Location of the camps: The big camps were mainly located at the Bitter lake area; from Suez to Ismailia and a bit to the west into desert as well. Further some camps were nearby Alexandria and Cairo. The labor camps were located in the neighborhood of the main camps nearby the Suez channel - the emphasis of the labor service companies.
# 304 Heluan
# 305 Tell El Kebir
# 306 Fayid/Bitter lake
# 307 Fanara/Bitter lake
# 308 Fayid/Bitter lake (former Heluan)
# 309 Fayid (?)/Bitter lake
# 310 Gineifa/Bitter lake
# 368 Fayid/Bitter lake
# 379 Quassassin
# 380 Fanara/Bitter lake
# 381 El Daaba
# 382 El Daaba
# 383 El Daaba
Climate:
Unlike to the soldiers of the Africa corps who were fit for the tropics, the soldiers who were taken prisoner in Italy, Greece and it's islands, had heavy difficulties with the climate in Egypt. Hot winch and sandstorms in spring, great heat in summer and severe cold in the winter impaired life in the strange climate.
Accommodation:
In general the prisoners stayed in tents. They improved them by their self to make it domestic. For Officers were some huts made from loam available. The bed consisted of a palliasse and two blankets or three blankets in winter.
Camp life:
Most of the administration within the camp was left to the prisoners. The baggage got inspected daily to prevent a neglect and illnesses. Uncleanness or violations of discipline got punished with "Callebush" (detention).
Catering:
According to reports of the ICRC, working prisoners got 2000 calories and not working 1800 calories. Bread was quite scarce, food was monotonously in general and fresh vegetables were prepared seldom or never at all. Vitamin tablets were distributed supplementary. The loss of weight of the prisoners were clearly visible. Later, when the prisoners had to work, they could buy food in the canteen with their "payment" and the situation improved.
Labor:
A summary of September/October 1946 express, that in 26 German Independent Working Companies were 48.000 men. In addition were 4000 men in 10 German POW Artisan Working Companies. They mainly worked for the British Army (construction of quarters in the canal zone, motor vehicle workshops, workshop for tanks and airplanes, road construction, brickworks, quarry, driver, orderly etc.); including the defusing, blowing-up and shipment of ammunition. For expert work a prisoner got the low pay of 10 Piaster daily.
Morals:
Nowhere the morals of the prisoners were as bad than in Egypt. The reasons for the suicides and a lot of cases of intellectual illness can be found in the climatic conditions only. This led to the well known "Declaration of the captured Lutheran Pastors in Egypt".
Repatriation:
The prisoners were very relieved when finally in 1946 the first 6.000 men were shipped home. But unfortunately the captivity lasted for most until 1948. Also in Egypt the first men who were send home were the "A-men" (anti-nazis). The re-education program was not as intensively as in Great Britain but the prisoners were more often classified "black" (nazi) in Egypt than on the island anyway.
Album of camp #380:
Artifacts:
Donated by the family of August Fogt
Egypt
