Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021
Though Knockaloe was the camp most criticised by the German Authorities, Stratford probably was the second most criticised camp - not surprising given that from late 1915 through 1916 the majority of repatriated internees transited through this decrepid old factory with its leaking roof, poor food and poorly disciplined guards. These requests for investigation to the American Embassy, who at this period represented German interests in the UK, often included extracts from testimonies sworn at Goch, the frontier station between neutral Holland and Germany. Possibly this and other such testimonies may still survive in German achives.
Judicial Examination of Hans Benedix, newspaper-editor
(extract).
Goch. January 6th, 1916
District Court
Present
Court Assessor Breur as Judge.
Secretary Hufenstuhl as Clerk to the Court.
Hans Benedix appears before the Court and having been duly sworn as follows:
My name is Hans Benedix I am editor of the New Yorker Staatszeitung (? New York Gazette). I was at Stratford from March 31 to April 18, 1915. There were about 700 of us lodged in an old factory. The factory had been closed down some years before the outbreak of war by the London Board of Health because its condition was injurious to the health of the 200 workmen employed in it.
Heating arrangements existed, but of such a nature that the pipes radiated the warmth only in their immediate proximity. The roof was unsound, and the rain came through besides which there was a constant draught. Water accumulated in places on the stone floors in consequence, horribly cold. We always wore our greatcoats and used hand-warmers (Eigen-warmer)
We slept on straw-mattresses spread on shelves 25cm. high and about 1.20 meters wide. Each man was given three blankets.
The Sanitary arrangements were comparatively good. There were about 40 water-taps and for every hundred men there was a shower bath and an ordinary bath. We were supplied with hand basins, towels and soap.
The food was quite insufficient. We were given tea, bread and some margarine in the morning and the same with a little cheese in addition in the evening; for the midday meal we got frozen meat and potatoes, with cabbage or beetroot occasionally. One was allowed to supplement the fare and in fact it was absolutely necessary to do so. It was entirely out of the question for an ordinary human being to satisfy himself on the food which was given us.
The hygienic conditions were bad. A great number of the prisoners suffered from throat, or bronchial catarrh, inflammation of the lungs or pleurisy. In my case pleurisy was visibly aggravated by the conditions in the camp. My body swelled and water collected. The Doctor did not come to visit me but required me to go and see him. This it was utterly impossible for me to do. Without having been previously examined I was given medicine three times daily. A fellow prisoner who was an apothecary analyzed the medicine and advised me as not to take it, as it was innocuous in itself but would have a bad effect on my condition.
When my condition had reached a point where there was fear of it proving fatal, my fellow-prisoners asked the Doctor to have me transported to the German hospital in London so as not to have a corpse in the camp. It was then that I was taken to the German Hospital. The Doctor used to remain at most half an hour in the camp and occupied himself practically not at all with the patients. The apothecary whom I have already mentioned expressed to me that the medical stores were quite insufficient. I could not have an injection of mophia because there was neither morphia nor a hyperdermic syringe to be had. The entire medical store contained at most 10 household remedies and English patent medicines. This alone precluded any even reasonbly efficient treatment of the sick, but apart from it no such treatment was ever attempted. It was only when operations became necessary or when there was fear of someone dying that the patients were taken to the German hospital.
Two mentally deficient prisoners were put with the others and not segregated. I frequently observed that although these two could not possibly be held responsible for their actions, they were often rudely cuffed and beaten with sticks by the provost sergeant and other soldiers. Rough treatment of the prisoners by the guards was of frequent occurance at that time. They received blows and cuffs and kicks.
Read to the deponent, approved and signed by him.
(signed) Hans E. Benedix
(signed) Hufenstuhl
(signed Breuer.
Hans Erich Axel Max Benedix was repatriated from Stratford on 4th January 1916 [D-69-13]; he is noted [D-30-1] at Stratford by 10th April 1915 aged 30 born Ratibor giving as address c/o New-Yorker Staatszeitung 182 William St New-York (City) USA - given PoWIB #30154. Admitted to the German Hospital on 13th April 1915 on grounds of debility [D-31-13]; on 7th May 1915 [D-35-16] noted as suffering from Tuberculosis pulmonum [pulmonary TB] - serious. Reports of 'no change' in his condition continue through May until early June [D-39-25] after which reporting of stable cases seems to have ceased. I haven't found any discharge from the German Hospital so possibly transferred from there as part of a party from Stratford.
TNA FO 383/162 - contains several other extracts, most untranslated, all criticising various aspects of Stratford
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Editor Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021 |
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