- Contributed byÌý
- Museum of Army Chaplaincy
- People in story:Ìý
- Reverend Dr R Stuart Louden
- Location of story:Ìý
- Lamsdorf, Upper Silesia Oflag VIII
- Background to story:Ìý
- Army
- Article ID:Ìý
- A8892318
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 27 January 2006
The WWII diaries of the Reverend R S Louden are hled by the Trustees of the RAChD Museum.
Reverend Doctor R Stuart Louden
Chaplain to the Forces (CS)
Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf
Upper Silesia
Saturday, 2nd October 1943
I had a cold shower at 6.30 to be in time for Roll-Call, and had finished breakfast by 7.30 and washing and shaving by 8.
The long forenoon passed slowly but quite interestingly, speaking to some of the men. I made the acquaintance of a Corporal Macleod (Seaforths) who told me his brother had become a Padre last year and gone to the Middle East: they were from Stornaway. Padre Cornish (Church of England), taken in Greece, came down to see me for a bit.
The food situation in Stalag VIII B seemed quite good. There was the German issued of Stew and Potatoes at 11.30 a.m. and of Bread, Fat and occasionally Sausage in the evening. Besides, Tea, (taken from the Red Cross Parcels) was available at 7.15 a.m., and left, while there was hot water available after lunch and in the evenings. This meant that we could have Breakfast of Bread, Jam and Tea at 7.15 am. Lunch of Stew, Potatoes, and a hot drink at 11.30 am; Tea, Bread and Jam at 4 p.m., and an Evening Meal of Bread, with any Red Cross Food and a Hot Drink about 7.30 pm. With regular Parcels — and all our men said so — the food position was quite passable. The normal issue of Parcels was ½ Parcel on Monday and ½ Parcel on Thursday.
On Saturday night, Lieutenant Q.M. Studley (4 RHA), whom I had met when I visited Sonny at Rakham Bay in September 1941, cheered us all by producing a small cask of light German Lager Beer, which was drunk with great relish!
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