Transport VI from Caserne Dossin (Malines-Mechelen), Camp, Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Extermination Camp, Poland on 29/08/1942

The sixth transport from Mechelen to Auschwitz left on August 29, 1942 and comprised 1,000 deportees (415 men and 585 women). During the days prior to this transport (since transport V had left on August 25) a considerable buildup of 'volunteers' had been achieved. Following the first massive raid in Antwerp, the news of which had spread like wildfire, these volunteers were the last to follow Ehlers' summons for a labor intake and reported at Mechelen for work. It was also the last transport that relied on the collaboration of the AJB. On that same day, Robert Holzinger, the president of the AJB, directly responsible for the smooth flow of the compulsory registration and for the distribution of the labor draft, was killed by Jewish resistance fighters who hoped to stop the deportation of Jews from Belgium altogether. The result was that the BdS did not further rely on 'volunteers' to fill the deportation quota but mostly on individual arrests and on the large scale raids that began with the Antwerp raid on August 15. 823 deportees complied with their draft notice and came on their own to Mechelen. 261 Jews were brought by force. The drafters had been instructed to bring provisions for 14 days (non-perishable rations such as oat flakes and canned food), work boots, overalls and other indispensable clothes. Other items included a bowl and cup, ration coupons, clothing vouchers and identity papers. Compilation of the transport list began on August 19 and was finalized on August 27. Transport VI left Mechelen on August 29, the same day the Sipo-SD conducted its second extensive raid in Antwerp. 11% of the deportees were children under the age of 15. 90 of them came from the group of "volunteers" and 24 were among those who had been arrested. Only 11 deportees were over 60, thus demonstrating that during this phase of deportation the Sipo-SD was primarily still trying to recruit slave workers....