Prisoners of war had the right to appoint a representative om their nationality who was authorised to represent them before the camp authorities. The representative’s main tasks included overseeing the distribution of correspondence and packages sent to prisoners. This
function was usually performed by the prisoner of war with the highest rank, or – as in the case of the British – by voting within the group.
Until 1941, when Poles were staying in the main camp, the position of the POWs’ representative was probably held by Eryk Matuszek.
He was an officer, and after the Polish prisoners of war had left Stalag XX B, he himself was transferred to Oflag II C.
In one of the Red Cross reports, you can find information that in October 1942 the positions of POWs’ representatives in Stalag XX B were held by:
• Marcel Boutry, camp number 21,409, representing the French group,
• Robert Duchesne, camp number 51,230, representing the Belgian group,
• James Fulton, camp number 14,830, representing the British group.
The POWs’ representatives communicated with the guards in German, so they had to either speak German or use an interpreter, as was the case with the British representative.
Red Cross reports also indicate the presence of POWs’ representatives outside the main camp. The individual Kommandos also chose their representative, who acted as a go-between for them and the camp administration.
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