Work Camp  98 L

Location: Dirnbach

Type of work: Farmwork

Man of Confidence: Sgt H.E. Norris

Number of Men: 10

Known to be present

Dirnbach	Bad Gleichenberg	Bad Gleichenberg
Poppendorf		Poppendorf

After the Wolfsberg Welcome Weekend in July 2013, Rob and Mavis Hughes visited Dirnbach and located the farm where Mavis' father, Tom Edwards, worked. The older photo was taken some time after 1943, when Tom arrived at the farm. The young girl at back right is now Maria Matzhold, who still lives in Dirnbach and remembers Tom well. The more recent photo shows from the left, Maria, Mavis, Maria's husband and their two grandchildren, outside the original house.

1943	2013

Date of visit: 23 February 1943

The short report on this camp is extracted from a combined report on this camp plus three other small camps: 246/L (Krusdorf), 133/L (Muggendorf), 1964/L (Grub 2). Some of the information may not apply directly to this camp. The total POWs in these four camps was 41.

Interior arrangement

The quarters generally consist in one room in some farmhouse. Only the camp of Krusdorf seems to be inadequate on account of its insufficient size. The commander of the district promised to look for better accommodations. The lighting question presents also some difficulties as some of the rooms are only lighted by petrol lamps and the petrol is very scarce. This matter will be studied and eventually the guard company will supply the fuel.

Bathing and washing facilities

Everywhere rather primitive. Generally the men arrange to have hot water on Sunday mornings for their ablutions.

Food and Cooking

Food is said to be coarse and here also the time for eating had to be fixed to half an hour as the peasants were in the habit to bustle the POWs and give them only 10 minutes for their meals.

Medical attention and sickness

The men have a civil doctor and a civil dentist at their disposal.

Clothing

The clothing question will be regulated.

Laundry

This is done in the farm where the men work.

Religious activity

This is non-existent. The difficulty in organising services has been pointed out before. As there is such a want of interpreters the hope for regular services is problematic.

Recreation and exercise

In summer the POWs in this region have the opportunity to go swimming in some river. Outdoor games suc as football or volleyball are hardly played as the balls are difficult to get for so many commandos. However the YMCA will be informed about the need that some footballs should be sent. It would be possible to arrange matches between the different camps on Sunday afternoons.

Mail

This is still not very satisfactory, but it is subject to so many difficulties on its way from England, Australia or New Zealand to the prisoners' camps and regarding the fact that letters arrive even after one year one could say that if not much better it might be very much worse.

General impression

Generally speaking the camps in this region are not bad and as far as a POW can be content the conditions of life are not too far from normal.