F.A. MIDDLEMISS

A DIARY OF MY LIFE AS A PRISONER OF WAR
1944 - 1945

Page 11: Food Parcels



APPENDIX 1

Contents of a Canadian Red Cross parcel:-

  • Corned beef 12 oz
  • Kam * 10 oz
  • salmon 8 oz
  • sardines 3 oz
  • raisins 7 oz
  • prunes 6 oz
  • butter 16 oz
  • jam 16 oz
  • cheese 4oz
  • tea 4 oz
  • sugar 4 oz
  • milk (Klim Powder) 16 oz
  • chocolate 5 oz
  • biscuits
  • salt
  • soap

    • *Editor's Note: Should this be ham?

    APPENDIX 2

    Contents of a British (Bermondsey) Invalid Diet Supplement parcel:-

  • Tea two 2 oz pkts
  • sugar two 2 oz pkts
  • condensed milk 1 tin
  • milk powder 1 tin
  • Horlicks 1 tin
  • Ovaltine 1 tin
  • Cocoa (Rowntrees') 1 tin (4 oz)
  • rolled oats 2 small tins
  • custard powder 1 pkt
  • Yeatex 2 small tins
  • Bovril 1 tin
  • egg powder 2 small tins
  • soup powder 1 tin
  • lemon curd 1 tin
  • strawberries in syrup 1 tin
  • creamed rice 1 tin
  • processed cheese 1 tin
  • chocolate (Rowntrees' plain York) 2 oz


    • APPENDIX 3

    Contents of a British (Bermondsey) ordinary Red Cross parcel:-

  • Steak and kidney pudding 16 oz
  • meat galantine 10 oz
  • pilchards 8 oz
  • strawberries in syrup 1 small tin
  • margarine 8 oz
  • jam (bramble jelly) 10 oz
  • cheese 2 oz
  • tea 2 oz
  • sugar 1 block
  • milk (Nestlé's condensed) 1 tin
  • cocoa (Rowntrees') 4 oz
  • rolled oats 1 small tin
  • egg powder two 2 oz tins
  • diced carrots 10 ozs
  • biscuits (Peak Frean's) one 8oz tin
  • chocolate (plain Meltis) 4 oz
  • soap 1 piece


    • APPENDIX 4

    Contents of Christmas parcel, issued 20th January, 1945:-

  • 1 lb tin Christmas pudding
  • 1 lb tin Christmas cake
  • 1 lb tin stewed steak
  • 1 lb tin roast pork and stuffing
  • 1 tin chopped ham
  • ? lb butter*
  • ? lb honey*
  • 2 ozs tea
  • 1 block sugar
  • 1 tin milk
  • 4 ozs blended chocolate
  • 1 pkt Yorkshire pudding mixture
  • 1 pkt custard powder
  • 1 tin Heinz baked beans
  • 1 tin sardines

    • *Editor's Note: These were probabley half or one pound.

    APPENDIX 5

    Contents of new type Bermondsey parcel, issued 24th January, 1945:-

  • 1 lb tin beef and vegetables
  • 1 tin minced beef and cereal
  • 1 tin sausages
  • 1 tin pilchards
  • 1 small tin egg powder
  • 1 tin processed cheese
  • 1 tin Peak Frean's biscuits
  • 1 pkt Yorkshire pudding mixture (Green's)
  • 1 apple pudding
  • _ lb tin pure butter
  • 1 tin apricot jam
  • 2 oz packet Twinings' tea
  • 1 tin Lutana cocoa
  • 1 tin Nestlé's (condensed) milk
  • 1 block sugar
  • _ lb bar Meltis plain chocolate


    • APPENDIX 6

    Contents of New Zealand parcel, issued 1st February 1945:-

  • 16 oz tin corned mutton
  • 12 oz tin lamb and green peas
  • 12 oz (?) tin cheese
  • 16 oz tin butter
  • 14 oz tin jam (apricot and apple)
  • 2 tins tea
  • 1 pkt brown sugar
  • 1 tin condensed milk
  • 1 tin café-au-lait
  • 1 pkt compressed raisins
  • 1 pkt dried green peas
  • 1 tin chocolate


  • APPENDIX 7

    Half Argentine bulk Red Cross issue, 7th February 1945 (this was actually a poor half).

