Q — What sort of shelter was provided during the 53 day march?

A — Mostly we slept in barns. We were usually herded into these barns so closely that it was impossible for all men to find room to lie down. It was not unusual for many men to stand all night or be compelled to sleep outside because there was no room inside. Usually there was some straw for some of us to lie on but many had to lie in barn filth or in dampness. Very frequently there were large parts of the barn (usually drier and with more straw) that were denied to us. There seemed to be no reason for this but, at other times, it was made clear to us that if we slept in clean straw its value to the animals would be less because we would make it dirty. At other times barns were denied us because the Germans stated having POWs in the barn might cause a fire that would endanger livestock. It was obvious that the welfare of German cattle was placed above our welfare. On 14 February 1945 Section C of Stalag Luft #4 had marched approximately 35 kilometers. There were many stragglers and sick men who could barely keep up. That night the entire column slept in a cleared area in the woods near Schweinemunde. It had rained a good bit of the day and the ground was soggy, but it froze before morning. We had no shelter whatever and were not allowed to forage for firewood. The ground we slept on was littered by the feces of dysenteric prisoners who had stayed there previously. There were many barns in the vicinity, but no effort was made to accommodate us there. There were hundreds of sick men in the column that night. I slept with one that was suffering from pneumonia.

Q — What were the conditions on this march as regards to drinking water?

A — Very poor. Our sources of water were unsanitary surface water and well water often of questionable sanitary quality. At times so little water was issued to us that men drank wherever they could. While there was snow on the ground, it was common for the men to eat snow whether it was dirty or not. At other times, some men drank from ditches that others had used as latrines. I personally protested this condition many times. The German doctor from Stalag Luft #4 (Capt. Sommers or Sonners) agreed that the lack of sanitary water was the principal factor responsible for the dysentery that plagued our men. It would have been a simple matter to issue large amounts of boiled water which would have been safe regardless of its source. At times we were issued adequate amounts of boiled water but at other times not enough safe water was available. We often appealed to be allowed to collect firewood and boil water ourselves in the many boilers that were standard equipment on almost every German farm. This appeal was granted irregularly. When it was granted, the men lined up in the cold for hours to await the tedious distribution. Another factor that forced an unnecessary hardship on us was the fact that when we first left Stalag Luft #4, the men were not permitted to take a drinking utensil. The first issues of boiled water were therefore not widely distributed for there were no containers for the men to collect the water in. As time went on, each man collected a tin can from the Red Cross food supplies and this filthy container was the sole means of collecting water or the soup that sometimes was issued to us.

Q — What medical facilities were available on the march from Stalag Luft #4?

A — They were pitiful. From the very start large numbers of men began to fall behind. Blisters became infected and many men collapsed from hunger, fear, malnutrition, exhaustion, or disease. We organized groups of men to aid the hundreds of stragglers. It was common for men to drag themselves along in spite of intense suffering. Many men marched along with large abscesses on their feet or frostbite of extremities. Many others marched with temperatures as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I personally slept with men suffering from Erysipelas, Diphtheria, Pneumonia, Malaria, Dysentery and other diseases. The most common was Dysentery for this was an inevitable consequence of the filth we lived in and the unsanitary water we drank. This was so common and so severe that all ordinary rules of decency were meaningless. Hundreds of men on this march suffered so severely from dysentery that they lost control of their bowel movements because of severe cramps and soiled themselves. Wherever our column went there was a trail of bloody movements and discarded underwear (which was sorely needed for warmth). At times the Germans gave us a few small farm wagons to carry our sick. The most these wagons ever accommodated was 35 men but we had hundreds of men on the verge of collapse. It was our practice to load the wagon and as a man would collapse he would be put on the wagon and some sick man on the wagon would be taken off the wagon to make way for his exhausted comrade. When our column would near a permanent POW camp we were allowed to send our sickest men there while the rest of the column marched on. We were never allowed to leave all of our sick. I do not know what happened to most of the sick men that we left at various places along the march.

Q — What medical Supplies were issued to you by the Germans on the march from Stalag Luft #4?

A — Very few. When we left the camp we carried with us a small amount of medical supplies furnished to us by the Red Cross. At times the Germans gave us pittance of drugs. They claimed they had none to spare. At various times, I asked for rations of salt. Salt is essential for the maintenance of body strength and of body fluids and minerals. This was particularly needed by our men because hundreds of them had lost tremendous amounts of body fluids and minerals as a result of dysentery. The only ration of salt that I have a record of or can recall was one small bag of salt weighing less than a pound. This was for about 2500 men. I feel there is no excuse for this inadequate ration of salt.

Q — To your knowledge, did any sick man die as a result of neglect by the kGermans on the march from Stalag Luft #4?

A — Yes. The following named men died as a result of neglect. All of these men have been declared dead by the Casualty Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office:

George W. Briggs — 39 193 615 — S/Sgt

John C. Clark — 33 279 680 — S/Sgt

Edward B. Coleman — 12 083 472 — S/Sgt

George F. Grover — 16 066 436 — S/Sgt.

William Lloyd — 18 217 669 — S/Sgt

Harold H. Mack — 17 128 736 — S/Sgt

Robert M. Trapnell — 13 068 648 — S/Sgt

It is likely that there were other deaths that I do not know about.