. |
| Evidence for the Prosecution |
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| Captain Sington
(cont.) |
Would most of
the prisoners require a hospital cure before being able to remember anything
against any single person? — That would undoubtedly be so in a great many
cases, as there were many prisoners who went mad after typhus, and there was a
block set aside for people who had become mentally deranged.
Was there
a committee in each block or compound? — On the first day it consisted of
three or four representatives of each nationality in the camp. It was a
spontaneous committee and was not nominated by us.
How long would you
say the senior prisoners were allowed to carry on their previous functions
after liberation? — Many of them were replaced the first week. The better
ones, I should say, carried on their functions until the whole camp was
evacuated to the reception camp.
Re-examined by Colonel
BACKHOUSE — Is the number of 55 S.S. men that Kramer gave you the number
who were still in the camp when the British arrived, or is it the number there
had been altogether? — The number when we arrived, but I did not see it on
paper.
By the JUDGE ADVOCATE — You went to the camp for the first
time on 15th April. Did Kramer arrive there about five months before? —
Yes.
By being present on
the 15th you can speak from your own knowledge of the difficulties the British
had to face with regard to the conditions. Have you any knowledge of the
difficulties that Kramer had to meet in these five months and the facilities
given to him by his superiors to meet such conditions as there were? — No.
|
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| Fourth Day
—Thursday, 20th September, 1945 |
| |
Major A. L.
BERNEY, sworn, examined by Colonel BACKHOUSE — I am with 817
Military Government Detachment. On 15th April I was sent by Headquarters 8
Corps to Colonel Taylor of the Occupying Forces of the Belsen Camp. Colonel
Taylor and Brigadier Glyn Hughes were in charge. On the next day I was told to
find the nearest food store, which I did at the north of the Panzer Troop
School about three kilometres from the camp. I found the Hauptmann in charge of
the store who informed me that he was responsible for sending some food from
his store to the camp — potatoes and turnips. He did not give me any
reason as to why that was the only stuff supplied. I obtained a list of food in
the store from him, and remember there were 600 tons of potatoes, 120 tons of
tinned meat, 30 tons of sugar, upwards of 20 tons of powdered milk; cocoa,
grain, wheat and other foodstuffs.
Did you find whether there was a
bakery there or not? — Yes. There |
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| Page 53 |
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