Page 2: June 1944 to August 1944

1st June, Thursday.

Self-sweetened rice midday. Evening best skilly* yet : onions, rice, bully, thick and brown with flour.

*Editors Note: A broth, usually made with oatmeal, or flour, with some meat.

2nd June, Friday.

Peas and sauerkraut; pretty good. Had seconds midday.

3rd June, Saturday.

Oatmeal midday. Lard and single jam issued (first issue of lard). Evening tea first issued (i.e. ersatz tea).

4th June, Sunday.

Small shipment went out at night, including Bill Jones, thus ending our Italian classes. Good thick skilly evening.

5th June, Monday.

Shave and haircut. Pea soup, good with onions evening.

6th June, Tuesday.

Heard the news of the allied landing between Le Havre and Cherbourg*. Rice, margarine.

*Editor's Note: The D Day Landings, on the beaches of Normandy.

7th June, Wednesday.

Italian classes were resumed. Shower and delouse afternoon.

9th June, Friday.

Various batches of prisoners drifting in all day, probably the last from down south. Salt rice midday; rice, onions and meat at night - very good. Big shipment evening. 1500 or more Yanks and British. It was postponed after most names had been called, about 1am.

11th June, Sunday.

Rainy all day. Jam, lard and cheese issued. Only one skilly, at 4.30pm, solid macaroni, barley and flour.

12th June, Monday.

Fine day again. Midday skilly very thick barley and bully.

13th June, Tuesday.

Pea soup, very good (best pea soup yet) evening. Cold shower afternoon. Left Laterina (Dulag 132) by buses, with all of Hut 12, 7.30pm. Via San Giovanni in Valdarno, Figline, Florence [passed through Florence in total darkness].

14th June, Wednesday.

[Dawn over the Apennines]. In Bologna by 05.30 hours. Then via San Giovanni in Persiceto, Nonantola, Modena and arrived Mantua 11am [Stalag 339]. Searched afternoon (lost water bottle, mess tins, fork, lighter at every step!).

15th June, Thursday.

Morning coffee very good. "P.T." morn. Had record lump of meat in morning skilly. Evening skilly thin.

17th June, Saturday.

Dull rainy day. Names called for shipment to Germany evening. News from Normandy still depressing.

18th June, Sunday.

Rain and cold all day. News not so good (from Fascist newspaper "Voce di Mantova"). Felt very depressed; prospect of next three days or so not so bright either. One skilly - barley and fresh peas, quite good. Margerine, orange marmalade and cheese issued with bread.

19th June, Monday.

Left Mantova (Stalag 339) by train 11.30 hours. (Reveille had been at 04:00 hours buckshee bread and thick macaroni issued). Via Verona, Trento (where bread was issued), Bolzano.

20th June, Tuesday.

Crossed the Brenner in the dark and were at Innsbruck by morning. Thence to Munich-Trüdering, where we spent 8 hours stationary in the railway yard. Red Cross soup, coffee and bread and also the German bread ration issued. Arrived at camp (Stalag V11A) [Moosburg] 10pm. Coffee issued.

21st June, Wednesday.

Put into a different hut and section to Ted Copling and the others. Searched again morning. Had our first RED CROSS PARCEL (Canadian parcel, 1 between 2) afternoon. See appendix 1. Rations: coffee morning; good soup (only 1 pint) midday; spuds** in their jackets and margarine.

*Editor's Note: For some information on these Red Cross Parcel's see:
Red Cross Parcels World War Two

Details of their contents are on the last page of this Website.

** Potatoes

22nd June, Thursday.

Fine hot day at last. Give in particulars for camp records.

23rd June, Friday

Moved from quarantine compound to transit compound, Hut 35B. Shower and delousd. Canadian parcel each issued. First brew of [real] tea evening.

24th June, Saturday.

Trying to buy a loaf at night.

25th June, Sunday.

Sick. Fine day.

26th June, Monday.

Still sick. On gardening party morning but had to come back.

27th June, Tuesday.

Reported sick morning. Name was put down for a "milk parcel " [i.e. Red Cross invalid parcel]. Received milk parcel afternoon.

28th June, Wednesday.

Fine day. Washed trousers, blouse collar, brassard. Cyril brought round a blower * and we had breakfast of spam and eggs [i.e. reconstituted dried egg powder].

*Editor's Note: A blower was a device to heat up drinks and food very fast. This link shows what they looked like. Frank told us that these were made by skilled POWs using bits of old food cans and packing boxes which were salvaged, then sold to the other POW's for cigarettes and other barters.

Blower: Museum of Technology Site.

29th June, Thursday, - 2nd July, Sunday.

Felt better, appetite OK, but diarrhea getting worse - anal sphincter useless on Sunday (2 nd). British (Bermondsey) parcel issued Friday. See appendix 3. Contents of the British Red Cross parcels varied according to the Red Cross depot at which they were packed.

3rd July, Monday.

Reported sick again. Was ordered off all food [dysentery]. Got bottle of lung balsam.

4th July, Tuesday - 5th June, Wednesday.

Eating nothing. Ted making me brews. Still had diarrhoea. Small drafts leaving most days.

7th July, Friday.

Canadian parcels issued. Sick evening - temperature 101.6 F

8th July, Saturday.

Went into dock with malnutrition and bronchial catarrh. Still had diarrhoea.

9th July, Sunday.

Received another milk parcel. Cyril took my watch to the mender.

11th July, Tuesday.

Diarrhoea bad again.

12th July, Wednesday - 13th July, Thursday.

Improved and enjoying stay in dock.

14th July, Friday.

Issue of Stirling parcel and a Bermondsey milk parcel. See appendix 2. Out of dock evening and into Hut 8B, all alone.

17th July, Monday.

Bought a blower

21st July, Friday.

North Row English parcel arrived.

26th July, Wednesday.

Moved from 8B to 7A (3 section).

27th July, Thursday.

Obtained Lake and Rastall's Geologyfrom the library

28th July, Friday.

English parcel.

1st August, Tuesday.

Milk parcel.

2nd August, Wednesday.

Moved into 6 section.

3rd August, Thursday.

Bought a razor.

4th August, Friday.

North Row parcel between 2. 10 cigarettes each.

10th August, Thursday to 12th August, Saturday.

Very hot.

3th August, Sunday.

Canadian parcel.

16th August, Wednesday.

Shower and delouse afternoon. To see Gaslight performed by officers at the French Theatre. Violent thunderstorm ends heat wave at night.

17th August, Thursday.

Mourning Becomes Electra performed by the Barbed Wire Boys evening. Canadian parcels afternoon Very hot again.

21st August, Monday.

I had my 5th supplementary parcel.

22nd August, Tuesday.

Hotter than ever. Had new shirt, vest, socks and cap afternoon.

25th August, Friday.

Argentine bulk [Red Cross] issue.

27th August, Sunday.

Moved to 33B (all privates from 7A). Now with Ted Coping and all RAMC and non-Arbeit prisoners. [RAMC personnel were not allowed to work (arbeiten) in Germany except on specifically medical work].

28th August, Monday.

Trousers changed. Rainy, thundery, blustery weather started.