Tag: Prisoner of war

31 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Wednesday July 31, 1918, Graudenz: "opportunities for learning"
Wednesday, July 31, 1918: “opportunities for learning”

Wednesday. July 31st.     Got an R.A.F. parcel yesterday, one today, and hear that I’m getting two tomorrow.  So now it seems as though I’m fairly embarked on calm weather as regards food parcels – and even should mine slacken off somewhat, Miller’s should be arriving very shortly.  Only clothes worry me now.  I’ll make no further mention of the arrival of food parcels, as I keep a special note of them, and of letters, in another book.  The R.A.F. application for our removal to a special R.A.F. camp has been officially rejected; and I must say I’m jolly glad.  In no other camp would I get the fine opportunities for learning Spanish and French, and for chess as well, which I find here.

26 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Friday July 26, 1918, Graudenz: "a most glorious hash"
Friday, July 26, 1918: “a most glorious hash”

Friday. July 26th.     Nothing worth mentioning except a midday meal, a most glorious hash of my composition.  Recipe:- 1 tin bully beef. 1 cooked big onion, 2 whipped up eggs (from Cooks Farm eggs), 2 French biscuits ground up, a little black bread, all minced together and heated in a slow oven for two hours.  Ambrosia!

25 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Thursday July 18, 1918, Graudenz: "a letter from the Kid"
Thursday, July 25, 1918: “a letter from the Kid”

Thursday. July 25th.     Hurrah!  This is quite a red letter day.  Miller and I had for breakfast tea with milk and sugar in it; with bacon and eggs, thanks to Cooks Farm Eggs.  Jolly fine!  And to cap it, I got a letter from the Kid, dated June 22nd, directed to Landshut.  She started at Alton on July 8th at just twice the money I started on.  Good luck, Kid!  There was no other news in it.  All the news I’m waiting for must be wandering round the country.  Still it’s fine to know that everyone is well.

24 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Wednesday July 24, 1918, Graudenz: "This tinopener is famous"
Wednesday, July 24, 1918: “This tinopener is famous”

Wednesday. July 24th. I think I’ve weathered the storm at last.  Another parcel for me today from Berne, containing 70 odd French biscuits.  This came direct from Hannover.  My p.c. seems to have done some good.  Have been afflicted recently with a plague only second to the plagues of Egypt: I am the proud possessor of a first class tinopener, given me by a Polish officer at Hannover.  This tinopener is famous, especially for round tins, and hundreds of people flocked to our room every day, especially after an issue of tins.  We’ve got so tired of saying ‹Yes, it’s on the top shelf of that cupboard, left hand side› that we noised it abroad that it is broken.  It is a lie, but what will you?  At least we have peace now.

21 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Sunday July 21, 1918, Graudenz: "absolutely satisfied"
Sunday, July 21, 1918: “absolutely satisfied”

Sunday. July 21st.      Saw the finish of my two parcels.  Today’s midday meal left me absolutely satisfied for the first time for a month.  Soup (issue).  Potatoes (issue).  Spiced beef.  Hot stewed pears.
Rumours of no potatoes at all this week.  Unless something turns up, this will be the leanest week I’ve had; especially by contrast.  No letters again.

20 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Saturday July 20, 1918, Graudenz: "peace and quietness"
Saturday, July 20, 1918: “peace and quietness”

Saturday July 20th.     We take away our potatoes three or four times a week, when they are not cooked in the soups, but in their skins.  These we peel, and four of us mash ours all up together, wet them with salt water, and spread them out in a frying pan, which has been previously greased, if we can scrape up any grease from anywhere.  This we get cooked in the kitchen and have for tea, and, though the potatoes are inferior, in my present state, it tastes almost as good as Tootser’s concoctions. What wouldn’t I give now for one of Toot’s potato cakes.
This war has given some people the desire for travel, but in me and in many others it has instilled an even greater love of our homes and of peace and quietness.  Wild horses, after this war, would not drag me farther than France or Spain.

17 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Wednesday July 17, 1918, Graudenz: "letter home [in code]"
Wednesday, July 17, 1918: “letter home [in code]”
Wednesday July 17th.  Sent letter home [in code] describing food here.  Got a letter from Geneva stating that my postcard of April 12, asking for a wire to be sent home, reached them on May 29, and was telegraphed then.  My letter probably was as quick.

16 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Tuesday July 16, 1918, Graudenz: "Red letter day"
Tuesday, July 16, 1918: “Red letter day”

Tuesday. July 16.     Red letter day.  Two R.F.C. parcels arrived, dated May 31st, and directed to Hannover.  Both intact except for a cake of soap, alas!  Still, cleanliness, though next to godliness, is a bad second to ones tummy in Graudenzlager.  Rather perturbed to hear my friends remark how thin I look.  Usually people you meet every day are slow to see a difference in you.  Still, thank God I feel fit again.  I’m sharing parcels with Miller, a very decent little Scotchman from Glasgow.  You will never quite realise at home the delicious taste of that first tin of Haricot Mutton.

14 July 1918: POW Graudenz

RAB diary Sunday July 14, 1918, Graudenz: "visions of meals"
Sunday, July 14, 1918: “visions of meals”

Sunday. July 14.     Though this is a diary, it is for you all at home, for interest and amusement after the war.  But one thing you will never quite fully appreciate; the delight we have in self torture, in conjuring up visions of meals we might be eating, were we home.  We eat enough here to keep from dying, but we are constantly hungry and get weaker every day.  Today I feel much better in myself, but I really haven’t the strength to walk round the square more than once.  We arrange any little business we have to do so that we need not climb up and down stairs more than necessary – just as if we were a lot of old ladies.  This morning we discussed a probable breakfast.  I plumped for:
Banana Fritters
Fish Cakes and Tomato Ketchup (Salmon)
Bacon and eggs.  Fried Bread
(Bread) butter, marmalade, Toast
(Coffee) Café au lait.
I must ask Tootsie to have it as a treat one morning après la guerre.
Instead of which I had – black bread: 3 ozs.  Coffee.
Rumours of 400 parcels at the station.