Merry Christmas from a German POW Camp. Wartime Log Diary Entries .

[KASTAUFFER]

It is getting close to Christmas and I thought it would be a good idea to honor the POW's who had to spend the holiday away from family in a German POW camp . The following are entries and ephemera from YMCA " A Wartime Log " diarys that are in my collection. Many POW's actually received the books at Christmas time !

 

These books and the Christmas entries , really give good insight into what was important to these men during the holiday.

 

The # 1 theme was FOOD and how grateful they were to receive the special 1944 Christmas Red Cross boxes.

 

This is the listing of the contents of a Red Cross parcel by a POW in Stalag Luft 1.

 

 

The following entries were made by a Jewish American POW held in Stalag Luft 1 . He was very thankful for the parcel he received .

 

 

A POW at Stalag Luft III notes his boxes contents with the hope he doesnt get one in December 1945 !

 

[KASTAUFFER]

As part of the Christmas Red Cross boxes , the Red Cross put photographs of scenes from home in them . Here is one a POW put in his log book .

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Many POW's dedicated a page to Christmas in their logs with thoughts of the holidays. Sometimes they wrote poems. Here are some examples :

 

 

A poem from Stalag 17B

 

 

Two pages from a POW is Stalag IIIC

 

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A Christmas card made in Stalag IIB . A girl in a Santa suit caught in the barbed wire!

 

[KASTAUFFER]

The last few pictures are original Christmas programs that were held in Stalag Luft III and Stalag 17B . Even locked away in a camp , the POW's knew how to celebrate the holidays!

 

Program from Stalag Luft III.

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Program from Stalag 17B

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

[KASTAUFFER]

I forgot to add a couple more items.

 

This is the Christmas card printed in Oflag 64 on a postcard. This one was mailed home.

 

[KASTAUFFER]

This is the christmas card the YMCA gave to the POW's in Stalag Luft III. The POW who received it wrote some of his thoughts about being a POW on the reverse .

 

[Catherine]

Excellent items Kurt!

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks Sofie!

 

If anyone has anything else to add to the thread, please do.

 

Kurt

[JDK]

Very neat post Kurt! I have a few POW groupings, but nothing related

to Christmas in camp. Oddly enough, I have a good size grouping from

a B-17 waist gunner that was also interned in Stalag 17B in Austria!

J.D.

[Bluehawk]

A Christmas card made in Stalag IIB . A girl in a Santa suit caught in the barbed wire!

 

This looks to have been a wood block print!

 

Nice...

[disneydave]

While not from a diary, this Christmas card was created at Luft III by my friend Emmet Cook. He drew himself in caricature. While he created the art, he never mailed the card home. He gave this original art to me several years ago.

 

To read more about Emmet Cook, please visit this previous post:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=6728

 

 

Notice the pathetic Christmas tree in the background, rooted in a Klim tin - milk spelled backwards. Klim was powdered milk that arrived in the Red Cross packages. The empty tins were used to construct a ventilation pipe system that brought fresh air to those digging the "Tom," "Dick," and "Harry" tunnels. Notice the Red Cross parcel under the bunk and notice how the sleeping bunkmate is sagging, due to the fact many of the bed slats were taken and used as shoring material in the tunnels.

[disneydave]

Here is the inside of the card:

 

 

The illustration found inside Emmet's card was based on a fellow POW's poem. The POW's surname was Dedmond and I recall his poem dealt with a fanciful, amazing, flying machine that was constructed in the camp.

 

I have seen the poem published somewhere, but after browsing several of my Luft III POW published books and booklets from the late 1940s, I can't seem to find it right now. I'll look again tomorrow.

[KASTAUFFER]

WOW! Nice Dave!

 

Kurt

[disneydave]

Thanks Kurt!

 

I you come across Dedmond's poem in any of your literature, please post it here. I have a copy around the house somewhere, but I can't seem to locate the darn thing right now. And I can't find my big Luft III reference listing most of the former POWs and all their related details...

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks Kurt!

 

I you come across Dedmond's poem in any of your literature, please post it here. I have a copy around the house somewhere, but I can't seem to locate the darn thing right now. And I can't find my big Luft III reference listing most of the former POWs and all their related details...

 

I will take a look. All the Wartime Logs I have include some poems.

 

Kurt

[AZPhil]

Thanks for bumping this to the top.

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Semper Fi

Phil

[VenitHora]

Great thread!

 

I wanted to add a small piece from a diary I found recently. It belonged to a POW who was in Stalag Luft III.

 

I hope you enjoy it!

[KASTAUFFER]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!