escape or for refusal or incapacity to work. The last case occurred five weeks ago when a guard shot on the spot a prisoner who refused to work. British women, mostly elderly and ailing, who were interned at Vittel, France, arrived with British repatriated personnel at Gothenburg, says the Associatiou Press. The hospital ships Empress of Russia and Atlantic were more than 24 hours overdue on ! reaching Gothenburg.