PRISONERS OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 April 1943, Page 3

PRISONERS OF WAR

4 REPORT ON BIG HOSPITAL IN GERMANY CONDITIONS GENERALLY VERY GOOD. MEN IN ITALY GETTING PARCELS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

The latest cabled advice received by the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office states that there are 1,782 New Zealanders of war mterned at Stalag VIII. The International Red Cross at Geneva has cabled a report on the hospital at this camp, which was visited by its representative on February 13. The names of Major Hoencastle, R.A.M.C., and Surgeon Major A. N. Slater, N.Z.M.C., are mentioned, implying that they are senior medical officers The hospital personnel at that date consisted of ten doctors and 97 medical staff. There are new buildings, well situated, with excellent dormitories, sepaiated for surgical, medical and isolation cases. The senior medical officer controls all rations, and the prisoners, with the aid of their own private food parcels, prepare meals according to their own taste. Milk diets are available and there is a reserve stock of invalid comfort parcels. A prisoners representative .also administers regular Red Cross food parcels and clothing is in good condition and hygenic. The installatons are connected with sewerage. During February there were 130 surgical cases, 90 medical, 30 mental and 40 infectious, none of which were tubercular or typhus. It is stated that the material required is complete, but a few medicaments are required and these, sent by the Red Cross, are freely disposed of by the doctors and are highly appreciated. A camp preacher looks after the sick and there are concerts and cinema shows from the main camp. English books are plentiful and the working conditions for the medical staff are excellent. The International Red Cross also states that discipline is good and the cablegram concludes with a statement to the effect that, generally speaking, it is a remarkable hospital. Among a batch of acknowledgment cards received this week are several for parcels received in Italy early in December,- some of which left New Zealand as late as July and August last year.