    Issue for 2 men:

  • 16 oz tin meat and vegetables
  • 12 oz tin corned mutton
  • 16 oz tin honey
  • 1 pkt wheat biscuits
  • 10 ozs butter
  • 12 ozs sugar
  • 1 3/5 ozs tea
  • 2 ozs egg powder
  • 2/3 pkt pea flour

    • For another Argentine bulk issue see 18th February 1945, Sunday.

    APPENDIX 8

    Contents of American Invalid Food Package no. 1, issued 14th Mach 1945.

  • chopped ham and eggs two 3 _ oz tins
  • corned pork loaf three 3 _ oz tins
  • Rose Mill paté one 6 oz tin
  • soup powder four 2 _ oz pkts
  • bouillon powder eight 10 gram pkts
  • preserved butter three 3 _ oz tins
  • grape jam one 6 oz tin
  • processed cheese one 8 oz pkt
  • coffee powder one 4 oz tin
  • cocoa beverage powder one 12 oz tin
  • sugar one pkt (50 knobs)
  • Milko (powdered milk) one 16 oz tin
  • biscuits one 6 oz pkt (12 square biscuits)
  • ascorbic acid tablets one pkt (12 tablets)
  • raisins one 12 oz pkt
  • soap 2 bars
  • cigarettes 180


    • APPENDIX 9

    Contents of a 1944 type Hawick (Scottish) parcel, issued 22nd March 1945:-

  • 1 tin (16 oz) pork and vegetables
  • 1 tin (12 oz) minced beef loaf with cereal
  • 1 tin (8 oz) bacon
  • 1 tin Grade 1 salmon
  • 1 tin currant pudding
  • 1 tin Midlothian oatmeal
  • 1 tin dried eggs
  • 1 tin processed cheese
  • 1 tin (8 oz) margarine
  • 1 tin (8 oz) golden syrup
  • 1 pkt (2 oz) tea (McGavins')
  • 1 tin Nestlé's milk
  • 1 block sugar
  • 1 tin (16 ozs) "Healthy Life" biscuits
  • 1 bar (4 ozs) Duncan's plain chocolate
  • 1 pkt Buchanan's butterscotch
  • 1 block Cerebos salt


    • APPENDIX 10

    Red Cross foodstuffs in the possession of F.A. Middlemiss, E.J. Dilworth and A. E. Renouf on 27th April 1945:-

  • condensed milk 6 tins
  • Rowntrees' cocoa 3 tins
  • sugar 5 blocks
  • Horlick's 1 tin
  • Ovaltine 1 tin
  • tea 5 (2 oz) packets
  • meal roll 4 tins
  • stews 4 tins
  • bacon 3 tins
  • beef and pork loaf 2 tins
  • chopped ham and eggs 1 tin
  • preserved butter 1 tin
  • jam 3 tins
  • creamed rice 2 tins
  • pilchards 2 tins
  • processed cheese 4 tins
  • Kra ft cheese 1 tin
  • margarine 4 tins
  • raspberries in syrup 1 tin
  • Peak Frean's biscuits 3 tins
  • vegetables 3 tins
  • soap (toilet) 2 bars
  • soap (washing) 3 blocks
  • egg powder 7 (small) tins
  • soup powder (English) 4 tins
  • rolled oats 4 tins
  • compressed oatmeal 2 blocks
  • bouillon powders 6 pkts
  • salt 2 pkts
  • soup powder (American) 1 pkt
  • Yeatex 2 (small) tins
  • chocolate (4 oz bars) 3 bars
  • chocolate (2 oz bars) 1 bar


    • Also 2 complete unopened American Invalid parcels no. 2

    [Nearly all this we gave away to German civilians in Mainburg on 1st May 1945].



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