Thursday. August 1st. Played and lost one of the keenest games of chess I’ve ever had, against one Haddon. Lasted 2¾ hours. Adjourned twice. Thought the position each time was worth recording. I played black.
1 Aug 1918: POW Graudenz
Tag: WW1
31 July 1918: POW Graudenz
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.
28 July 1918: POW Graudenz
Sunday. July. 28th. Wrote home pointing out the necessity of careful packing, and the unlikelihood of leaving here anyways.
26 July 1918: POW Graudenz
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
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
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.
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.
21 July 1918: POW Graudenz
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
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.
18 July 1918: POW Graudenz
Thursday. July. 18th. Smashed one lens of my glasses at 8.30 a.m. yesterday, and got glasses back mended within three hours – for 3/6. Pretty good!