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7. We heard about the gas chambers so often that we just had to
believe they existed. It got to be a general impression - as common as regular
dinner conversation. I discussed the gas chambers with German civilians. I
never heard of any of the German foremen who protested against the gassing. The
others were in favor of gassing - provided it was for Jews. They looked upon
killing Jews as killing vermin. We were not permitted to talk to the inmates
but managed to do so anyway. I was told by quite a number of inmates that if
they were sick for more than 5 days, they would be sent to the gas chambers.
One foreman boasted about having seen Jews arrive for gassing, 100 to
the railway wagon, standing because there was not enough room to sit down. It
was too much trouble to take the inmates out so a gas pipe was put into the
wagon. He also told us about the Jews walking into the gas chambers.
8.
I think it was utterly impossible for Duerrfeld to walk around at Auschwitz and
not be aware of the conditions which existed there. Every day the concentration
camp inmates carried back to the camp at night fellow inmates who had
collapsed. In the winter the inmates were mostly supporting each other going
back to the camp, and the strongest usually carried someone. I saw those things
often. It was absolutely impossible that Duerrfeld could not have noticed. We
passed the administration building each night and some of the inmates passed on
the same road as we did.
9. I would think the life expectancy of a
concentration camp inmate at Auschwitz would be about 2 or 3 months. I knew of
a Pole at Heydebreck who was caught stealing from one of our fellows. He was
imprisoned at the Straflager [penal camp] at Auschwitz for 2 months. When he
came back he was a wreck; they nearly killed him, and that was only in the
Straflager.
I have carefully read each of the four pages of this
declaration and have signed them personally. I have made the necessary
corrections in my own handwriting and initialed them and I declare under oath
that I have given the pure truth to the best of my knowledge and
conscience. |
| |
| [Signed] ERIC JAMES DOYLE |
| |
| Sworn to and signed before me this 14th day of November 1947 at
Nuernberg, Germany. |
| |
BENVENUTO VON HALLE
U. S. Civilian
AGO 532432
|
618 |
. 
