War Crimes Trials - Vol. II The Belsen Trial. 'The Trial of Josef Kramer and Forty Four Others'

Appendices (Affidavits & Statements - Sulima, Vladimir)
 

(85) DEPOSITION OF VLADIMIR SULIMA (U.S.S.R., aged 21)

2. On 14th June, 1945, I was shown by Sergeant Scamans, 86 Special Investigation Section, Corps of Military Police, a man whom I recognise as the Kapo of the block in which I lived at Dora Camp. I have now been informed that his name is Vladislav Ostrowoski.

3. Whilst at Dora Camp I saw Ostrowoski beat many prisoners every day. The prisoners at Dora Camp, including myself, were compelled to work on twelve hour shifts, alternately nights and days, underground. We had to dig a deep tunnel there for a factory, and the work was very hard. Ostrowoski did not work in the tunnel but remained in the block all the time. When we finished work we returned to the block for food. Ostrowoski frequently refused to give many of us food and he did not give much to the others. He never distributed the food fairly so that many of the prisoners starved. When prisoners went to him to ask for food he beat them. Sometimes he beat them with his hands, sometimes with a thick stick, sometimes a big metal soup-spoon, and he often kicked them whilst they were on the ground. Ostrowoski delighted in punishing prisoners and would not allow us to sleep during non-working hours. When we went to the block to rest he called Appelle at all hours, sometimes at three and four o’clock in the morning after we had been working all day, and sometimes during the day-time when we had been on the night shift. Ostrowoski worked on behalf of the S.S. and took these Appelle on his own, receiving special considerations for doing so. He received drink and cigarettes from the S.S. for the way in which he treated the prisoners. I saw this several times but cannot name the S.S. men or describe them. Many of the prisoners at Dora died from overwork, under-nourishment, lack of rest and beatings. Ostrowoski was responsible for this ill-treatment. I did not see him actually kill any prisoner outright by beating them at Dora.

4. On transfer to Ellrich Concentration Camp I was for those two days in Block 19, of which Ostrowoski was again the Kapo. During these two days none of us received any food, and Ostrowoski beat many prisoners as before.

5. Ostrowoski moved to Belsen with us and we were placed in Block 19 with Ostrowoski again as the Kapo. He continued to beat and ill-treat prisoners in the same way as before. About 4 a.m. one morning, about three days after we arrived at Belsen, Ostrowoski ordered all of us out of the block on to Appell. One prisoner, a Frenchman, was sick and unable to get up. I saw Ostrowoski go to the Frenchman and give him a very heavy blow on the head with a piece of iron which he was carrying. The blow smashed the Frenchman’s head and smothered his head and face with blood. He did not move again. I saw that he was dead. Later in the day the Frenchman’s body, together with others who had died in the block during the night, was carried out and put in a heap of dead bodies in the camp. I assisted in this job. I am quite certain that the Frenchman was killed by the brutal attack made on him by Ostrowoski.

6. I have been beaten myself by Ostrowoski on a number of occasions, both at Dora and Belsen. One day in Belsen, when I was sick with typhus, I asked Ostrowoski for food. Instead of giving me any, Ostrowoski beat me across the shoulders with a stick.

 
Appendices (Affidavits & Statements - Sulima, Vladimir)