POWs held in Russia between 1914-1918. For the most
part, conditions were horrific and many POWs died at or
en route to the prison camps. By comparison, POW Fuad
Tokad (TNT Matchbox Diary) had a much easier time of
it at the Vetluga camp, at least prior to the Russian
Revolution.//
36. Report dated 5 May 1918 given to the Spanish Consul in Tbilisi
by Colonel İvanof of the Castanskiold delegation:
As of 1 July 1917, the number of Turkish prisoners in Transcaucasia
was about 33,000. As of 1 December 917, this number was 30,000
and it is now 25,000. Besides the 4,000 prisoners on Nargin Island,
there are another 4,000 in Transcaucasia. The delegation visited
5,200 prisoners in Kars, Gümrü, Batumi and Guri. Of these, 4,000
were registered. The delegation distributed 47,000 rubles and another
23,000 rubles were deliverd to the Tbilisi Consul Berberof to be
distributed to the prisoners. Because of the continuing state of war,
we could not visit the prisoners on Nargin Island. Here, though, the
housing situation of the prisoners is rather good. Only the 1,800
prisoners in the Karanof barracks in Gümrü are living in squalor. So,
with the exception of Karanof, attention to the prisoners is not too bad.
Clothing is generally quite bad and, for the most part, there is no
underwear and shoes. Because of the filth in Karanof and the resulting
spotted fever cases, it has become a haven for microbes. Otherwise,
the health situation is rather good. The Ottoman prisoners are very
afraid of the Armenians because it has been verified that in Kars and
Gümrü the Armenians have killed Ottoman prisoners. Turkish
prisoners are made to work hard and although many of them have
successfully fled to the Turkish Army, the Armenians are intent on
preventing any more escapes.
There are approximately 22,000 prisoners in the Caucasus. The
delegation visited 3,000 prisoners and registered them. Information
was obtained about 4,000 prisoners. The remaining prisoners either
died or are in the Kuban region or they have sought asylum in
Moslem villages in the Caucasus mountains. The delegation saw
prisoners working on the rail line from Vladikavkaz to Stavropol.
In addition, prisoners work in agricultural jobs. There is a general
warmth toward the Turks but soon the local people will want these
jobs for themselves and the prisoners will be unemployed. The
prisoners’ housing conditions are good. Since they are working
their food is good but when they lose their jobs they will go hungry,
because the local government has no money and the depots are empty.
The prisoners’ clothing is quite bad. Previously, 60% of the prisoners
died from malaria and typhus. These illnesses were most prevalent
in Maikop, Bielaritzenskaya and Tuays. Hereabouts, the health
situation is especially bad. The delegation provided treatment
wherever it went but there are no doctors and the Ministry of Health
is nowhere to be seen. The prisoners can not communicate with their
homelands so we collected letters from the prisoners and sent them
to Petrograd.
//END of PART VIII/FINAL//
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