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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1442.PDF
-446 MAY 16, 1940 "The Compleat Angler". A captured R.A.F. officer tries his luck with somewhat primitive gear. Another picture taken during one of the daily walks. The name of the Army officer is stated in the German journal to be Griffiths. The civilian is a German interpreter. international law in the matter of prisoners. So, for instance, they kept prisoners after the armistice and after peace was declared. In the present war, however, the enemy countries, too, have realised that the treatment of prisoners is a question of reciprocity (Gegenseitigkeit). ' Wie du mir, so ich dir,' which may be translated: ' As you treat me, so will I treat you.' Reciprocity "The German Luftwaffe has set the example in this direction, and the care with which the prisoners entrusted to it have been treated has been rewarded by similar treatment being given to German air crews— not many of them—who are in the hands of the enemies. Of this fact we have exact information. For example, we discovered once that for some reason smokes were being withheld from German fliers in French camps. Following this, French and English prisoners of war had their supplies of cigarettes stopped and were told why. They at once wrote home about it, and in three days German fliers in France and French fliers in Ger- many were smoking again. "The German Luftwaffe has several of these camps. The one dealt with in this article lies at the foot of one of the prettiest mountains in Central Germany. The prisoners share a building but have their own separate bedrooms. Frenchmen and Englishmen have their own floors, but for meals they share a common dining room, in whict. they can sit as they like at separate tables. The food is the same as that of the Germans who keep guard over the prisoners. Food from England "The prisoners can, however, obtain from home the sort of food to which they are accustomed, via the Red Cross. The English in particular take great trouble over this, presumably because they fear that their relatives must be starving in ' blockaded' Germany, but above all probably because they want to impress us with the fact that they have plenty in England in spite of U-boats and air attacks. '' The prisoners are allowed to go for walks every day for several hours in the beautiful surroundings of the camp. These walks are quite optional and the guards are few—an officer and an interpreter. On these walks the French seem to set the pace. They want the exercise to offset the enforced 'room-squatting.' In this con- nection it might be mentioned that a sports ground is now being laid out. '' The prisoners receive from the Luftwaffe a certain amount of pay, corresponding to their rank. This is paid in special camp money. This arrangement conforms to international agreement, and is also used for German prisoners in enemy countries. A man drawn from the camp guard visits the nearest town in order to make pur- chases for the prisoners, and each time he carries a long list of articles wanted. "The prisoners are allowed to spend their leisure hours, which means practically the whole day, almost as they wish. They can listen to the radio (only the German, of course), and they have a library in their own language which is provided by the Commandant of the camp. They read a great deal, some of them paint, others learn languages or undertake special studies, but, above all, they sleep. Taking it all round, the British and French fliers have all that they could reasonably ask. Not Responsible "The question might be asked how it is that these people, whose Governments have inscribed the destruc- tion of Germany on their banners, are given such good treatment. The answer is that one cannot identify in- dividual members of a Fighting Service, who have been taken prisoners as a result of fighting, with their Govern- ment and punish them for its' acts. But, above all, it is, as already stated, a question of reciprocity. So long as German prisoners in France and England are not badly treated there is no occasion for a change in our arrangements. The relatives of German fliers who are prisoners of war in Britain and France can be satisfied that German ' fairness' (to use deliberately an English word) to the prisoners entrusted to us will ensure that also our fliers in England and France are treated as well as it is possible in captivity." The article also points out that Poland is at long last brought together with her Allies, France and Great Britain, but that it took a prison camp to .do it. It appears that a certain number of airmen of the Polish Air Force act as batmen to the French and British Air Force officers. The article does not mention—pos- sibly because the writer was not aware of the fact, but more likely because it was thought good policy to dis- guise it—that hundreds of men and officers from the Polish Air Force are now in training here and in France preparatory to forming units in the Allied Air Forces. -1
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