The Diary

1st April, EASTER SUNDAY

Breakfast of bran porridge, tinned eggs on toast. Wash and shave and brush up. Dinner: pea soup (from Jerry) with mashed spuds. Afternoon, strolled round village; all the lads strolling about clean and polished up. Allowed to go anywhere, as long as you salute the Jerry officers. All the civilians going to church all day. Eric and I bought bacon, cheese and bread in Tretzendorf [next village]. Lofty obtained a 4 kilo cartwheel loaf for Eric's RAF trousers. Evening had mashed spuds and stew (tin), toast, tea, then a thin flour soup from Jerry. Bought beer. No bread issue today. Very pleasant Easter Sunday; good billet with a little "garden" at the back, with a stream. Had supper in the garden.

2nd April, Monday.

Up early. Had bran porridge and bread (which was issued first thing - 1/9 loaf, of brand new bread). Packed some of our kit on a "cart" and marched off at about 07.30 (8.30 now by Summer time), 15 km to AMPFERBACH (the cart broke down half way).

Barn in a big yard, brewing fires at rear in a field. Good thick barley soup and 1/10 of a 2 kilo civvy loaf. (+mashed spuds, toast and egg, bread and cheese, tea). Spuds bought by the Sergeant-Major were dished out. Wash and shave. Stroll to get eggs, which we got from a French KGF [Kriegsgefängerer = prisoner of war] in a cowshed just off the main street. Returned to find brewing forbidden, but soon got round that with our customary ingenuity by going into the next yard. Stew (tin), mashed spuds, toast, tea. Soup flour and water again. Guns very loud all night.

3rd April, Tuesday.

Up early. Marched at 07.30 25 km to HIRSCHAID, arrived about 14.30. Very windy, as yesterday, and violent shower of rain afternoon.
Hirschaid a big place filled with foreign families. A good billet with friendly people, electric light, plenty of room. No brewing allowed but could brew in next yard but one. Hot coffee from the people. Cooked eggs, bacon, fried bread, mashed spuds, tea; good barley and sauerkraut soup. Salt from the house. The people cooked our spuds. Also, an [unofficial] issue of spuds from the Sonderführer*. Evening - spuds, bread (issue of 1/12 loaf), sausage, tea. Issue 1/12 loaf and piece of sausage. Also bought a 1 kilo loaf and a piece of sausage.

[Hirschaid was also notable for the large number of storks nesting on the chimney stacks]

*Editor's Note. Sonderführer was a local German army officers, without full military training, who provided local specialist skills during the War.

4th April, Wednesday.

Up early, nipped round to the other yard for cooking and had hurried but enjoyable breakfast of bran porridge, bread, Wurst and jam, tea. Marched about 20 km to EFFELTRICH (through Forchheim). A small village around a linden tree, full of Jerry troops; could not get out of the inn yard where billeted. Supper eggs and bacon, spuds, tea. Soup good midday (peas); thin at night.

5th April, Thursday.

Usual bran breakfast. Sunny morning; had wash and shave. Issue of 1/12 loaf again; soup pure water. The innkeeper so unbent as to give us some spuds, which were distributed.
Afternoon, Eric and I sidled out and made a pretty thorough tour of the village with vest* and tobacco. Could not get a loaf but got 8 assorted pieces of bread, 5 eggs, some meat, 4 apples and a packet of saccharins for total expenditure of 1 bar of soap. Talked to many foreign workers - Yanks are supposed to be in Schweinfurt, Russians in Vienna.
A lorry has gone to Nuremburg to try and get some Red Cross supplies, as we are staying here until further orders and the food situation is pretty grim. Fried meat, poached eggs and mash for supper.

Editors Note: The tobacco was for barter, so presumably the vest was clothing for barted too.

7th April, Saturday.

Marched some 18 km through Lauf to LEINBURG. In a small yard with the Sergeant - Majors' mob. Diet now becoming spuds and spuds. Bread issue 1/9 again. Not allowed out officially but Eric and I went around the whole town with vest and tobacco but only got one buckshee piece of bread from an optical glass maker and a packet of ersatz coffee for soap at a big house with an English-speaking girl. Met the Hauptmann [German captain] on the way back and he seemed annoyed. Parcels issued 1 between 5 evening. Cold day.

8th April, Sunday.

Sunny warm day. Stayed in bed late and didn't want any breakfast except tea. Divided up the Christmas parcel - soap, cigarettes (8 per man), sugar, tea. Won a whole tin of milk powder in the cut. Dinner beans and mash, tea, bread; thick pea soup and mash. Afternoon washed feet, socks, handkerchiefs; did darning and sewing in the sun. Afternoon brew. Bought an ?? issue loaf for the remainder of the tobacco. Evening meal - stewed steak and mash, Christmas pudding and custard, buttered toast, tea. Our share of the Christmas parcel (for 3 men):- 1 tin stewed steak, 1 15oz tin bacon (in place of pork and stuffing), Christmas pudding, custard powder, Yorkshire pudding mixture, butter, 3/5 of a cake, 3/5 of a bar of chocolate (plain Meltis).

