GENERAL REMARKS
The deportation period called the “Cosel period” runs from 28 August to 12 December 1942, because during that time a number of transports that left the Netherlands (and also from Belgium and France) were not transferred in their entirety to Auschwitz, but at the station Cosel (Upper Silesia, ± 80 K.M. west of Auschwitz), were divided in such a way that the men deemed fit by the Germans to perform work had to leave the train at that station to be put to work in surrounding labor camps, while those who remained on the train, i.e. the non-workfittest were subsequently sent to Auschwitz.
The transports during which this split took place were those on 28 and 31 August; 4, 7, 11 and 14 September; 2, 5, 16, 23 and 30 October; 2, 6, 10, 16, 24 and 30 November and 8 December 1942 had left Westerbork. The other transports in this period, namely those of 18, 21, 25 and 28 September; 9, 12, 19 and 26 October; 20 November and 4 and 12 December 1942, which came from Westerbork, were directed directly to Auschwitz in their entirety.
THE COSEL TRANSPORTS
The workfittest men, who were taken off the train in Cosel, werd generally in the age group of ±15 till 50 year, in some induvidual cases slightly older. Those, who remained on the train to transported to Auschwitz, were, broadly speaking, the older, weak or sickly men and the women and children. In general it can be stated that the latter groups werd killed by gassing immediately upon arrival at Auschwitz.
The exceptions to one rule (men who were able to work disembarked at Cosel) as well as to the other (all those sent to Auschwitz were immediately gassed) can be summarized as follows:
Those, who did not get out in Cosel:
A number of men who belonged to groups of different transports who were considered to be of working age and who coincidentally remained on the train during the rough selection in the nervous crowds and confusion at the Cosel station (names are of course only known to the extent that these testimonials or other documentation appear).
Those who were not immediately gassed in Auschwitz:
A number of men, mostly over 50 years old, from the transport of 14 September 1942 (names and dates of death are largely known because those involved were matriculated in Auschwitz and then taken to Golleschau.
Exceptions
Very few men, of whom the Auschwitz administration shows that they were matriculated (matricule numbers scattered between the series, so that the persons involved were apparently selected for employment by chance; names and some dates of death are known). For the men included in these exceptional cases, the conclusion to be explained below in Chapter III applies, that those whose date of death cannot be determined individually are deemed to have died, insofar as they belonged to the transports of Augustus and September 1942: no later than 31 December 1942.
In view of the foregoing, this chapter need only concern itself with the men who disembarked in Cosel and from there began their wanderings from one "Zwangarbeitslager" to another. Due to the numerous dislocations, the identification of places and dates of death pose no small difficulties for large groups of these men. However, there is one circumstance that provides important support for this conclusion, namely that the vast majority of them died over time (late 1942 to the first half of 1944) ended up in the large Blechhammer labor- and concentration camp.
Furthermore, since the number of survivors of the Cosel transports who stayed in Blechhammer is relatively very large (126 men in total), and most of them have been exhaustively interrogated regarding their encounters in that camp, it can be assumed that of all men , who have been in Blechhammer, the names from the interrogation reports are known. That is why the starting point for investigating and drawing up collective conclusions for most Cosel transports or parts thereof is the residence of those involved, whether or not in Blechhammer.
The transports or groups that are excluded from this are those that were taken to other camps ("Aussenkommandos") in the Auschwitz district instead of to Blechhammer before the major evacuation from the "Zwangsarbeitslager", i.e. Auschwitz I (the actual Auschwitz, to which Gleiwitz also belonged), Auschwitz II (Birkenau) or Auschwitz III (Monowitz), or to camps in the Gross Rosen resort. (X)
(X) Blechhammer (in Upper Silesia) also belonged to the "Stammlager" Auschwitz, most recently before the great evacuation under Auschwitz III. However, because of its size and its significance as a "Konzentrationslager", it is usually mentioned separately, as is Gleiwitz. Gross Rosen (in Lower Silesia) was another "Stammlager", also with several “Aussenkommandos”.
Overview of transport of 14 September 1942
Departed from Westerbork …………………………………………………… 14 September 1942
Number of deportees …………………………………………………………… 902
Men 15-50 years, disembarked at Cosel …………………………………..120
Route followed by most of the transport, i.e. camps were people stayed successively: Gogolin, Johannsdorf, Blechhammer.
Number of survivors …………………………………………………………….. 8
Four overviews, which successively include the data obtained from returnees regarding their arrival and departure respectively:
I ……. Blechhammer;
II ……. the Gross Rosen district;
III ……the Auschwitz district (I, II and III);
IV ..... Gleiwitz
The order I-IV of the overviews is related to the importance of the camps involved as reception centers for deportees from the Cosel transports.
I): Arrival and departure of representatives in and out of BLECHHAMMER: From the transport of 14 September 1942, arriving in Blechhammer:
A): 6 representatives ± 20 October 1942 from Johannsdorf with 150 to 200 Dutch people. Of these 6, 4 went with the evacuation transport and 2 were liberated in Blechhammer.
