The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-08-02
Sgt. J. Shdfer
Writes From
Germany

camp, OcSCIIOcS UcILuts0
CrueltieS to Inmates.
mo FRATERN1zAT1or'
RULING is UNPOPULAR
Sgt. Jim Shaffer writes this Of
flee from Halle, Germany, describ-
ing some Of the horrors seen at the
concentration camp, Qhrdruf, near
which his company was stationed.
His letter follows.
"It's surely peaceful over here
now in contrast to few months
ago. The German people seem to
accept the fact that they have been
whipped. Our sentries haven't had
as much as one case of trouble
since We Day.
II spoke to a German girl Of Is
years of age the other day, and do
you know that the people inside
Germany have never heard Of the
buzz bomb? / described it, called it
vi and the people never knew
anything about it.
when I started talking to her,
the first thing she wanted to know
was. We're the Russians to occupy
her town? I'm not kidding when
/ say the German people are really
afraid of the Russians. We were In
Brunswick before we came here
and when we left the people of the
town (about 50 per cent Of them)
turned out for the event. You would
have thought we were circus or
something They sure wanted us to
stay.
ALSO, lot of the boys had been
'frattin' (fraternizing) there. We
had an awful time getting away.
The c. 0. didn't think much of it.
and he sure told us so too. It's that
way wherever we GO The frater-
nizing law is generally 'disregarded'
here and good many of the boys
are having lunch off and on with
German families.
II think the German people
should be punished, but don't be-
lieve that is the way to do it. Yes,
/ they need a very hard and thought
full repraisal for what they have
done. Maybe l am prejudiced from
the fact that / Tiny company was
stationed about one mile from the
concentration camp of Ohrdurf,
| Germany
I'VE went through that camp and
saw what these Supermen were
/ fighting for.
They had very simple pro-
cedure: 1t man or woman got
sick, he or she was killed. They
had lime pit about two miles
from the camp which was where
the bodies went. That was quite a
place. They had eight lengths Of
small railroad rail about 20 feet
long on which the bodies were laid;
one body per tie. Then fire was
built under them. The ashes were
thrown into this hole and sprinkled
with lime, then covered with a few
inches of dirt. Next day the same
process proceeded. One of the pris-
oners there when we came said
there were over 5000 people in that
one hole
Il also had chance to 60 through
the camp barracks. To put it mild
ly, they were filthy, and such
place must be seen and cannot be
imagined They had no beds. For
a mattress they had a piece Of
cheese cloth material with about
enough straw in it to fill common
pillow. A few had blankets There
were stoves, but don't think for a
minute that these people received
any three-day passes or furloughs'
to gather material to burn.
They had simple affair for
gallows. The men stood on plank
and had the wire put around their
neck, (the Germans used small
flexible cable, as rope wore out too
quickly, and they had lots of bust
ness), and then the plank was
kicked from under them.
Then there was the whipping
stand. The feet were locked in "a
footstand and the structure was
waist high. At the waist they were
forced to bend over and their hands
tied in front of them as far as they
would stretch. No victim left this
machine under his own power.
They used a small tree about 1la
inches in diameter for the instru-
ment of death on that.
"Oh, to come back to the lime pit
before closing-When the Ameri-
can forces came, the krauts pulled
out in hurry and forgot to 'blitz'
the cremating rails. hope it doesn't
hurt too much to say that there
: were few arms and legs which
; weren't buried God forbid that I.
or anyone else, ever lay eyes on
such place again
Guess this isn't too cheerful a
: letter, but it sure shows some OF
: the things we are fighting against.
If anyone wants to know why
we are fighting, and what for; re-
: mind him of this camp here at
: Ohrdurf
: Well, must close for it is late.
Keep the paper coming as there
is SO very much that my folks for
get to tell me that is important to
| me-"
Sincerely,
a SGT jim SHAFER.