Friday. August 2. Red letter day. Got my first letter from Dad, full of news. Bucked me up no end; a letter sent to Karlsruhe. Miller got his first parcel from Scottish Rifles Fund. It will be jolly convenient if he gets all his from them as it will give us such variety, mine being R.A.F.
Tag: Karlsruhe
23 July 1918: POW Graudenz
Tuesday, July 23rd. Something has turned up. Two R.A.F. parcels for me direct from Hannover, probably in answer to my postcard giving my new address; dated June 19th from England. Jolly quick! There must be several other parcels between May 31 and June 19 wandering round Karlsruhe and Landshut after me. Distribution of a Red Cross parcel to every officer not yet in receipt of parcels. Miller gets one. You should just see the change in the spirits and in the faces of the fellows. I’m glad mine are turning up. It’s just fine to feel that the people at home are doing their best for us. Swopped an oz. of baccy for a small piece of soap, the first English soap I’ve had for four months. I have taken to a pipe and find it a great comfort; have written home for a good English pipe and some tobacco. Can’t quite understand why a parcel, sent off on June 19th, should still be addressed to Hannover if my letters got home all right.
11 May 1918
Saturday May 11th.
Brought out mysteriously one by one and catechised by an interpreter (It needs a nice discrimination to decide what questions to answer and what not to answer. It is manifestly absurd to irritate the man by refusing to answer such questions as <What H.P. had your engine?> when the machine is in their hands, while equally certainly you’re not going to give away any information of real value).
2 p.m. Sent to the main Karlsruhe camp. French colonels and majors. Serbian. Italian majors. Three of our own Brigadiers &c. Grub still average. Library. This place is too good to stop in for long.
10 May 1918
Friday. May 10th. Had a short railway journey to Karlsruhe, a very jolly/country town. Stuck in an ex-hotel there, and locked four in a room. Usual canteen things, cigarettes, sardines &c. brought up to us. We cashed cheques on the spot, I for £5.* Food quite good though distinctly more-ish and largely vegetarian. Still, after Rastatt, I’ll never grumble again – at least, not seriously.
* My Rastatt cheque has not materialised yet. May 28th