Transport 53 from Drancy, Camp, France to Sobibor, Extermination Camp, Poland on 25/03/1943

On the same day, Roethke instructed the Police Prefect to transfer all French Jews who were not married to Aryans from Beaune-la-Rolande to Drancy, together with those Jews in the camp who met the criteria for deportation. Sylvain Kaufmann was one of the Jews transferred to Drancy from Beaune-la-Rolande. On the way, he cut out two panels at the side of the car without removing them, and waited for an opportunity to escape. At the last stop before Paris, one of the gendarmes who had left the passenger car leaned against Kaufmann's wagon and discovered the detached panels. Kaufmann describes what followed: “Whistles were heard, and the transport commander arrived. The car doors were opened, and a prompt investigation was carried out. All of the passengers were taken out of our car and put into others , except for me: I remained in the car, handcuffed and with two guards to watch over me.” Joseph Dunitz was arrested in February 1943 at the Parisian Metro. After the war, he testified to what took place prior to the departure from Drancy on March 25: “We were told, and we indeed believed, that we were being sent off to work […] the Jews have to take part in the war effort and not wander about in the cities of France.”...