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| Evidence for the Prosecution |
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| Major Berney |
Is a very
large bakery there with a capacity, I was told, of 60,000 loaves a day, which
was completely staffed. It appeared to me that there was a very vast quantity
of all the necessary materials available for making bread. The bakery is still
working now and most of the staff are the same.
From your investigation
of the stocks available, was there any reason why Camp No 1 should not have
been supplied with food? — I cannot see any conceivable reason.
Did you find any medical stores? — Not myself but I know there was
a large quantity in the Wehrmacht Barracks, and as far as I know they are not
entirely exhausted yet.
From 16th April onwards were you in charge of
the general administration in Camp No. 1? — Yes.
What was the
position in relation to water when you arrived? — There was none except in
what I took to be emergency water reserve tanks. In the concentration camp area
there were three tanks and in the S.S. administration portion there was one.
The water in the tanks in the concentration area was completely foul, and as an
immediate emergency measure some army water-carts were sent in. To restore the
water supply we utilized the fire pumps and hose which we found inside the camp
to pump water from a river to the camp itself. It took about four to five days
to have water laid on to every cookhouse, and water was available to everybody
in the camp in one form or another about four days after we first entered. We
found enough materials to complete a working water supply throughout the camp.
Did you find any reason why water should not have been provided in that
camp? — I can think of none.
What was the state of sanitation in
the camp? — There virtually was none. As a result, the condition of the
camp was extremely insanitary as one would expect from that large number of
people without any sanitary arrangements having been provided. As soon as we
could we commenced to build earth latrines. We found no difficulty in digging
as the soil was sandy.
Taking it generally, was there anything lacking
there to provide food, water, medical supplies and sanitation? — I think
if the administration of the camp had wanted to supply those things they could
all have been supplied.
Cross-examined by Major WINWOOD —
Do you speak and understand German? — No.
How did you converse
with the Wehrmacht Captain in the ration store? — Through an official
Belgian interpreter.
Was your first question to the Captain, “What
camps do you supply |
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| Page 54 |
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