General Notes
In 1943 two deportation periods can be distinguished, namely: the period from 11 January to 23 February 1943, during which 9 transports left directly for Auschwitz, namely 8 from Westerbork and 1 from Apeldoorn (for brevity to be called "Spring Transports 1943") and the period from 24 August to 16 November 1943, in which 8 transports left directly for Auschwitz, namely 7 from Westerbork and 1 from Vught (called "Autumn Transports 1943").
To a greater extent than the Auschwitz transports of autumn 1942, the spring transports of 1943 had the character of extermination transports, accentuated above all by the fact that they were largely composed of older and less able-bodied persons who were not eligible for employment and were therefore destined to be gassed immediately upon arrival at Auschwitz. The number of women is also predominant.
Whether or not related to the composition and size of these transports, it is in any case worth mentioning a secret order (the only one of this nature known) from the head of the "Reichs Sicherheits-Hauptamt", ordering the deportation of 45000 persons of Jewish blood, of which 3000 from the Netherlands, in the period from 11 to 31 January 1943.
This order was complied with by the "Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei" in the Netherlands by organizing 5 deportation-transports, on 11, 18, 23 and 29 January 1943 from Westerbork and on 22 January 1943 from Apeldoorn ("Apeldoornse Bosch-transport"), a total of 3594 persons. Afterwards, 4 more transports left Westerbork during this period, on 2, 9, 16 and 23 February 1943 respectively, together comprising 4283 people.
Below is an overview of the spring transport of 9 February 1943, stating their strength and composition, broken down by M/F and age groups.
Departure from Westerbork to Auschwitz 9 February 1943
Number of deportees ………………………....... 1184, of which M: 476 and F: 708
Persons over 50 years ………………………………649, of which M: 225 and F: 424
Children under 16 years …………………………. 154, of which M: 73 and V: 81
Persons between 16 and 50 years ………….. 381, of which M: 178 and F: 203
Of which 16-17 year olds………………………….. 13, of which M: 7 and F: 6
Of which 18-35 year olds……………………….. 176, of which M: 85 and F: 91
Of which 36-40 year olds ………………………… 66, of which M: 30 and F: 36
Of which 41-50 year olds………………………... 126, of which M: 56 and V: 70
A total of 12 surviving Men.
The transport of 9 February 1943 from Westerbork tot Auschwitz
In contrast to the other transports already discussed, quite a lot is known about the fate of those deported in this transport, among other things because 12 men have repatriated. As regards the general course of events upon arrival at Auschwitz, the statements of these survivors are consistent in that at the immediately held "selection" (i.e. on 12 February 1943), all women and children and older men, as well as some younger men, who did not choose to walk or who did want to stay with their wives (the names of the latter are of course only known if they were mentioned by witnesses), were loaded onto cars and taken to the gas chambers.
Nevertheless, a letter was received from Birkenau on 7 September 1943 from one woman, then 25 years old, who is listed as a nurse on the transport list. Apparently, as happened with other medical and nursing staff, she was taken out of the group intended for gassing at the last minute to be employed in her profession in the camp. Also because all the other women were never heard from again after the day of arrival, she can apparently be regarded as an exceptional case.
Survivors' estimates of the number of men employed range from 100 to 200, and of their ages from 16/18 to 40 years. The reconstructed fragment of the matricule series runs from 100852 (A) to 100963 (W) and therefore includes 112 names.
Taking into account that there may be some numbers before the A and after the W, it can therefore be assumed that a total of ±120 men have been matriculated. With the exception of one boy aged 15 and 2 men aged 42 and 48 respectively, the known matriculated are indeed all aged 16 to 40.
Since, furthermore, according to the above-mentioned statement, the total number of men in this age group is 122, i.e. slightly more than the probable number of matriculated, and one of the survivors also states that the order was given that the "workable/arbeitsfähige" men up to the age of 40 had to come foreward, it can be safely assumed that, with a few exceptions, men aged 16-40 are employed. With the exception of two carpenters, they were all transferred to Monowitz.
However, only the names of 18 men appear in Monowitz's "Krankenbau" administration, which must of course be mainly attributed to the fact that the surviving part of this administration only starts with 7 July 1943, ending 19 June 1944.
Letters were received from a total of 27 men, most recently from 8 men on 7 Sept.1943 from Monowitz, from 7 men on 7 Apr.1944 from Monowitz, from 4 men on 7 Sept.1943 from Birkenau, from 7 men on 8 Nov.1943 from Birkenau and from 1 man on 7 Apr.1944 from Birkenau. Eight of these letter writers have been repatriated.
"Fragebogen" (Questionaires) have been found belonging to 18 men, including those of 4 letter writers and 9 returnees. Furthermore, the names of 2 men were found in the "Krankenbau" administration of Auschwitz.
A total of 34 dates of death are known (32 of which are from the Auschwitz "Number Death Book". Of these there are: February 1943, 6; March 1943, 12; April 1943, 5; May 1943, 4; June 1943, 3; July 1943, 1; August 1943, 1 and April 1945, 2.
To a greater extent than with the previous transport, it must be taken into account when assessing these figures that they contain gassing cases, which could be verified on the basis of the discharges from the "Krankenbau" Monowitz to Birkenau if the administration of this furnishings would have been completely preserved, would not have been processed. In fact, especially for this transport, with regard to the employed persons, about whose fate no individual information is known, there is only solid ground for the conclusion that they died before 7 July 1943 (X)
(X) On the basis of general statistical data, the Committee for Reporting the Death of Missing Persons also takes 30 April 1943 as the latest date of death, taking as considering exceptional cases, the number of those among them of whom it is certain that they were still alive after that date is already 49 (including 12 survivors, 10 letter writers, of whom no other information is known, 11 men, who, according to administrative data, subsequently died, and 16 men of whom subsequent changes of a different nature are stated in the administration).
Sources: the archives of the Red Cross, publication “Auschwitz IV” edited October 1953, Spring transports 1943, pages 5, 21, 23 and paged 34 till 37 – the transport of 9 February 1943 described.