Skoblin's History Blog

This blog is composed of articles and translations written by Skoblin pertaining to the Soviet Security forces, White Russian underground movements and Russian counter-revolutionary forces during the 1920s and 1930s. Skoblin can be reached at skoblini@hotmail.com.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Polish Prisoners of War - Documents (V)

Regulations concerning Prisoner of War Camps

Approved
Deputy People's Commissar
Internal Affairs Union SSR
Komdiv (Chernyshov)
23 September 1939

Top secret

Regulations concerning Prisoner of War Camps

I. General Part

1. Special prisoner of war camps shall be organized for the maintenance of prisoners of war received from units of the RKKA
2. The basic tasks of the prisoner of war camps shall consist of:
a) the maintenance of prisoners of war in conditions of isolation from the surrounding population;
b) the creation of a regimen excluding any possibility of flight on the part of the prisoners of war from the area of the camp;
c) agitation, propaganda and mass educational activity among prisoners of war.

II. Structure, Staff and Functions of Camp Administration

3. The administration of a camp shall consist of the following:
a) a chancellery
b) a special section
c) a political section
d) a records and registration section
e) an economic section
f) a financial section
g) a sanitation section
h) an internal security detachment
i) a fire brigade
The administrative staff of the prisoner of war camp shall be approved by the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Union SSR.
Changes in camp structure are to be effected only on orders from the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Union SSR.
4. Functions of the Camp Administration
A. Management of the Camp
The camp commander and camp commissar, as well as the assistant commander of the camp, shall be responsible for management of the camp administration excluding the special section.
The deputy commander of the camp, being at the same time the commander of military and security forces, shall be responsible for camp security.
The chief duty officer [dezhurniy komendant] shall be responsible for receiving and arranging accommodation for newly arrived prisoners, maintaining order within the confines of the camp, and managing the the work of the pass and permit bureau.
B. Camp chancellery
a) the arrangement and organization of office duties in all sections of the camp, excluding the special section and the infirmary;
b) the recording of incoming and outgoing correspondence, including secret and top secret dispatches, excluding the correspondence of the special section;
c) the storage and filing of correspondence concerning the activity of the camp in general;
d) the maintenance of personnel records;
e) the issuing of travel documents to officials of the camp and the registration of individuals arriving in the camp on official business.
C. Special section
Shall carry out of intelligence and investigative work among prisoners of war.
D. Political section
Shall carry out agitation and propaganda work among prisoners of war, oversee activities involving the camp club and library, and conduct political work among camp personnel.
E. Records and registration section
Shall maintain personal and statistical records concerning the prisoners of war and special records concerning officers and other equivalent categories of persons.
Shall register all arriving prisoners of war, prepare the dispatch of prisoners of war and draw up their convoys, and announce the search for escaped prisoners.
F. Economic section
a) shall ensure the provisioning of the camp in all manner of supplies (food supplies and fodder, arming of camp officials, clothing for camp officials and prisoners of war, camp fuel supply, transport [written in hand], fuel [for vehicles - skoblin], provisioning of equipment and stores and so on.);
b) shall conduct the orderly maintenance and improvement of the territory and premises of the camp and carry out the repair and re-equipping of camp structures;
c) shall organize and oversee the bath and laundry facilities;
d) shall organize the safe keeping of items belonging to prisoners of war
e) shall maintain communications facilities, electrical equipment and electrical lighting systems in good working order
f) shall organize and oversee the activity of all camp transport and maintain said transport in working order
g) shall carry out the storage and stock taking of all food supplies as well as keep stock of all property of the camp and its workshops.
G. Financial section
a) shall carry out financial support for the camp and as well as organize and ensure financial accountability of the camp;
b) statements and salaries regarding camp personnel;
c) issue of monetary allowances for prisoners of war;
d) shall maintain personal accounts for prisoners of war [this would involve monies possessed by prisoners of war held in the State Labour Savings Bank and monies transferred to prisoners of war from outside the camp - skoblin]
H. Sanitation section
a) shall organize medical assistance for prisoners of war;
b) shall oversee medical and disinfectory treatment [sanobrabotka] of arriving prisoners of war and carry out the disinfection of living accommodations and clothing, including undergarments;
c) shall monitor the sanitary condition of living accommodations, bakeries and kitchens;
d) shall carry out preventative measures against epidemics including vaccinations and inoculations;
e) shall ensure medical and sanitary administration for the camp through the requisite medical and sanitary equipment and medication;
f) shall maintain accountability regarding receipts and expenses for medical and sanitary equipment and medication, as well as the record and registration of military prisoners seeking medical assistance in the dispensary;
g) shall maintain statistical health records regarding illnesses and deaths.
I. Internal security detachment
a) shall carry out internal security of the camp according to a devised plan;
b) shall maintain order within the confines of the camp and monitor the compliance of internal camp rules of conduct on the part of prisoners of war;
c) shall take part in the search of barracks as well as the persons of prisoners of war;
d) shall assist the security forces in the prevention and elimination of escapes on the part of prisoners of war.
J. Fire brigade
a) shall ensure the reliable condition and readiness of fire fighting equipment within the entire confines of the camp;
b) shall carry out preventative measures regarding fires within the confines of the camp and carry out fire fighting.

Chief of the Administration of Affairs of Prisoners of War NKVD USSR
Major P. N. Soprunenko
Commissar of the Administration of Affairs of Prisoners of War NKVD USSR
Regimental Commissar Nekhoroshev











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