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| Evidence for the Prosecution |
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| Captain Sington
(cont.) |
Cross-examined by Captain NEAVE — How many of these
internees did you see running about dealing blows? — In this particular
throng about twelve.
You state that these people had some special
powers. What did the inmates tell you that these powers were? — I was told
that the Blockältesten were responsible for carrying out roll-call in the
morning, discipline inside the huts, and the supervision of the distribution of
food.
Did the information you got from these internees make you think
that the Blockältesten and so on were members of the camp staff? —
No. They were definitely internees and prisoners nominated and exploited by the
camp staff. I was told that a large number were professional criminals, thieves
or murderers, who were being used in this particular way.
To be a
Blockältester, then, was to hold a purely honorary position in every
sense? — Except that I understand there were certain bonuses, for
instance, in the distribution of food an unscrupulous Blockältester could
very often improve his own conditions of living.
Can you recognize any
of the accused in the dock as being amongst the people you saw rushing about
hitting prisoners? — No.
Cross-examined by Lieutenant
JEDRZEJOWICZ — Have you any knowledge, while being in Belsen Camp, of any
acts of revenge on the part of the prisoners against their fellow prisoners
called Blockältesten or their assistants or other lesser functionaries?
— I saw several dead bodies in a mutilated condition in the overflow camp,
No. 2, on the first morning, and it was reported to me that they had just been
killed by the inmates. I also received complaint from a girl in the camp that
she had just been beaten by a Stubendienst, and she showed me a bruise which
was very considerable. Subsequently the girl she accused admitted what she had
done.
Can you assume, then, that the bad types amongst these
Blockältesten would have been dealt with by the prisoners themselves?
— I found no indication of that in Camp No. 1, except for reports that
certain prisoners had secured arms for the purpose of taking revenge. I never
heard of a case of such revenge being actually taken in Camp No. 1. In order to
avoid such spontaneous action we carried out an enquiry to find out who were
the worst of the Blockältesten, to try and arrest them so as to prevent
such disorders.
Was it known to all the prisoners at the time that it
was possible to produce accusations or depositions against the senior
prisoners? — There was a committee of prisoners in the camp which was
called he International Committee, and they were asked to produce accusations
against such people who had behaved in this brutal manner. |
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