MAIL FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 3

MAIL FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

PILFERING OF PARCELS (P.A.) WELLINGTON. June 12. The Prisoners of War Inquiry Office recently received interesting information about a small amount of pilfering in connexion with parcels for prisoners of war. An examination has been made by the British authorities of slips for a period of six months, all the known losses of parcels which have been reported being taken into account. Losses have been reported in respect to 47 parcels addressed to camps in Germany and 12 in Italy. During the same period 45,000 next-of-kin parcels were dispatched from England and the losses therefore represent only one in 766. It is recognised however, that losses may be slightly higher as all are not reported. There are only three known cases of loss at Stalag XVIIIA during the period and no camp seems to have had this proportion of losses except possibly Stalag Luft 111 from which only seven cases are reported. Six of these may have been redirected from another ( camp and that might have some bear- • ing on the loss. V By the end of December, 1942, the central agency for prisoners of war at Geneva had dispatched 20,000,000 letters, a majority concerning prisoners of war and their families. Incoming mail totalled 90,000,000 communications. It may be noted by way of comparison that during the 1914-18 war the letters received and dispatched were only 8,000,000. Two further lists of persons officially reported prisoners of war and detained in Japanese hands in Malayan and Singapore camps are available for, inspection at Red Cross and St. John centres. The office requires copies of letters written since December from Oflags VIIB and XXIB and would also appreciate copies of letters recently received from Italian camps. Advice has been received that Camp P G 68- and also the military hospital •t Bari have been closed.