SOBIBÓR - Holocaust Handbooks

96 J. GRAF, T. KUES, C. MATTOGNO, SOBIBÓR
tricity. 227 It is thus fully possible that inmates heard the sound from an
engine used to generate electricity (or possibly a water pump engine)
and then ascribed to it a false, homicidal origin. 228
Observations of flames likewise do not prove mass killings. As will
be further discussed in the next chapter, a certain percentage of the deportees
died either in the camp or on their way to it. It is likely that
sooner or later their corpses were burned for hygienic reasons.
While mainstream Holocaust historians have it that the cremation of
victims at Sobibór began in early autumn 1942, 229 there are witnesses
contradicting this, such as Moshe Bahir, who describes his arrival at the
camp as follows: 230
“Behind the fence were huge piles of bundles and various personal
belongings, flames of fire and pillars of smoke which arose
from within the camp and, with their flickering light, tried to brighten
the evening twilight, and, above all, the smell of charred flesh
which filled the air.”
The witness claims to have arrived to Sobibór on April 20, 1942, 231
just a few days after the camp opened, and would therefore have been
unable to observe either flames from cremation pyres or huge piles of
personal belongings. Freiberg, who arrived some weeks later, writes on
the other hand that Sobibór “looked like a big farm where everything
appeared normal.” 232
As will be further discussed in the next chapter, the cremation of
hundreds of thousands of corpses on pyres would have required vast
amounts of firewood. However, most eyewitnesses appear completely
unaware of such a fuel supply. There is even confusion as to what kind
of fuel was used. The witness Kurt Thomas (alias Kurt Ticho) testified
227 C. Mattogno, J. Graf, op. cit. (note 10, Engl. ed.), pp. 70-73.
228 One should recall here that, although situated adjacent to Sobibór station, the distance
from the camp site to the actual village of Sobibór was about 4 kilometers. The nearest
village, ��obek, was located 3 kilometers to the west. Moreover, the area containing the
camp site, the station, and a saw mill was situated in the middle of a forest. It is therefore
possible that the camp was not linked to a power station, or, if it was, the capacity of the
line may well have been too low for the needs of the camp. It is further unlikely that the
camp was connected to a local water supply system.
229 Cf. chapter 4.
230 M. Novitch, op. cit. (note 39), p. 143.
231 Bahir’s testimony from the Eichmann trial on the other hand states that he arrived even
earlier, on March 20, 1942 (State of Israel, op. cit. (note 137), session 65). Bahir is clearly
not confused about the year, as he gives an account of Himmler’s visit at “the end of
July” (actually August 15), 1942.
232 M. Novitch, op. cit. (note 39), p. 73.