The Numbers of Hell: Transport December 16, 1944

It is impossible to get a true sense of the brutality in KZ Flossenbürg if you haven’t been there yourself. We do well to read as many testimonies as possible, but just by looking at the numbers, you realize it was a true “death factory.”

The arrival of C.J. Droesbeke
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On December 16, 1944 – the same day the Battle of the Bulge began – C.J. Droesbeke arrived in Flossenbürg. Two transports arrived that day:

**Transport 1 (Staatspolizeistelle Chemnitz)**: 56 men, including 25 Belgians, 16 French, 11 Dutch, 2 Poles, and 2 Czechs.
**Transport 2 (Staatspolizeistelle Nürnberg-Fürth)**: 95 men, including 57 Belgians and 38 French.

In total, 151 prisoners arrived that day. They were assigned camp numbers between 37,791 and 39,941. C.J. Droesbeke was part of the second transport and received number 39,888.

A survival rate of 12%
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Of these 151 people, 74 were sent on to other camps. Of the 77 prisoners who remained in Flossenbürg, ultimately only 9 would survive. C.J. Droesbeke was one of them.

This means that no less than 88% did not survive the horror. For those who did not make it, the struggle lasted an average of only 70 days. Six of them even died less than 15 days before liberation. The numbers speak for themselves.

Testimony of Richard Coudenijs
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In the book Testimonies from the Concentration Camps (Martin Heylen & Marc Van Hulle), Richard Coudenijs speaks about his brief but traumatic stay:

On March 13, 1945, Richard moved to Flossenbürg for only five days, but that was enough to realize what a hellish place it was. ‘Upon our arrival, as entertainment for the German camp guards, a prisoner was beaten to death at my feet. “I must stay out of their hands,” I immediately thought. A little further on, a newly arrived disabled prisoner was given a lethal injection, after which he immediately collapsed dead. Yes, I still consider myself lucky that they only kept me there for five days…’

List 16/12/1944
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Below is the list of the 151 prisoners who arrived in Flossenbürg on 16/12/1944:

