3312 RELEASED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 11 April 1945, Page 2

3312 RELEASED

BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR MOSTLY IN CENTRE OF GERMANY (Rec. 11.15 a.m.) Rugby, April 10.; When the House of Commons re- 1 sumed after the Easter recess, the j Secretary of War, Sir James Grigg, ! answering questions in connection with British prisoners of war, said Soviet authorities had notified us that so far they had released 3312 prisoners of the British Commonwealth. Of these, 2679 had been evacuated from Odessa. It was clear that most of our prisoners in eastern Germany were withdrawn by the Germans before the camps were reached by the Red Army. This was confi.med by information sent by protecting Powers. The Germans had recently attempted to withdraw our prisoners from western Germany, but owing to the speed of the advance 7000 had so for been recovered and 2600 had arrived in Britain. Most of our prisoners were now concentrated in camps in the centre of Germany. Every available means would be used to ensure a quick return of prisoners. CAMPS OVERRUN BY ALLIES As stated by a War Office announcement on April 6, the sites of Oflags 9AE and 9AZ have been overrun by our advancing forces. While official confirmation of this is not yet available, interrogation of individuals who have already reached Britain leaves little doubt that a great majority of prisoners of war from Oflag 9AH have been recovered by Allied troops. Similar sources indicate, however, that, the majority of prisoners from Oflag 9AZ are still in enemy custody, the rate of their compulsory evacuation to the eastward having hitherto prevented American forces from overtaking them