Plot
Outline
Cast
Homework
The Real Escape
Music
Links
Guestbook
Email
Download
Search
Home |
Food and Parcels
Had it not been for food parcels sent in via the International
Red Cross (who also made inspection visits), food would have been a serious problem in
all PoW camps. Issued with little more than starvation rations, food parcels sent by
relatives, despite being regularly stolen by the many hands through which they passed,
were essential. It should be borne in mind that the guards themselves were not much better
off than the prisoners, in terms of food. On average, one parcel per week per man was
provided.
The rule in most of the camps was that both
"individual" (for a named person, sent and paid for by relatives and containing
a mixture of goods) and "bulk" parcels (for general distribution, sent and paid
for by the International Red Cross, and containing a supply of a single item) were pooled.
Thus, replacement clothing, shaving and washing kit, coffee, tea, tinned meat, jam, sugar
and essentials were distributed equally. Captured officers were paid an equivalent of
their pay in "lagergeld" or internal camp currency, and could buy items such as
musical instruments and what few everyday goods which were available. Captured NCO’s
did not receive any such allowance, but the officers regularly pooled lagergeld from their
own pay, and transferred these to the NCOs’ compound. It was strictly forbidden to be
in possession of real German currency, a vital escape aid.
An internal official method of collective bargaining and
bartering called "Foodacco" was set up, allowing PoWs to market any surplus food
or desirable item, for "points" which could be "spent" on other items,
amongst themselves. Great trouble was taken in food preparation, with special occasions
such as a birthday or Christmas requiring months of hoarding.
The recommended intake for a normal healthy active man is
3,000 calories; German rations allowed between 1,500 and 1,900. It was a case of the
issued official rations providing prolonged and unpleasant starvation and only the Red
Cross food parcels saved the day.
Clothing was often a problem, items of civilian nature
being strictly forbidden and military uniform often being cobbled together from whatever
was available, regardless of branch. Thus it was not unusual to see officers of any rank
in RAF battledress top, Army trousers, and whatever footwear was to hand. Most men made
every attempt to maintain a military bearing, ensuring that their rank and flying badges
were correct no matter what they were attached to! Any officer who had hidden a genuine
civilian item of clothing took great care to keep it safe.
It was absolutely vital to carry aircrew badges and brevets
in a secret place whilst escaping, in order to prove that an escapee was not a spy. The
Geneva Convention dictated that a serviceman should always wear uniform, or be shot as a
spy. Being able to produce evidence of being an escaped PoW was essential.
|
