The Gas Vans: A Critical Investigation - Holocaust Handbooks

164 SANTIAGO ALVAREZ, THE GAS VANS
Ostrowski factory at Koo) and which was used to disinfect clothing
or which was a closed vehicle for transporting Jewish workers to the
forest, the statements that a fourth gassing vehicle had allegedly existed
should be considered with some skepticism, as it is possible
that there is an error due to the reasons mentioned above.”
Had Bednarz been consequential, the fact that some witnesses falsely
identified the Ostrowski Magirus as “the gas van,” whereas others
saw a mere disinfestation vehicle in it, should have cautioned him not
just about the purpose of the Ostrowski Magirus, but about all trucks
claimed to have been gas vans. After all, if some witnesses were wrong
about the Ostrowski truck, the others could have been just as wrong
with their claims. The only difference here is that their claims could not
be refuted due to the lack of any trace of any other truck. But the lack of
evidence can never be summoned in support of a claim.
It may be considered a certainty that the innocuous Ostrowski truck
was indeed used in one way or other in and around Chemno. But if so,
how can we be sure that any sighting by witnesses of a similar truck
wasn’t just as harmless a vehicle as the Ostrowski truck? Maybe all
sightings actually concerned this truck?
Bednarz continues his train of thought as follows (ibid., pp. 24f.):
“The [gas] vehicles were often damaged, and the
Sonderkommando made the mistake of not having their own repair
shops. So the vehicles […] had to be brought to the workshops at
Koo […], whose staff was composed almost entirely of Poles. This
enabled simple mechanics such as Piaskowski – card 16, [87] Falborski
– card 28, Rossa – card 43, Makowski – card 30, Fójcik – card
222, Junkiert – card 320, Lewandowski – card 189, Jankowski –
card 117, to get to know the structure of the vehicles. All these witnesses
were examined at different times and even in different locations.
Each of them made a sketch with their own hand of the exhaust
pipe and of its entrance to the inside of the vehicle.
The testimony of the interrogated drivers and mechanics are
completely compatible with one another and can be used to discuss
the details of the gassing vehicle’s design. The exhaust pipe ran underneath
the car, and at half of its length it was connected with a
pipe section in the cargo box floor (pursuant to the technical details
87 “card” refers to the card numbers of the file system Bednarz had used during his investigation
(“karta ledztwa III 13/45 NT”; Bednarz 1946c, p. 12, footnote); if have not yet
been able to review these other witness statements.