Killing of Jews in the Pripet Marshes

Report

Impressions of the battle:

Population:

In many cases when the troops moved in we found that, according to a Ukrainian practice, a table with a white cloth had been prepared with bread and salt that was offered to the commanders. In one case there was even a small band of musicians to welcome the troops....

Type of land

...Jewish doctors were preferred. In the towns and villages it was also noticeable that only Jewish artisans were found. There was a large number of Jewish émigr?s from the Altreich [Germany before 1938] and the Ostmark [Austria]....

Pacification

Jewish looters were shot. Only a few skilled workers employed in the Wehrmacht repair workshops were permitted to remain.

The driving of women and children into the marshes did not have the expected success, because the marshes were not so deep that one could sink. After a depth of about a meter there was in most cases solid ground (probably sand) preventing complete sinking....

...The Ukrainian clergy were very cooperative and made themselves available for every Aktion.

It was also conspicuous that in general the population was on good terms with the Jewish sector of the population. Nevertheless they helped energetically in rounding up the Jews. The locally recruited guards, who consisted in part of Polish police and former Polish soldiers, made a good impression. They operated energetically and took part in the fight against looters....

The total number of looters, etc., shot by the Mounted Units was 6,526....

signed Magill

SS Sturmbannfuehrer