[transcription and transcription annotations have been provided by the collection donor]
Thur July 1, 1943:
Dominion Day (Canada). Advtg & journalism this morning. At the art class we had a live model to draw. Red Cross food parcels in the afternoon.
Fri July 2, 1943:
A couple of Aussies, Harold Coe & Jack Kollock, members of the Journalism class, made up a clothing parcel & brought it in to me. One of the Winnipeg Camerons brought in some coffee for us..
Sat July 3, 1943:
Economics for Advertising this morning. I’m progressing in figure drawing (art class). A wrestling tournament was held this afternoon. A former London Underground porter gave a talk on the lighter side of his job, very amusing. A brew of coffee.
Sun July 4, 1943:
A very warm day. Baseball in the afternoon. Linklater & I did some hand balancing. I read a book in the evening.
Mon July 5, 1943:
Warm. Argentine bulk. Table 6 was duty section so we had to carry the bulk from the Red Cross stores up to the hut. Most of the butter was rancid. Linklater & I did some more balancing. Hank Campbell & his new band played in the hut tonight.
Tues July 6, 1943:
Warm. School in the morning, sunbathing during the afternoon. A workout with the barbell in the evening.
Wed July 7, 1943:
We had to turn in one of our blankets. Later in the day we were given a blanket back, mine had a load of fleas in it. Rain all day.
Thur. July 8, 1943:
School - Journalism at 9 am. Around 10:30 am all the compounds were locked. In this way we missed the Advertising & drawing classes.
Fri July 9, 1943:
A cold day. Eric & I went down to the river to watch Ginger Barnett arbeit. Linklater & I did some good work with a slingshot. Rumour: All chained POW will receive up to one thousand pounds (???).
Sat July 10, 1943:
A promising day it doesn’t rain. Just one period of drawing for this afternoon. We got our pictures taken. The FMR’s beat the Bulldogs 10 - 2 at baseball.
Sun July 11, 1943:
A cold day. The highlight in sport today was the 3-all tie in the International football match between Canada & Scotland. In the evening Linklater, Pierce & I tried out the new barbell.
Mon July 12, 1943:
There were a few hours of warmth. The compound gates weren’t opened till 9 am. I looked at 2 volumes of the 1936 Olympics printed in German.
Tues. July 13, 1943:
Raining today. I attended school in the morning. During the afternoon I played poker in hut 18A with cigarettes.
Wed July 14, 1943:
Since lice had been discovered in the barrack we had to have a medical exam. The fleas are very active. I did some more balancing with Linklater.
Thur July 15, 1943:
We took our blankets & clothes to the delousing center, thus missing school. As we passed the Camp offices we saw some of the German stenogs. They didn’t seem to stir the fellows with their Aryan beauty. We spent all afternoon airing our clothes.
Fri July 16, 1943:
All compound gates were closed while the Germans searched the Red Cross stores for something or someone. Very hot today. Linklater & I made an exercising boot with cement.
Sat July 17, 1943:
At 10 am the gates were opened. No school, no boxing contests. A small Unterofficer makes himself miserable about the chains.
Sun July 18, 1943:
Warm. A protest about the over zealous Unterofficer was sent to the Feldweble in charge of the chains.
Mon July 19, 1943:
Linklater & I went down to the Revere to get weighed. In socks & underwear I weighed 139 lbs- 7 oz. I have lost a little weight since leaving England. Link & I went round to the carpentry shop. Argentine bulk food - l tin sausage, l tin milk, biscuits, 4 oz sugar. When the present food stocks are used up the Lager officer will allow only 1 week’s supply to come up from the station. Some one has been giving him the razz so as a punishment in the future he will stop the issue of Red Cross food. Today I received my first letter (Kelson) Eric’s mother informed him that Jack Day, our pilot has been seriously injured. I haven’t been feeling too well today.
Tues July 20, 1943:
I’m feeling a bit better today. Bulk issue - half tin of butter, half bar of chocolate, meat & vegetable soup.
Wed July 21, 1943:
A very hot day. Link & I did some hand balancing. We pressed the barbell with additional weights on it in the afternoon. The British Isles Track & Field team held their trials this evening.
Thur July 22, 1943:
Advertising class & 2 of the instructors have resigned owing to other activities. Mitchel Peel intends to run the course alone finishing one subject at a time. 7 - 10 was searched by the Germans today. Bulk issue - half tin sausage, half tin jam, half pkt fruit & a bar of soap. Continuation of British Isles Track & Field trials.
Fri July 23, 1943:
About a dozen fellows were late on parade this morning so as punishment they had to stand facing the barbed wire for 2 hours. Bulk issue - a bit of hard cheese, tin of lamb & beans. A very heated discussion took place regarding the weight of our barbell.
Sat July 24, 1943:
This is the last day of school till August 8th. We finished off with economics & figure drawing. We weighted one of our cement dumb-bells - 17 lbs & while doing this we helped ourselves to some more cement. The group pictures have arrived.
Sun July 25, 1943:
Very hot today. Sunbathed in the morning. I played basketball for Lamb’s Lions. I’m certainly out of condition.
Mon July 26, 1943:
Another hot day. From Geneva I received a reply to my request for study materials. A German plane flying nearby started to sputter & belch smoke so the pilot baled out at about 7000 ft. I traded in an old pair of boots for a new pair. A dixie parade at 5 pm. Played basketball again, not so tired this time.
Tue July 27, 1943:
Hot, hot & hot. Did some laundering. We are duty section. I arbeited (refereed) with a broom. Bennet is patching the table. English food parcels today.
Wed July 28, 1943:
Weather hot! Argentine bulk - 1 lb sugar, half lb cocoa per man. Eric & I went over to the Red Cross compound to use the parallel bars. Lamb’s Lions played 16A - basketball team & nearly won. The Germans have taken down the hand drawn Russian front maps from hut 6 of the “Munich” (W.O.G.) compound. In the same hut several Aussies have opened a swap shop, prices based on those drawn up by the Canadians. Rumour – Sicely fell July 18th. Goering out of power. Gen. Mussolini has retired from public life. The Allies demand compete Italian surrender.
Thur July 29, 1943:
hot weather today. Canadian Red Cross food parcels are definitely the best we get, containing 1 lb butter, 1 tin Klim, 6 oz coffee, 4 oz sugar, salt & pepper mixed, B.C. salmon, bully beef, cheese, sardines, spam, 1 lb jam, sea biscuits, milk chocolate. Used the parallel bars. Lamb’s Lions lost to the Aussie basketball e-team. Jack Pierce & I held our own in an impromptu weight lifting contest.
Fri July 30, 1943:
A cool breeze blowing in the morning. Lamb’s Lions practiced basketball during the noon hour. I had shower in Block III ( 7-10). The L. Lions lost to 17B, 17 -14 in basketball. Weight lifting after the game. Canadian army fellows captured at Dieppe, received a war-time log book, courtesy of the YMCA. Apparently the RCAF will get one.
Sat July 31, 1943:
Warm. Geneva issue of 2 tins of boot polish & 2 rolls of toilet paper per 10 men. The Dieppe Canadians were given these log books, we get ours next week. The beginners barbell class now numbers 6. The Arts & Crafts exhibition opened this afternoon. The RCAF baseball team lost today. I finished the day off with a good barbell workout & gained 2 more pupils.
