DR ENGELS, CONCENTRATION CAMP SOLO

DR. ENGELS, CONCENTRATION CAMP SOLO

Slowly the dark night changed into another very hot day in camp Solo. Everyone was busy to get ready as soon as possible to be in time for the big roll call on the large spacious front square of the old part of this huge internment camp. The old part used to be a mental hospital for severe patients and now it was the largest women’s camp in Solo.
Our Japanese commander (Toewan Jap besar) was receiving very distinguished visitors, various pompous and dressed in gorgeous uniforms little Japanese, this for the glory of the commander, who wanted to make a good impression on these highly-placed gentlemen with his camp. Everyone had to be at the square and with everyone he also meant the sick from the infirmary. Still hungry everyone walked in silence to the large square wondering what would happen next. Every time it was a mystery to me, how all these hungry women still could give each other terrific recipes. At a certain moment we all stood in the right place with our barrack head and you could see how big the camp was and how many women there were in this camp. All names were called, everybody was there also the sick and half dead, it didn’t matter how you felt, you had to be there other wise the “kempetai” (something like the Gestapo) would come and take you away. All these rows full of women, children, sick, disabled and nuns stood perfectly still in the sweltering heat. In front of us was the large covered terrace, where a long table was placed with chairs behind it. After leaving us standing there for a quarter of an hour, the highly-placed men came out from aside the porch and sat down on their chairs. As last one the camp commander sat down with his shining sword. Suddenly there was a big commotion from where the beds of the sick were and before we knew it our only female physician, Dr. Engels was there, who initially had refused to take the dying people outside, but had done it because her helpers had pointed out to her, that they would be punished if she didn’t do it, because everyone had to be there.
From that corner came much noise of the wailing and sobbing of the very sick people in the scorching sun. Many fainted in their beds and nobody could do anything for them. The sun rose higher, the heat became even worse. Also in our group people fainted, children and babies began to moan. Desperate mothers tried to help them, but they also didn’t know what to do. Sweat gushed from you and you got a shortage of liquid. We were overcome by hunger, thirst and fatigue. On the porch the Japanese had an elaborate meal and drinks, served by Indonesian men, while our commander as proud as a peacock walked back and forth. Coming out of the blue Dr. Engels suddenly was on the porch and walked toward the commander with large steps and before anyone realized she venomously spoke to him without having bend for him first. Before anyone had got over the first fright, a terrible tragedy took place before all our eyes. The commander roared that she had to bow. She just kept nodding, she screamed about the dying and the sick. He slapped her in the middle of her face, she gave him a slap back. Deathly silence followed. All hell broke loose. He hit her again and she grabbed his sword. Even as a child, you knew this was completely wrong. Then before our eyes, she was beaten up by him with a whip. There she lay, a heap of misery, screaming in pain and was dragged away by two guards to the house outside the yard. Everybody knew that from there you didn’t come out alive. As punishment we had to stay on the square until deep into the night without food or drink and hear the screams coming from that little house just behind us, outside the yard. It slowly became softer and then suddenly it stopped. Around midnight we all were allowed to go. Totally gutted and devastated everyone went to their own barracks. First we drank as much as possible and then cleaned ourselves, because while on the square we just had to relieve ourselves there and then. Completely broken we went to bed. I don’t think anyone, big or small, will ever forget Dr. Engels. How pointless it all was and such a pity to loose such a sweet young doctor this way.
Dinkie