“LAID IN FETTERS”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 October 1942, Page 3

“LAID IN FETTERS”

DIEPPE WAR PRISONERS HITLER THREATENS TO CHAIN ANOTHER 4,000 MEN. IN REPLY TO BRITISH REPRISAL. LONDON, October 9. Hitler, who has carried out the chaining of prisoners captured at Dieppe has now threatened that a further 4,000 men will be chained if Britain proceeds with the chaining of 1,300 German prisoners at noon on Saturday. nt, f ■ — - <• m m rrr.Tw w»’*' " w "MW - hi • L'—.V The Germans have announced that 1375 British officers and men have been “laid in fetters.” The “Daily Mail’s” political correspondent says the War Cabinet has asked the Swiss Government, the protecting Power, to ascertain without delay, in what circumstances the men are chained, and also the treatment they are receiving. The information from the protecting Power will influence our retaliation, but in any event there will be no inhuman treatment of the German prisoners.

MORE NAZI LIES AND THREATS OF FURTHER OUTRAGE. (British Official Wireless.) ■ (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, October 9. A German communique states' that, following on the declaration of October 7 that reprisals would be instituted against the chaining of German prisoners taken at Dieppe and Sark, the British reply contained only subterfuges and referred to statements by prisoners who had not been tied up. The reply states further that the British authorities do not and will not approve of chaining. The German High Command, it is added, is not satisfied with this hypocritical statement and as a consequence, on October 8, at noon, 107 British officers and 1,269 N.C.O’s. and men were manacled, after they had been told the reason. Army padres, hospital personnel and wounded and sick prisoners have not been manacled. “On October 8, the British announced that at noon on October 10, the same number of German prisoners in British hands would be manacled,” the German statement proceeds. “If this measure comes into force, the German High Command will issue orders that on the same date, at the same time, three times as many British prisoners in Germany shall be manacled.”

A statement issued by the British War Office has made it clear that no German prisoners taken at Dieppe and Sark were, either chained or tied and that allegations that they were are simply lies disseminated by the Nazis.