How the Serbs treat their prisoners of war

Day 1,655, 11:25 • Published in Serbia Serbia • by stir93


Something about Archibald R. Reiss Wikipedia


SERBIAN TREATMENT OF AUSTRIAN PRISONERS

From the first Reiss Report: "Report upon the Atrocities Committed by the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First Invasion of Serbia"

Published 1916

By Dr. Rodolphe Archibald Reiss

Professor at the University of Lausanne

Switzerland

*****

“During my stay in Serbia I have frequently come in contact with Austro-Hungarian prisoners through interrogating them on the various points connected with my enquiry. I thus had the opportunity of observing, at all hours of the day, and in the different prisoners' camps, the treatment which was meted out to these people. I think it advisable to append here a brief summary of my observations, supported by the depositions of prisoners, which I obtained, and of which I render a few of the most typical.”

“I will say at once that the prisoners of war of the Serb race feel absolutely at home, and, as if to show their satisfaction, they wear a small ribbon with the Serbian colours on the breast of the tunics or on their caps. I saw several hundreds of these prisoners wearing the tricolor, and who, though perhaps not quite so comfortable as in their own homes, seem to be delighted to find themselves in Serbian territory. I also noticed that they are shown great confidence, and that outside the hours of work they are permitted to go about quite freely.”

“In the prisoners' camps I had occasion to visit, the prisoners are divided into companies, according to their trades. They are made to work: some are tailors, others bakers, yet others are employed in repairing the roads, etc. One soldier (a Czech), an architect by profession, directed the construction of the bakehouse at Nish. The "one-year volunteers," boys who have received a good education, are unoccupied and complain of the weariness brought on by this lack of occupation. One of them, a student of engineering, asked me if he might not be employed in a technical office.”

“The prisoners were given the same food as the Serbian soldiers : soup twice a day, meat, vegetables, and an allowance of bread. Their companies are often commanded by officers of the Serb race.”

“I have often seen the prisoners in contact with the native population, and I have never observed the slightest hostile demonstration on the part of the latter. There are many married men among the prisoners, and these are very anxious about their families, because they only very rarely hear from them.”

“As for the officers, wherever I have been, they are suitably lodged. In Nish, for instance, they are housed in the citadel. There was an Austrian commander there who assured me that every possible thing was done to make matters agreeable for them and he only regretted one thing, which was that they were only allowed to go out once a week. At first they had been given their meals at the Officers' Casino, but after the massacres at Shabatz, demonstrations were feared, and they were made to take their meals in tlie citadel. This particular major told me that he quite understood the precautions which had been taken. For the rest they have the free use of a pretty garden, and they have an Austrian cook who works under the supervision of an Austrian officer. These officers did not give me the impression of being too discontented with their fate, as they sang and entertained themselves as well as they could. The rooms in which they are lodged are simple, but very suitable.”

“I append a few typical depositions by Austro- Hungarian prisoners of war.”

“No. 114, of the 25th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 12th Company, complains of the lack of food in the Austrian army. The Army Transport Corps was never on the spot. The troops were told that the Serbs maltreated their prisoners, cutting off their noses, ears, etc. Witness is greatly surprised at the humane treatment he is experiencing in Serbia. He was slightly wounded, and the doctors and hospital attendants were very kind to him.”

“No. 115, squad leader of the 1st Bosnian Regiment, deposes that an Austrian Hospital Corporal was taken prisoner by the Serbs, and subsequently released. This incident was greatly praised by his Austrian colleagues. Their officers were of German extraction. He himself was wounded in the shoulder, and congratulated himself on having been very well treated by the Serbian hospital attendants, who gave him tobacco and bread.”

“No. 116, of the 32nd Landwehr Regiment. The bread is much better than the Austrian bread. His comrades and he had not expected to be so well treated in Serbia. It was said everywhere in Austria, and especially in the army, that the Serbs ill-treated their prisoners, cutting off their nose, ears, the penis, etc.”