KZ Flossenbürg No. ⇅	Nationality ⇅	Last Name ⇅	First Name ⇅	Date of Birth ⇅	Place of Birth ⇅	Date of Death ⇅	Age upon arrival ⇅	Occupation ⇅
39791	Czech	Spot	Karel	22-8-1920	Tocnik		24	Civil servant
39792	Czech	Blazek	Jaroslav	11-8-1917	Zasada	15-4-1945	27	Druggist
39793	Belgian	Verhellen	André	7-3-1910	Brussels	6-3-1945	34	Printer
39794	Dutch	Hendriks	Dzienus	9-3-1924	Musselkanaal		20	Accountant
39795	Dutch	Merlent	Gerhard	9-9-1918	Koudekerke	19-2-1945	26	Cook
39796	Belgian	Aerts	Jan	20-6-1924	Begijnendijk	16-3-1945	20	Forwarder
39797	Belgian	Macquart	Lucien	20-12-1917	Tournai		26	Turner
39798	Belgian	Stiell	Raoul	20-10-1912	Brussels	4-2-1945	32	Employee
39799	Belgian	Addans	Frederic	15-10-1912	Vorst		32	Turner
39800	Belgian	Impatient	Felix	5-1-1913	Brussels		31	Laborer
39801	Belgian	Pype	Henricus	8-12-1923	Beveren - Roeselare	22-2-1945	21	Merchant-Interpreter
39802	Belgian	Van Muysewinkel	Josepf	21-3-1918	St. Pieters Leeuw	19-3-1945	26	Miller
39803	Dutch	Jansen	Lucas	31-12-1920	Groningen	8-3-1945	23	Merchant
39804	Dutch	Bogers	Hendricus	30-11-1919	Breda		25	Bench fitter
39805	Dutch	Weenink	Cornelis	23-5-1921	Utrecht	24-2-1945	23
39806	French	Montagut	Marcelin	4-11-1922	Bordeaux		22	Plumber
39807	Belgian	Lappere	Marcel	13-9-1924	Wevelgem		20	Driver
39808	Pole	Pawolik	Ludwik	21-5-1902		24-3-1945	42
39809	Dutch	Dekens	Bernardus	15-6-1920	Exloo	10-2-1945	24	Miller
39810	Belgian	Dallequin	Nestor	19-12-1923	Poperinge		20	Farmer
39811	French	Perrier	Jean	1-6-1923	Saint Etienne Loire		21	Turner
39812	Dutch	Olinga	Mathias	7-12-1923	Groningen	12-5-1945	21	Metalworker
39813	Belgian	Jacobs	Gerard	31-8-1921	Kotem		23	Mechanic
39814	Belgian	Vereruysse	Albert	3-9-1923	Elsegem	9-3-1945	21	Farmer
39815	Belgian	De Kesel	Honoré	28-8-1919	Lovendegem	19-2-1945	25	Farmer
39816	Dutch	Jepma	Johannes	3-11-1922	Harlingen	22-1-1945	22	Turner
39817	Dutch	Stevens	Pieter	20-8-1920	Rouiner Wold	10-4-1945	24	Caretaker
39818	Dutch	Groenwold	Reinder	6-8-1923	Start-Kannal		21	Metalworker
39819	French	Lemaire	Gerard	12-9-1912	Saint-Andre	16-3-1945	32	Director (textiles)
39820	Belgian	Declercq	Philippe	14-9-1924	Vilvoorde		20	Mason
39821	French	Delaunay	Leon	30-11-1908	Viebogau		36	Farmer
39822	Dutch	Welterz	Elzo	23-9-1923	Oude Pekela	4-2-1945	21	Turner
39823	French	Beauvais	Camille	12-4-1910	Paris	2-4-1945	34	Papermaker
39824	Pole	Wabik	Jan	6-2-1926	Radom		18	Bench fitter
39825	French	Maja	Emile	21-6-1924	Lyon		20	Mechanic
39826	Belgian	Lhoir	Raymond	10-6-1923	Villeneuwe la Gyard	19-2-1945	21	Barber
39827	Belgian	Verbinnen	Prudent	14-1-1924	St Pieters Rode	/	20	Farmer
39828	Belgian	Minner	Felix	30-10-1913	Pamel	16-2-1945	31	Leather worker
39829	French	Danieul	Albert	12-12-1923	Paris		21
39830	Belgian	Geyssens	Ludowikus	21-9-1900		9-3-1945	44	Carpenter
39831	Belgian	Heyvaert	Hendrik	16-9-1922	Marchelen		22	Cook
39832	Belgian	Lodewiks	Henri	29-3-1923	Schaarbeek	26-3-1945	21	Barber
39833	Belgian	Robyns	Guillaume	1-2-1903	Leuven	10-2-1945	41	Transporter
39834	Belgian	Kuipers	Antoun	2-10-1921	Marseille	6-3-1945	23	Driver
39835	French	Duteil	Henri	26-4-1915	Genevilie	9-3-1945	29	Cook
39836	French	Gastel	André	26-6-1920	Saint Aubin le Cloud	11-1-1945	24	Turner
39837	French	Hamel	Denis	16-1-1916	Mers-les-Bains		28	Car mechanic
39838	French	Malett	Maurice	8-1-1908	Marseille		36	Car mechanic
39839	French	Maniez	Marcel	10-7-1921	Vendin les Bethunes	21-1-1945	23	Miner
39840	French	Debrigode	Georges	17-7-1895	Vervins		49	Mechanic
39841	Belgian	Van Hecke	Henri	20-2-1898	Ixelles	7-2-1945	46	Painter
39842	Belgian	Bonnier	Pierre	19-12-1921	Ottignies		22	Farm laborer
