Transport from Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece to Auschwitz Birkenau, Extermination Camp, Poland on 03/04/1943

On April 3, 1943, the sixth transport left Thessaloniki. 2,500 Jews were included in this transport. Eliyahu Cohen had been transferred with his family to the Baron Hirsch ghetto three days prior to his deportation. “A massive number of people were pushed and crammed into each car, approximately 80-90 people who were allocated in two thirds of the wagon. The third one, in the center, where the doors were, was designated to two German soldiers guarding us…Elderly people and infants died in the cars during the journey because of lack of water, air and the fact it was so crowded...”. The deportees arrived in Auschwitz on April 9, seven days after their departure. Cohen recalls: “We suddenly felt the train came to a stop and the doors were opened. People in prisoners' outfits came towards us along with German soldiers who approached each wagon and started screaming ‘Raus! Raus!’ (Out! Out!)”. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, 318 men were admitted into the camp and tattooed with numbers 112974-113291. 161 women were also admitted and tattooed with the numbers 40280-40440. The remaining Jews were murdered in the gas chambers immediately upon arrival. A few weeks later, an additional 20 women were gassed in a selection on August 21, 1943.