WOLFSBERG CAMP

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 117, 19 May 1945, Page 7

WOLFSBERG CAMP

N.Z. PRISONERS' HOME

Story Of Stalag 18A And Surprise Relief On YE Day

N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent

WOLFSBERG, May 17. £ T £ r 9 ug h, the heavily guarded gates of Stalag 18A and of Stalag 18D at Marburg passed all those New Zealand, Australian and English soldiers captured in Greece, Crete and Sidi Resegh. Later most of them passed on, but they left as indelible a mark on the camp as the camp left on them. Situated 50 miles from Klagenfurt on the road to Giaz. Wolfsberg is at first glance indistinguishable from many other camps where the prisoners of many nations waited through the years for such days as these. There is the same high barbed wire enclosing fence with tall wooden towers where the guards, armed with machine guns and searchlights, kept watch night and day. Now the searchlights at Wolfsberg are gone— they were dismounted two days ago to illuminate a camp concert. Inside the wire are apparently haphazard groupings of ramshackle unpainted sheds. They again are cut into widely separated groups, which were the compounds of the different nationalities, for no fraternisation was permitted between the Allies.

The Infamous "Bunker" 1 There are two buildings with more than the usual protection around them. These are the punishment compound and the infamous "bunker." The "bunker" was a wooden dungeon, to which the most refractory prisoners were consigned for correction. It is divided into narrow cells, each so constructed that air but no light could entar. Broken-down wooden bed frameworks were provided, but apart from this there was nothing. Australians and New Zealanders left many souvenirs of their visits here in the shape of pencilled inscriptions on the walls. Apparently this treatment had the opposite effect on them from what was intended.

I was shown round the camp by 2104 Captain John H. Ledgerwood, Dunedin, who left New Zealand as a senior Y.M.C.A. secretary with the First Echelon. After his capture in Crete he spent four years in German hands, mostly in this camp. It is by no means the worst of Germany's prison compounds, and for British and Dominion troops there life was made supportable by Red Cross parcels.

Russians Died Ijike Plies For other nationalities the position was less favourable. To-day I visited the cemetery, which I believe is characteristic of many such in Austria and Germany. In several mass graves unmarked by anything save a Greek cross picked out in stones lie the remains of 2000 Russian prisoners. New Zealanders saw them come in at the end of 1941, thousands of skeletons in which the spark of life barely lingered. They had been marching almost without food for two months or more. On arrival the Russians were packed by hundreds into small rooms with one blanket between four men. They died like flies of cholera, malnutrition, and simple exhaustion. Even now I have seen some terrible sights in Wolf sberg—Russian sick for whom the wholesome Allied food had come too late, who gasp and writhe their nightmare limbs in a slow progression towards certain death.

Tale of Two Air Raids To-day is a busy one in the camp, which still holds 2500 men, for yesterday the envoy of Tolbukhm arrived and many Russian prisoners who are in fair physical condition are passing out on their way to their own lines' The saddest story of recent times is that of an Allied an raid on a mistaken objective in which 46 Allied Prisoners died The raid occurred on December 18, 1944. The victims included English and Australian prisoners, but no New Zealanders. Towards the end tne numbers of British and Dominion men in the camp thinned considerably as they shifted deeper into Germany. At last, on what was to be known as VE day, more Allied planes swooped low® over the camp. This time they were dropping food.

Then Came VE Day Suddenly five figures were seen coming down by parachute. All landed safely, although Qne sergeant wpnt through a tree. They were military liaison people to take thmgs over —five men taking over a camp of 5000 prisoners guarded by 200 wellSfmeS Germans andln the area was a division of S.S. troops, lne five picked themselves up, and with every appearance of confidence walked past 20 lorry loads of S.S. men into the compound. Amid scenes of the wildest enthusiasm on the part of .the prisoners they proceed with SrlSii:Xy Boon hfd\hf?Unl gon in hand. Captain Ledgerwood hpcame camp commandant, a posi tinn still holds. The other New 7ealanders have gone, and so will he in a few days, when he considers his job is done. 'To-day the liaison officers moved out to make room for repatriation officials In the compound French were watching with keen enjoyment German soldiers engaged in camp fatigues The only occupant of the "bunker is a Ruscinn accused of collaboration with the Germans. The function of Stalag ISA is almost oven

red cross parcels

helped keep men alive

NZE.F. Official War Correspondent KLAGENFURT, May 17. "If it were not for those Red Cross parcels, there would be a very different story," is the common reply of British and Dominion released prisoners of war to any comment on their obvious health and _ fitness. Many of our men lived entirely on the contents of the parcels, only goine near the German cookhouses when there was some unusual delicacy, such as potatoes. The diff erence between their condition and that of the Russian and Yugoslav prisoners who had, perforce, to exist on what the gaoler provided, gives a shocking indication of what might have befallen our men had it not been for the Red Cross organisation Through this centre, hundreds of men Pour daily. Yesterday was not unusual but Douglas transports bore off 300 British and Dominion troops Among them were 26 New Zealanders. The field was empty for on.lv a few hours before a motley Election of German and Allied trucks lumbered in, packed with fther ex-prisoners. These were ih s &, 1 sp o° t ke t&ssr' ass Goodchild of Auckland!' Lewis aI bert Louo'ni? of Hunterville, and EdS5 Henry Miller, of . Christchurch. All have been prisoners since Greece. AmSng others was Norman Austin, of Papatoetoe, who was capI tured at El Alamein.