9th April, Monday.

Early move. Breakfast pancakes and roast spuds. Marched 18 km through Altdorf to BERG. Barn with a big green sward in front. Eric and I out straightaway over fields to the far end of the village. Got ?? of a 3 kilo loaf, bacon and eggs from the house of an old Anti-Nazi [he emphasized that he was a Democrat, not a Social Democrat], and spuds and onions from another house. Dinner: pea soup, spuds, bread and butter, coffee. Lofty bought 2/3 of a Jerry loaf. Evening I went round for grain alone and got a bag of barley from a girl whose brother was a prisoner in the U.S.A. Supper eggs and mash and tea. Fine, hot day.

11th April, Wednesday.

Very hot day for marching. Long march, 32 km through Neumarkt to ? [never discovered the name]. Saw new type of bombs being dropped* [also on one day about now we saw our first jet plane and were astonished at the speed at which it was flying].

Hilly wooded country above the Ludwig Canal. On crossing the summit, there was a long rolling vista southwards. In a big new barn with the whole Block. Issue of bought spuds (300 lb.). Eric obtained some cake and an egg buckshee; I bought a packet of 4 eggs and a piece of bread. Supper; spuds, bread, cocoa. S oup up very late, in the dark.

Editors Note: *We do not know what sort of bomb this was.

12th April, Thursday.

Wet, dull day. Yesterday's bread up early morning. Breakfast; spuds, boiled barley, coffee. Felt rotten. Midday pea soup, to which we added mashed spuds and turnips; bread; tea.

Afternoon. Eric and Lofty went out and came back from the next village laden with bread and eggs. Supper: eggs, bacon, fried bread and spuds, tea. Second soup up [late].

13th April, Friday.

Early start. Marched about 15 km to OBERNDORF. "Marching rations" boiled eggs and bread. Showery day. Small village. Barn in a big farmyard (with a stingy Bauer*) with Block V. Eric sick. Thick barly soup, mashed spuds; plenty of buckshee soup. Out around the village and got 2 bags of spuds (1 buckshee from a Froggie) and 3 eggs. Afterwards bought bread, cheese, margarine and bacon from the Postens**. Supper of spuds, toast and cheese, tea. No bread issue.
*Farmer **Shops

14th April, Saturday.

Move unexpectedly about 09.30. Long march, 32 km or more, through Dietfurt and Riedenburg to BUCH (1/15 of a 3 kilo cartwheel loaf issued at Mühlbach). Picturesque scenery. Weather cloudy, with sunny spells.

Buch a remote village on the uplands. In a big barn near a little church; beds behind an electric motor. Spuds, soup and wheatmeal, bread, coffee. Loaded up with coarse wheat-meal from a chest in the barn.

15th April, Sunday.

Stayed at Buch. 1/10 loaf issued. Dullish, chilly day. Eric made wheat cakes. Supper; fried eggs, bacon, fried bread, spuds, bread and cheese, Yankee coffee and milk (it was Eric's birthday yesterday). Supper brew.

16th April, Monday.

1/10 loaf issued morning. 9_ km march over upland country to LAIMERSTADT. Arrived by midday. Weather cloudy, but cleared completely afternoon and became very fine. Much bombing of Regensburg etc. Eric and I around the village but it is small and full and nothing doing. Hungarian troops passing through. Spuds, onions, coffee. Good pea and spud soup, coffee. Had a sleep in a field afternoon. Supper; bacon and fried leeks, spuds, bread and cheese, tea. Sleeping on top of a straw-pile. Guts upset again.

17th April, Tuesday.

1/10 loaf issued. Started 08.00 across very open country. A fine day. Marched 14 km to Dünzing on the banks of the Danube. In a farm at the far end of the village. Could not get out. Had gift of a large quantity of spuds from the farmer (who was on sick leave from the western front). Bergou, bread, coffee; semolina soup, spuds, coffee. Eve spuds and toast, tea (our last brew). Guts bad all day.

18th April, Wednesday.

At Dünzing. Bergou and roast spuds breakfast. Did washing morn. Good pea soup, spuds, coffee. A party went bathing [in the Danube]; I missed it because doing washing. A fine day. Waves of bombers going over (towards Munich). Guts better. Gift of flour from the farmer; also got our remaining barley ground (pity we threw away the rest). Eric made chapatis aft. Ran out of bread again evening, and out of salt.

19th April, Thursday.

