Reports on the transport of prisoners from Rehmsdorff to Theresianstadt, most of whom were killed by the SS en route

Bureau for the Investigation of War Crimes.
Amsterdam.
REPORT
On January 8th 1946 there appeared before me, Johan Jacob van Geelen, Police Inspector at Amsterdam, attached to the above mentioned office, a person who stated to be named Pieter Langhorst, born on May 18th 1916 at Amsterdam, Head of the Bureau for Personal Property of enemies and traitors of Amsterdam, domiciled: Amsterdam, Earste Schinkelstraat 10 I, who stated as follows:
"I am an ex political prisoner and I have been detained in various prisons and concentration camps, finally in the Rehmsdorff camp".
At the approach of the Allied armies this camp was evacuated and the prisoners—about 2900 men—were put on transport from Rehmsdorff to Theresienstadt.
Mostly these prisoners were Czechs, Poles, Russians, and Hungarian Jews, while there were only a few Dutchmen among them.
Of these prisoners only some 500 men actually reached Theresienstadt, the others were simply killed off during the transport by the so-called "shot in the neck."
The corpses were thrown into mass graves which were filled up afterwards.
I am convinced that these graves have not yet been discovered, because they are situated in the center of woods. One must know them to find them again.
As the corpses were clothed in camp clothes bearing the registration numbers, it will most likely be possible to identify a large number of the victims. I shall be glad to cooperate in indicating these graves, so that they can be opened.
My companion in distress Jacob Bakker, domiciled: Meerhu-izenstraat 7 III at Amsterdam, and L.M.P.M. Baron van Lams-weerde, domiciled: Lairessestraat 42 III at Amsterdam, who have also passed through these experiences and who can give indications regarding graves which I cannot trace, are equally fully prepared to put themselves at your disposal for this purpose.
Thereupon, on January 14th 1946, I, the reporter, heard a person who stated to be named: Jacob Bakker, born on May 6th 1917 at Sloten (Friesland), municipal official, domiciled: Meerhuizen-straat 7 III at Amsterdam, and who declared to fully endorse the statements made by Langhorst. Moreover he declared that he was prepared to cooperate in the tracing of these graves.
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According to Bakker, Baron van Lamsweerde would also be prepared to cooperate in this matter.
Until the present it was not possible to hear the latter in this town.
I, the reporter, have promised Langhorst and Bakker to put this case before the Minister of Justice.
Amsterdam, January 15th 1946.
Police Inspector [signed] J. J. van Geelen.
B. PRO JUSTIATIA Bureau for War Crimes Amsterdam.
Nr. 46.
Hearing of the Witness L.M.P.M. Baron van Lamsweerde, on the shooting of political prisoners, during the transport from Rehmsdorff (Germany) to Theresienstadt (Germany).
. VERBAL PROCESS.
Pursuant to my report in this connection, dated January 15th 1946, I, Johan Jacob van Geelen, Police Inspector at Amsterdam, and attached to the above mentioned bureau, on Monday March 18th, 1946, heard a person, who stated to be: Leonardus Matheus Petrus Naria, Baron van Lamsweerde, born on June 5th 1919, at Nijmegen, official at the War Office, domiciled Lairessestraat 42 III at Amsterdam, and who declared as follows:
On January 12th 1943 I was arrested while trying to pass the Spanish Frontier. After having been detained in various prisons, I was transferred to the concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany, where I was detained for about a year and six months. Finally, on November 12th 1944, I was imprisoned in the concentration camp Rehmsdorff (Germany) where I stayed until my escape on April 20th 1945. At the approach of the Allied forces, the camp at Rehmsdorff was evacuated in great haste and the political prisoners of this camp were transported to the camp Theresienstadt.
At first the prisoners were transported by train and in goods-vans. We arrived by train at Marienbad, where, for causes I do not know, we had a delay of about one week. The vans with the prisoners were kept standing at the station. In the course of that week Allied bombers attacked the Marienbad station and in the confusion some 1000 prisoners escaped into the surrounding
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woods. Naturally the entire local service (the "S.S.", "Volkssturm" and "Hitler Jugend") was set to work to recapture the escaped prisoners and practically all prisoners, who of course wore their camp clothes and could easily be recognised, were recaptured. These prisoners, about a thousand men, were led back in groups to Marienbad station and there they were killed by the S.S. guards by a shot in the neck. As both engines of the train had been wrecked during the air attack, the prisoners had to walk all the way from Marienbad to Theresienstadt. Many among them were unable to go so far, and fell down along the road, totally exhausted; without exception these prisoners were murdered by the guards by a shot in the neck. That evening their bodies were removed with a lorry and buried in mass graves in the woods. Doubtless a good many of these corpses can still be identified, as they were clothed in camp dress, still bearing the registration numbers. However, in order to find these graves one must exactly know the road that was followed and the places of these graves, as these are situated in the center of the woods. I am fully prepared to assist in tracing them. When the transport started, I heard the S.S. guards saying that the total number of prisoners amounted to 2775. Only some of these prisoners have reached Theresienstadt. The others were murdered during the transport. Near Lobositz, about 7 kilometers from Theresienstadt, I myself escaped. The leader of the transport was the S.S.-Oberschar-fuehrer Schmidt, one of the henchmen of "Buehenwald," who also there behaved in the most scandalous way towards the prisoners, and who was known to be a sadist. This is all I can declare."
I, the undersigned, confirm that the above declaration has been made up in concept, and that accordingly it has not been signed.
This verbal process was made under oath of office, signed and concluded at Amsterdam, on March 18th 1946.
The Police Inspector and Special Constable, [signed] J. J. van Geelen.