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

(51) DEPOSITION OF ROLF KLINK (Austrian, aged 37)

1. I knew Keith Meyer [Mayor] when he came to Sachsenhausen Camp. When he arrived, he and at least three other English [British] men dressed in uniform of the British soldiers were kept separate from the rest. I used to see him doing his marching. I and two others were able to approach them to bring them food. I speak English and we became friends. There was another one called Alfred Monroe, and these two men were the survivors of the English [British] soldiers. Meyer [Mayor]and Monroe were forgotten at Sachsenhausen when the others went to transports. I used sometimes to organise jams for Meyer [Mayor]. When we were moved from Sachsenhausen to this camp, I suggested that he should be registered as Dutch, because then they would take less notice of him and we did this. Here he felt ill in the stomach and had a bad right foot. One night he said, "Rolf I am so weak that I feel I have a high temperature." The next day he could not get up and said, "I feel I have got typhus." Next morning we sent him to Block 17. I saw him every day. He asked me for jam and Swedish bread, and I got it for him. One afternoon I was called by Emmerich. He had two numbers and told me to find them, saying that they had forgotten to send these two for a transport. I called the chief of the blocks, asking them if they had people of this number. The chief of Block 17 said, "He is here, but he has typhus." So I went with him. It was then that I remembered that this number was Keith’s number. I went back to Emmerich and told him, "One number we have. The man is in hospital with typhus and cannot go." He said, "Is he very ill?" I said, "Yes." So Emmerich went away. At ten o’clock in the evening I was told by Emmerich to get Keith Meyer[Mayor]. Emmerich went away and the new Unterscharführer waited. When the medical orderly was sent for Meyer [Mayor], Meyer [Mayor] came back with him. The Unterscharführer told me to put down Meyer’s [Mayor]name and date of birth. Meyer [Mayor] held my hand to support himself and whispered his name, date, month and year. Then the Unterscharführer went four or five steps to the door. Keith said, "I know you love England. When you get there tell the truth." That was all. We had often talked of going to England together after the war. England was my second country.