At Dünzing, A few more spuds from the farmer, also a few from Jerry evening. Good pea soup. Our milk finished evening - completely out of Red Cross food at last. Diet now solely: bergou, spuds (boiled, roast, etc), 1/10 loaf, Jerry coffee (some home made) [as German "coffee" was only roasted barley, it was not difficult to make our own]. Eric and I out afternoon but village is full of KGF and Jerries and shows no sign of being profitable. If we stay in this place much longer we shall be in a bad way. They are trying to get Red Cross parcels; it is said there were 20 [Swiss Red Cross] wagons at Neustadt two days ago: they are also trying Moosburg. A gift of more flour from the farmer.

20th April, Friday.

Very fine and warm day. Sat out on the bank most of the day and strolled over the fields aft. Wave after wave of bombers [American - the RAF concentrated more on night bombing]. Much strafing of the banks of the Danube afternoon. More spuds from the farmer (every day so far); also dry spuds "lifted" from the neighbouring clamp and 600 lbs which we bought with Marks were dished out. Also a gift of sauerkraut from the farmer. Evening Lofty make sauerkraut and potato cakes - very good. Now out of packet Jerry coffee and solely on home-make, which is just as good. Rumours of moving at night, so packed up kit and went to bed

21st April, Saturday.

1/10 loaf issued. Moved morn; crossed the Danube at Nohburg, then through Geisenfeld to UNTERPINDHART. Fine morning but rain and wind later. In a big barn; we slept in a rather dark corner to the left of the entrance. Given a quart of milk. Eric and I set out straightaway, out of the village. Coming back we got involved in another Block's roll-call. Finally secured a buyer for the shaving set [Eric's] for 2 kilos or so of bread and 8 eggs. Violent thunder-storm and rain at night.

22nd April, Sunday.

1/10 of a 2 kilo civvy torpedo loaf issued, brand new. Breakfast of porridge boiled in milk and baked spuds [on a big bonfire]. Moved 9.0 am through Mainburg. Violent wind, rain, hail, snow; very cold. At the second halt, on an exposed and rain-swept hill, there was a sudden report that parcels were coming. After a long wait the parcels arrived from Mainburg and were dished out at once, British parcels, 1 between 2, and 25 fags each. Eric and I had a Dumfries and Lofty half of an Edinburgh. We marched on and were met by two British officers, with tale of tea ahead. At GRAFENDORF we found 1700 British officers from Offlag V11B on their way to Moosburg. Tea was lashed out, bread and biscuit sandwiches, 40 fags and _ pkt tobacco each and much buckshee stuff as well. An officer read out the BBC news, very good, the Americans already past Ulm, etc. Late in the afternoon, after much confab with the officers, we moved off to isolated farmsteads about 4 km on. American invalid parcels no. 2 issued, 1 per man. A calf was killed for us by the farmer. Supper egg and mash, bean soup, coffee [our particular farmstead was called GUTESBERG].

23rd April, Monday.

Still very cold, windy, cloudy, showery. Got up late after issue coffee in bed (we added cow's milk to the issue). Breakfast of porridge, baked spuds, bread and cheese, tea. The calf was in the soup - also spuds, bread and jam and tea midday. Reports say that Moosburg is crammed full of men, parcels and clothing; we may stay here or at a similar spot as the SS may decide. German Block system now finished [the march had been organized on the same system of Blocks as had been in operation at Stalag X111C]; British NCOs are taking over command of parties of 50, with the Germans still responsible for safety. Aft brew of coffee (boiling water from the cookhouse). Supper boiled eggs and mash, current pudding, apple pudding and cream, bread and butter and jam, tea. No bread issue today.

24th April, Tuesday.

Up late; weather still cold and cloudy. Pea soup and spuds, patè and biscuits, tea. Afternoon brew of cocoa in fresh milk. Reports are that Moosburg is full, we may possibly move to Landshut. Weather generally clearing up - a fternoon fine but with cold wind. Eve: stew (pork and veg, barley and bouillon), spuds, stewed prunes in milk; chapatti hot with margarine and jam; buckshee soup, tea, cocoa. Issue of 1/7 loaf and liver paste eve, also margarine for yesterday.

25th April, Wednesday.

Breakfast bread and paste; coffee. Roll-call. Mid-morning brew cocoa and biscuit. Pea soup, spuds, biscuits and paste, tea. Mid-afternoon brew of coffee and biscuit. Very fine cloudless day; cold wind morn, but aft warm delightful spring weather. Yanks said to be 15 km from Munich. Had bath and boiled shirt, vest, pants aft and eve. Dinner: mashed spuds, salmon, egg (parcel), white sauce; bread (1/8 loaf), tea. Supper brew of coffee.

26th April, Thursday.

