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Date: February 1st 1944
Diary

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

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

Fri Feb 4, 1944:
Weather still nice and mild. The Germans have called for any POW who wants to move to another camp to volunteer and they have over 250 on their lists already. Yesterday all the Canadians received one or two white enameled cups, plates teaspoons, regular and desert forks, could choose dishes, three or four tables also towels. Eight packages of double-mint gum, six packages of lifesavers a handful of candy and a package of hot chocolate. There was also kettles, pots, double-boilers, frypans etc. Some of the kettles became stills.

Sat Feb 5, 1944 to Wed Feb 9, 1944:
no entry.

Thur Feb 10, 1944:
Weather cold with some snow. The fellows who are moving had their photo check and then moved all their kit to barrack 25.

Fri Feb 11, 1944 to Sat Feb 12, 1944:
no entry.

Sun Feb 13, 1944:
It is cold, still snowing and blowing like a small blizzard. A party of 250, all RAF, now will be moving the 29th of this month.

Mon Feb 14, 1944 to Tue Feb 15, 1944:
no entry.

Wed Feb 16, 1944:
Weather cold and a little snow. About 60 people were taken down to the de-lousing room outside the camp this morning. Picked up their blankets, marched down by armed guard. They reached the delousing building had to strip down, leave their clothes and blankets outside. The clothes and blankets went to the gas chamber and the men went into the shower room. Took a hot shower, dried off and sat waited for a couple of hours. Then while they were there, some Gerry military men came out of the shower room, sat, waited. They were either soldiers, airmen or sailors, you couldn’t tell because they were naked too. When the clothes had been deloused we put them on and went back to camp.

Thur Feb 17, 1944:
no entry.

Fri Feb 18, 1944:
Still cold and snowy. The forty-holer is cold as hell because there are no doors or windows and the snow blows in all over the place. Sixteen of the forty holes were covered in snow. You have to brush the snow away before you sit. The rats are back again, however nobody was bitten.

Sat Feb 19, 1944:
no entry.

Sun Feb 20, 1944:
Weather perfect, just like a winter’s day in Eastern Canada, six inches of snow, cold and clear. Sun is shining, the snow crunches under your feet, when you walk down the road.

Mon Feb 21, 1944 to Mon Feb 28, 1944:
no entry.

Tue Feb 29, 1944:
Weather mild. Here it is the last day of another month, however this is the extra day and one more day in this place. The 250 RAF fellows did not go. They have collected all their kit and moved into barracks 22B. The move has been put off indefinitely, so now they can unpack their gear.