“No. 117, of the 91st Regiment, from Budweis, and No. 118, from Karlsbad. Both declare that the Serbian population provided the Austrian prisoners with food, and that in hospital they were treated the same as the Serbian soldiers. A Major commanding, prisoner in Nish, witness No. 119, assured me that the Serbs did all they could to make things pleasant for the prisoners, and there was only one thing he regretted, and that was that they were only allowed to go out once a week. They had at first been admitted to the Officers' Casino, but after the massacres of Shabatz, demonstrations had been feared. The commander said, he quite understood the precautions taken by the Serbian military authorities. The officers are lodged in the citadel, and a fine garden is at their disposal. They have an Austrian cook, and one of themselves superintends the catering.”

“No. 120, of the 78th Hungarian Infantry Regiment. He cannot but admit that he is very well treated. The food is good, and there is meat twice a day. He does not feel cold at night in the large rooms in the prison, which serve as dormitories. The officers had told the men that the Serbs ill-used their prisoners.”

“No. 121, of the 8th Landwehr Regiment. He is satisfied, and has nothing to complain of. The police beat some of the prisoners, but he does not know why they were thus treated. The men who were beaten belonged to different races, and they met with this rough usage after the news of the massacres of Shabatz had been received. Such occurrences were rare, however, He himself had always been well treated. Never had the population demonstrated against the prisoners on their journey.”

“No. 122, of the 78th Regiment, is satisfied with his food and treatment. He saw that some of the prisoners were beaten by the police ; but he does not know why.”

“No. 123, ‘one-year volunteer,’ in the 92nd Infantry Regiment, finds the food good, but misses his first breakfast, the cofFee-and-milk in the morning.”

“No. 124, of the 79th Infantry Regiment. Both he and No. 125, of the 28th Hungarian Landwehr Regiment, are satisfied with their food and treatment. From all this evidence, and a great deal more which I obtained, it is quite plain that the prisoners are satisfied with their food which, taken all round, appears to be far more plentiful than that which they had received on the Austrian front. It is also apparent that the great majority of these Austro- Hungarians are quite astonished at being so humanely treated in Serbia. I have already explained in the preceding chapter that those soldiers had been led to believe that your army ill-used and massacred its prisoners. These men were therefore agreeably surprised to experience the very opposite.”

“It is true that privates Nos. 120, 121 and 122 relate that several prisoners were man-handled by the police at Skoplje. This incident actually took place, but the explanation is already contained in the evidence of the witnesses. It was an outburst of excitement after the massacres of Shabatz, and moreover directed against men who, perhaps, had nothing to do with it, but who belonged to the enemy who had done so much evil. Still, I think it would be as well to see that such man-handling episodes do not recur, for the beauty of the part played by Serbia in this war consists precisely in this, that she has indulged in no reprisals towards the Austro-Hungarians who have committed atrocities without name or number.”

“I know that the maintenance of so many prisoners of war is a heavy tax upon your country, and that it is a difficult matter to house them. Your military authorities are doing their utmost to make life as endurable as possible for these prisoners. I have frequently met Colonel Ilitch and I know that this excellent man has done almost more than possible for the captured soldiers of the enemy. He made it a point of honour to treat them like Serbian soldiers. The Austrian Lieutenant F. S. said to me: "Colonel Hitch is like a father to us." Obviously your resources are only limited, and the sheds in which you are obliged to house these men cannot be easily heated. It is inevitable that some of them should suffer, but this occurs even in countries which are far less sorely tried than yours. These countries cannot make the irrefutable excuse which you have every right to quote : the " impossibility of doing better." The lot of a prisoner of war is never an enviable one, and judging by what I have seen, you will always have the right to say that, in spite of the economic difficulties that beset your country, you have done your duty as far as possible, and often even more than your duty. You have practised humanity.”

R. A. REISS

Professor at the University of Lausanne.

Lausanne, Switzerland

January—March, 1915.

*****
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How the Serbs treat their prisoners of WWI:
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/how-the-serbs-treat-their-prisoners-of-war--2049598/1/20