B): 1 representative from Seibersdorf (date and transport strength not specified).
II): Arrival and further transport of representatives in the GROSS ROSEN resort
From the transport of 14 September 1942: no one.
III): Arrival and onward transport of representatives in the AUSCHWITZ resort (excluding the Blechhammer and Gleiwitz camps).
From the transport of 14 September 1942: arrived in the Auschwitz district: 1 representative on 1 November 1943 from Schöppenitz in Birkenau (transport strength not stated). Further route: End of November 1943 to Warsaw or. July/Aug.43 to Dachau.
IV): Arrival and departure of representatives in and out of GLEIWITZ (excluding those who only visited GLEIWITZ on the evacuation transport).
None. Not applicable for the transport of 14 September 1942.
More about the transport of 14 September 1942.
This transport was transferred in its entirety from Cosel to the Gogolin transit camp. There were no deaths there. However, approximately 50 sick people were taken away to an unknown destination. It is not known with certainty whether these patients were all from the transport of 14 September 1942.
On 1 or 2 October 1942, the remaining part of the transport, with the exception of 2 "Sanitäter" known by name and 1 person, who followed a separate route, went entirely to Johannsdorf. This was a "good" camp, where no working was required. No one died and no one was put on sick-transport. On 21 or 23 October 1942, all, except a few skilled workers, who remained behind, were transported to Blechhammer. (Indeed, 88 men from this transport were found in Blechhammer from the ±120 men who got off in Cosel).
Those who were not among those 88 men and of whom nothing is known, must therefore have been placed on sick-transport from Gogolin. The conclusion formulated in paragraph 9 on page 19 applies to them. It follows from the foregoing that, apart from the general Blechhammer conclusion to be drawn up (see for the transport of 28 Aug 1942), no further conclusions need to be drawn for the present transport.
The conclusion, formulated under paragraph 9 on page 19 above:
Some general comments regarding the sick-transports: From various camps, sick-transports departed at certain, approximately known times, while witness statements reveal many names of men who were taken away in such transports. It is known that most of these transports had their destination: Birkenau (Auschwitz II), which generally meant that the victims involved were quickly gassed upon arrival there.
However, it has also emerged that a number of these transports indeed went to an "Erholungslager", a recovery camp, (for example Sakrau, Johannsdorf or at least one other camp), as was generally suggested to those involved. However, these "Erholungslager" (recovery camps) were not of such a quality that seriously ill people still had much chance of recovery. (and for the most part they were seriously ill, those who were put on sick-transport, of course because of the torture methods used). It even happened that food conditions in the "Erholungslager" (recovery camps) were even worse than in the labor camps. On the other hand, it may be assumed that something was heard of from those who actually recovered.
Furthermore, since as a rule the correct date, but the month in which any sick-transport departed, is not known, it could be concluded, with regard to those who have been taken away with a specific sick-transport, that, unless later their existence has become apparent, they will have died no later than the end of the month in which the transport took place.The place of death for those who were deported from Blechhammer could be: Auschwitz II (Birkenau), and for those who left other camps: one of the labor or concentration camps in Silesia. A conclusion that guarantees greater accuracy cannot be drawn.
From Appendix III
SUMMARY OF THE CONCLUSIONS for the "Coseltransport" of 14 September 1942
1): At the Cosel station - with exceptions – men got off, who were born after 17 September 1891 and before 7 September 1927.Those who did not disembark in Cosel must be considered to have died around 17 September 1942, unless it appears that they lived longer.
2): Those who were transported directly to Auschwitz and did not die immediately upon arrival must be considered to have died in or in the vicinity of Auschwitz: after 17 September 1942, but no later than 31 December 1942.
3): Those who have been placed on sick-transport from any camp and who have not been heard from since, must be considered to have died during the month in which the patient transport left. The place of death for those who were deported from Blechhammer is Auschwitz II (Birkenau) and for those who left other camps: one of the labor or concentration camps in Silesia (Poland).
SUMMARY OF THE CONCLUSIONS for the transport of 14 September 1942:
1): Unless it appears otherwise in individual cases and taking into account the general conclusions stated, the men who disembarked in Cosel must be considered to have died: after 17 September 1942, but no later than 31 October 1942, in one of the labor or concentration camps in Silesia (Poland).
Source: the archives of the Red Cross, publication “Auschwitz III”- the Cosel transports, edited October 1952; from chapter 1 page 6 sub 2; from chapter 2 page 8 sub 1,2 and 3a, page 9 A, page 10 D and sub 4, sub 5 from page 10 and 11, page 13,19 sub 9 sick-transports, page 20, 23, 28, 35, 45 and 46 and appendix III General Conclusions regarding the transport of 14 September 1942 from Westerbork to Auschwitz.