39843	French	Dischler	Paskal	24-9-1911	Lisieux		33	Teacher
39844	French	Chabot	Emil	21-6-1922	Angouleme	16-3-1945	22	Laborer
39845	Belgian	Van Eenoo	André	5-8-1920	Torhout	10-2-1945	24	Baker
39846	French	Renoncet	Raymond	15-8-1922	Villantroix		22	Bench fitter
39847	Belgian	Lambotte	Emile	29-6-1913	Liège		31	Miner
39848	Belgian	Puystiens	Gerard Isidoore	26-5-1922	Oostduinkerke	10-1-1945	22	Baker
39849	French	Olivier	Guy	10-6-1920	Tours		24
39850	Belgian	Lambert	Georges	1-10-1909	Havreille	2-2-1945	35
39851	Belgian	Goyvaerts	Henri Frans Maria	15-1-1922	Bouchout	11-1-1945	22	Turner
39852	French	Streel	René Marcel Gilles	2-2-1919	Roi Luxembourg		25	Metalworker
39853	French	Mizera	Josef	18-3-1915	Cschechowitze	6-3-1945	29	Miner
39854	Belgian	Peeraer	Alois Benait Marc	19-5-1905	Turnhout		39	Merchant
39855	Belgian	Laloy	Gaston Nikolas	31-5-1923	Ixelles		21	Mechanic
39856	Belgian	Rabau	Jean Jacques Maurice	7-9-1922	Mendock		22	Assistant mechanic
39857	French	Vanghelle	Jean Celestin	16-12-1913	Lens		31	Salesman-Driver
39858	Belgian	Pauwels	Pierre Jean Joseph	21-2-1907	Molenbeek		37	Masseur
39859	Belgian	Peeraer	Alfons	21-7-1922	Turnhout		22	Student
39860	French	Dubois	Desire Leon	22-8-1896	Noyelles sur selles		48	Warehouse worker
39861	French	Doyen	Noel	25-12-1925	Thyle chateau	29-1-1945	18	Metalworker
39862	French	Laplume	Eugène Jules Joseph	26-6-1925	La Bourse		19	Butcher
39863	French	Dubois	Anselme	26-2-1921	Colonne-Rucouart		23	Miner
39864	Belgian	Beuten	Willy Leopold	11-4-1917	Ledeberg		27	Driver
39865	Belgian	Desloover	Jerôme Cyriel	22-2-1922	Rosult		22	Driver
39866	French	Langrand	Adrien	29-4-1918	Ohain		26	Metalworker
39867	French	Doolaghe	Albert	21-2-1914	Colonne-Rucouart		30	Miner
39868	French	Samiez	Henri François	27-4-1909	Cominnes	8-4-1945	35	Electrician
39869	Belgian	Meunier	Victor	10-12-1921	Messancy		23	Blast furnace worker
39870	French	Roux	Kleber	29-5-1923	Juimont		21	Baker
39871	Belgian	Burnay	Erasme	19-5-1925	Dinant		19	Metalworker
39872	French	Fillatre	Roger	11-9-1920	Le Havre		24	Mechanic
39873	French	Blairon	Emmanuel	21-9-1911	Maubeuge		33	Driver
39874	Belgian	Verbeke	Kamiel Petrus Joseph	18-3-1915	Oudenbourg		29
39875	Belgian	De Clerck	Leopold Jean	15-3-1919	Brussels		25	Welder
39876	Belgian	Chevalier	Jules	13-1-1898	Evrehailles		46
39877	French	Barrois	Jean Baptiste	25-5-1926	Marles les Mines		18	Miner
39878	French	Lambert	Maurice Henri	10-3-1912	Pre st. Gervais		32	Metal polisher
39879	French	Regnault	Louis Auguste	10-11-1907	Loisy sur Marne		37	Merchant
39880	Belgian	Jacques	Fernand	26-5-1897	Tubize		47	Machinist
39881	French	Thomas	Pierre	23-1-1926	Paris		18	Miner
39882	French	Coupet	Henri Charles	21-3-1924	Beuvry		20
39883	French	Leys	Paul	26-7-1919	Leers		25	Driver
39884	French	Louvet	Jules	18-10-1912	Annequine	18-1-1945	32
39885	Belgian	Tutelaire	Camille Leopold	14-6-1901	Neuville		43	Painter
39886	French	Michaux	Hermand Paul	21-1-1903	Aiseau		41	Metalworker
39887	Belgian	Goyvaerts	Karel	22-6-1925	Bouchout		19	Tailor
39888	Belgian	Droesbeke	Constant Julien	25-4-1907	Anderlecht		37	Photographer
39889	Belgian	Dedobbeleer	Josef	12-10-1886	Mark	24-1-1945	58
39890	French	Cardinal	François	13-6-1911	Maubeuge		33	Sawyer
39891	Belgian	Le bacq	Horace Ghislain	20-5-1906	Couillet	6-2-1945	38
39892	Belgian	Huens	Robert Ghislin Alexis	30-11-1910	Charleroi	21-2-1945	34
39893	Belgian	Jooris	André	2-5-1910	Brussels	22-4-1945	34
39894	Belgian	Papa	Julien	2-10-1910	Andenne		34
39895	Belgian	Delfosse	Lucien	10-3-1911	Liège	23-3-1945	33	Ship captain
39896	Belgian	Richard	Marcel Paul Marc	23-10-1914	Louvignies	28-1-1945	30	Electrotechnical engineer
