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Date: January 1st 1944
Diary

[transcription and transcription annotations have been provided by the collection donor]

Sun Dec 26, 1943: to Fri Dec 31, 1943:
no entry.

Sat Jan 1, 1944:
The New Year came in without very much excitement.

Sun Jan 2, 1944: to Fri Jan 21, 1944:
no entry.

Sat Jan 22, 1944:
The weather was colder and it was very windy last night. The Dieppe Canadians left at noon. They will be going north somewhere around Studty and will work on some of the big farms

Sun Jan 23, 1944: to Fri Jan 28, 1944:
no entry.

Sat Jan 29, 1944:
Weather is cold again. The usual counting parade is at 7am, then we came in and had breakfast. When this was finished we were all ordered out into the parade square again for a second counting. This time it was by a bunch of German officers, dressed up in their uniforms, medals, shining jack boots and all. Before these officers arrived and came into the compound, the gates were locked and all the roadways around the compound were filled with guards and their rifles. Nobody knew what it was all about and the officers would only talk to Ukraine Joe. The mint tea that usually comes up from the cook house in the morning, didn’t, because of the counting and recounting. We just heard that Ukraine Joe will be going to a new camp, when he comes back from his leave and our compound will have the other officer in charge of the Dieppe Canadians. This is a front-line man with an iron cross and a bunch of other medals.

Sun Jan 30, 1944:
Ukraine Joe is back from holidays. He did not take the parade this morning. It was handled by a Christmas tree, that is the name we have given the utter officer, from the Dieppe compound.

Mon Jan 31, 1944 to Thur Feb 3, 1944:
no entry.