Breakfast; biscuits and paste, coffee. Roll-call. Did washing morning (shirt, vest, pants, handkerchief). Fine and warm. Mashed spuds with flour issued in lieu of soup (we had Yankee soup with them), biscuits, tea. Afternoon brew of coffee and bread (1/7 loaf). Rain and distant storm afternoon, but cleared again by 4 pm.. Had to evacuate the barn because of the farmer's chaffing operations. A lot of chaps seem to be getting out and geschäfting; Eric was keen on going out before tea but I felt curiously disinclined to do that or to approach "Tick" (or Henry"), the Posten, and put it off until "domani". Dinner: bully and mashed spuds; sweet creamy bergou; biscuits; tea. Supper brew of cocoa.

27th April, Friday.

Intended to go geschäfting morn, but waiting for parcels to arrive. Parcel issue of 1 per man (British) and 1 Invalid Supplementary parcel between 4; also 5 buckshee parcels, of which my section drew one, which got me a tin of Nestlé's. Lofty drew part of a buckshee parcel as a carrier, viz. a tin of bacon and a block of sugar. Soap up (bulk washing soap) and Jerry liver paste. Altogether a pretty hectic morning, rushing about drawing and cutting for and cutting up bits of Red Cross stuff from all quarters. We drew Hove, Chippenham and Edinburgh parcels, of which we swapped the Edinburgh for a North Row, dried apricots for soup powder and dried egg and apple pudding for meat roll. By then it was time to get the midday brew on; there were stacks of buckshee soup. Aft. we sorted out the parcel stuff into classified boxes, listed the stuff (SEE APPENDIX 10) and straightened up the bed space. Eric was painting "POWs" on the roof all day. Aft. spoke to some RAF men who had been captured one week. Lofty put up a table and chairs out by our fire. Afternoon brew of coffee. Bread issue 1/8 loaf; also anti-louse powder and vitamin tablets issued. Dinner: Yankee beef and pork and spuds; creamed rice and raspberries; biscuits and jam; tea; chocolate. Afternoon very fine and warm; thunder storm at night.

28th April, Saturday.

Rained nearly all day, cold and miserable. More soup than I could eat midday. Spent afternoon in bed. Dinner: pilchards and mash, tea. Supper: Ovaltine and biscuits. Gunfire very close today, including small arms and machine-gun fire to the WSW (after loud shell bursts during last night). Instructions from the Sergeant-Major aft. were to keep under cover as much as possible. No planes over today or yesterday. Very depressed by continued failure to get bread, also flour and saccharins; now it looks a bit dangerous to go out.

Evening. much machine-gun fire to the WNW and continuous rumble of tanks to the NW. Everybody looking that way and seeing first white flags waving at the far end of the village, then vehicles ( tanks? ) can they possibly be the Yanks? No, Jerries retreating. 8.0pm the first YANKEE COLUMN rolls into sight along the road and the two leading jeeps drive up to our farm; much jubilation and fraternisation. [Eric had already gone to bed and refused at first to believe that the Americans had come, thinking it a practical joke]. Soon the captain arrives and the Hauptmann hands over. Bitter cold night. May people were breaking the German rifles. The Jerries were huddled in the cowshed; the Yanks being given brews. . . [also the Germans]. Had a late brew of very sweet milky coffee, biscuits and jam, condensed milk. To bed midnight, but impossible to sleep until about 2.0 am. The column was part of the 14th U.S. Armoured Division [We were all astonished at the size of the armoured vehicles, types developed for the invasion of Normandy, which were much bigger than those we had been used to in Africa and Italy] [Newspapers distributed by the Americans included our first news of the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt].

29th April, Sunday.

Saw the Postens marched away [as prisoners] in the early morning. Early brew of cocoa. Special breakfast of porridge, bacon and eggs, toast, biscuits and jam, tea. Out for a Sunday morning stroll through the village; a lovely morning but a cold wind. Stacks of tomato soup thick with meat. Went out by myself to the farms aft. Special dinner eve. of tomato soup, fried meat roll, chops, prunes and cream, tea. Rain in the evening. Many ex-POWs now making their own way back. Issue of sugar, margarine and lashings of Leberwurst.

30th April, Monday.

Dull morning. Up late to make bergou and tea for the others in bed; paté and bread (issue of 1/8 of a home-baked 2_ kilo cartwheel loaf); (issue of tinned Leberwurst every day).

Many of our lads going off. Snow early afternoon: typical April day altogether. Debated whether to move off or not. Eventually decided to wait for more definite orders as Sutherland [Sergeant-Major] promised to go into Mainburg tomorrow [to ascertain what the official orders were]. Dinner: fried pork steak, mixed veg. and mash - very good. Heavy snow in the afternoon.