PRISONERS OF WAR
THE WEEKLY 1 STATEMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 5. In its weekly statement the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office says that prisoners have at various times expressed a desire for boots, although these are issued to them through the British Red Cross with battle dress and other clothing. A statement was made in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for War (Sir James Grigg) that he had no guarantee that the hoots received in German camps would) he given to those who needed them. The German authorities normally insisted on controlling the distribution. In some cases they refused to allow British prisoners to wear leather hoots when working beside German civilians, many of whom had only clogs. At other times the refusal was on the grounds that the prisoners were less likely to escape in clogs than in hoots. A strong protest has (been made through the protecting Power. Headquarters says it is obvious from letters from PG 62 in Italy that the position regarding food and clothing has now improved considerably. One dated June 3 says that several New Zealanders have received parcels containing clothes, chocolates, and cigarettes through the New Zealand Red Cross. Another says: “ A lot of the chaps have received letters from New Zealand written in March, and we have been receiving food parcels from the Red Cross every week lately. They are very good. We have also received clothing from them, and) quite a few of our chaps have received clothing parcels through the Red Cross.” Another letter mentions parcels “ with apple pudding, meat pudding, apricots, and whatnots for supper this week.” A letter from Oflag CB in Germany, dated May 23, says that the August parcel had arrived on the previous day, and also a Turkish parcel consisting of figs, prunes, mixed nuts, and cigarettes, and! on June 2 the writer said: “ We have had two more parcels from Turkey. We have planted some lettuce, radish, and turnips, and some mixed flower seeds, which came to us from Switzerland.” Copies of letters from Stalag ISA, dated not earlier than April, are required by office headquarters. ' The latest figures from Geneva show that more than 361,000 food parcels wore distributed from Geneva to the camps for April, and) that there are on hand more than 1,200,000 parcels. The total number of prisoners now on the files is 6,270 and 12 unofficial. BRITISH HAST AMENABLE PRISONERS ZURICH, September 5, A German comparison of the work done by war prisoners places the British at the bottom of the list for results. Frenchmen were stated to give 80 to 90 per cent, performance compared with German workers, Belgians 75 to 80. Poles <55 to 75, Serbs 60 to 70, and British 45 to 55. The British ivere mostly on the land, w’hile some were employed in building and others fin tailoring.
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Evening Star, Issue 24293, 7 September 1942, Page 2
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478PRISONERS OF WAR Evening Star, Issue 24293, 7 September 1942, Page 2
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