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

(49) DEPOSITION OF NIKOLAJ KALENIKOW (U.S.S.R., aged 25)

2. After leaving Dora Camp I spent two days in Ellrich Camp and was in Block 19. On 15th June, 1945, I was shown by Sergeant Scamans, 86 Special Investigation Section, Corps of Military Police, a man whom I recognised as the Kapo in charge of this block. I knew him by the name of Ostrowski, but I have now been informed that his full name is Vladislav Ostrowoski.

3. During the two days I spent at Ellrich Camp one of the prisoners excreted outside Block 19. The punishment for this, ordered by Ostrowoski, was that the men of Block 19, totalling approximately 900 men, had to remain for three hours in a squatting position. Ostrowoski beat any prisoners with a stick if they moved their position or spoke. He hit them on all parts of their bodies and as further punishment no food was given at all that day. I also saw, during the two days at Ellrich, Ostrowoski beat many prisoners for no reason at all. He mainly used a broken soup-ladle handle, which was made of metal and wood. I saw many dead bodies taken away after the victims had been beaten by Ostrowoski.

4. Whilst at Belsen I was in Block 19 and Ostrowoski was acting in the capacity of a camp policeman. When prisoners lined up for food he would go down the line beating and hitting men with a wooden stick for no reason at all.

5. Early one morning, just before the British liberated the camp, Ostrowoski ordered all men in Block 19 on parade, including the sick. One of the sick prisoners, either a Frenchman or a Belgian, who I knew by the name of Albert, was so sick that he could not move. I saw Ostrowoski approach this man and hit him on the head. He was carrying something in his hand at the time, but I could not see what it was. The blow that the prisoner received from Ostrowski resulted in his death, as I helped to carry many dead bodies on to a heap outside Block 19 and the body of this man was amongst them.