39897	French	Luciez	Jean	10-11-1920	Louvignies	6-3-1945	24	Metalworker
39898	Belgian	Heuse	Maurice Karl Emile	2-8-1922	Bressoux	21-3-1945	22	Merchant
39899	Belgian	Tricot	Jules Raymond	20-10-1908	Wavre		36	Mathematician
39900	Belgian	Wouters	Albert	8-8-1917	Antwerp	22-2-1945	27
39901	Belgian	Van Elder	Jacques Leon Maria	29-4-1921	Brussels	16-3-1945	23
39902	French	Van Hecke	Alfred	9-2-1908	Waterlau		36	Bench fitter
39903	French	Hocq	Aurelien	7-5-1900	Burbur	17-1-1945	44	Miner
39904	French	Vasseur	Philomon	21-9-1921	Mars-Les-Mines		23	Miner
39905	Belgian	Louis	Roger Aimé	5-6-1913	Falisolle		31	Electrotechnical engineer
39906	Belgian	Todts	Alfons	27-8-1922	Temse	27-1-1945	22	Mechanic
39907	French	Desfontaines	Casimir	4-3-1923	Allouagne	16-3-1945	21	Miner
39908	French	Manard	Albert Louis Fabien	29-4-1912	Anzin	22-2-1945	32	Teacher
39909	French	Masse	Georges	2-3-1906	Raismes	3-4-1945	38	Mechanic
39910	Belgian	Latour	Baudoin	5-9-1907	Goyer	31-1-1945	37
39911	French	Potier	Jules	11-3-1908	Haunot		36	Electrotechnician
39912	Belgian	Leonard	Marcel	27-4-1921	Chaudfontaine		23	Metalworker
39913	Belgian	Raskin	Charles Pierre Joseph	3-12-1920	Angleur		24	Metalworker
39914	Belgian	Bouvy	Paul Diedonne Joseph	23-1-1911	Liège	13-4-1945	33	Metalworker
39915	Belgian	Destree	Marcelin Francois	4-5-1917	Rouvreux	22-2-1945	27
39916	Belgian	Lekeu	Walter	12-4-1919	Adrimont	16-3-1945	25	Laborer
39917	Belgian	Gillet	Paul Pierre Antoine	27-4-1915	Limbourg		29	Employment office worker
39918	Belgian	Aerts	Josef	8-3-1918	Vosselaar		26	Teacher
39919	Belgian	Deckx	Edward	27-4-1903	Mol		41	Garage owner
39920	Belgian	Lenaerts	Albert	12-9-1915	Turnhout	16-2-1945	29
39921	Belgian	Bouffioux	Guy Nestor	7-8-1911	Ixelles	19-3-1945	33	Electrician
39922	Belgian	De Landstheer	Tony Jean Albert	25-6-1906	Dendermonde	19-3-1945	38
39923	Belgian	Vanhee	Richard	7-3-1901	Bissegem	12-1-1945	43
39924	Belgian	Verlent	Pierre	10-7-1918	Etterbeek	5-3-1945	26	Laborer
39925	Belgian	Becker	Roger Clement	20-6-1922	Jodoigne		22	Electrotechnician
39926	French	Carton	Gerard	18-11-1918	Lacelle		26	Carpenter
39927	Belgian	Ducamp	Christian Amoury	15-1-1905	La Roche	18-2-1945	39
39928	Belgian	Schoesetters	Gerard	27-3-1902	Hemiksem	9-3-1945	42
39929	French	Beudaert	Felicien	13-10-1916	Annequin		28	Electrician
39930	Belgian	Megens	Emmanuel	15-3-1920	Anderlecht	19-2-1945	24	Electrotechnician
39931	Belgian	Bonvoisin	Joseph André	19-11-1911	Bressoux	23-1-1945	33	Metalworker
39932	Belgian	Michel	François Sylvain	21-5-1901	Nivelles		43
39933	French	Mairesse	Gaston Louis	26-6-1923	Avesnes Help		21	Metalworker
39934	French	Wautier	Emile	26-1-1905	Etroeingt		39	Mechanic
39935	French	Bougis	Maurice	13-4-1922	Nantes	28-3-1945	22	Driver
39936	French	Bragard	Joseph	25-10-1903	Allondrelle	11-4-1945	41	Shoemaker
39937	French	Lancelle	Louis	1-1-1914	Bouvins	8-2-1945	30	Gardener
39938	Belgian	Meeusen	Constant Carl	19-11-1902	Antwerp	16-2-1945	42
39939	Belgian	Jehu	Maurice Joseph	21-5-1910	Thuin	24-4-1945	34	Electrician
39940	Belgian	Terrijn	Henri Emile Anatole	20-9-1911	Wetteren	19-1-1945	33	Electrotechnician
39941	Belgian	Delchambre	Antoon	8-7-1893	Vedrin	9-1-1945	51

The arrival of C.J. Droesbeke#

A survival rate of 12%#

Testimony of Richard Coudenijs#

List 16/12/1944#

The arrival of C.J. Droesbeke
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A survival rate of 12%
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Testimony of Richard Coudenijs
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List 16/12/1944
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