大象传媒

Post War in Hamburg
Submitted by Maurice Rattigan
My 18th birthday was in September 1945 and I was called up for the RAF the following month. After the initial square bashing I was giving the option to be a batman or an equipment assistant. I didn鈥檛 fancy being a lackey so chose the alternative and after completing the course I was posted to Germany in March 1946.
My posting was to 431 Equipment Depot, Bahrenfeld on the outskirts of Hamburg and I remained there for 2 years and 3 months until my demob in May 1948.
I entered Germany with 拢2 and 16 shillings and this was exchanged for 112 Deutschmarks (40 to a 拢1) and in theory this lasted me for 4 months because I never had a pay parade until I went on leave in July.
The Black Market was flourishing and the British Serviceman took advantage of it to the full. And why not, because the majority of them (unlike me and a few other late starters) had fought their way from Normandy.
Every commodity was in short supply for the civilian population especially food, coffee, chocolate and cigarettes. We couldn鈥檛 help them out with food but we could certainly sell them chocolate and cigarettes and coffee sent in parcels from home. The Black market price for coffee was 500 Marks (拢12..10 shillings) a lb but it had to be coffee beans. The Germans didn鈥檛 like coffee and sand mixed. Cigarettes were 100 Marks (拢2..10 shillings) for 20 but the cellophane wrapping had to be intact and a bar of chocolate fetched 50 Marks.
Nearly every squaddie smoked so the main currency was coffee beans.
There was nothing to buy in the Hamburg shops and the local beer then was the original L.A. But the NAFFI canteens and all other Forces outlets and cinemas accepted German Marks so a lb of coffee went a long way. NAAFI brewed beer was OK but apart from your camp NAFFI bar the only other outlet in Hamburg for a pint was the Victory Club in the town centre and the bar there was packed every night with tables weighed down with foaming glasses.
Demobilisation was in full swing in the Spring of 1946 and there were demob parties every night.
I came home to the UK on leave in July after going on a casual pay parade and drawing 4 months pay in Sterling plus a voucher for some Bingo winnings, but when I returned to Hamburg I discovered that overnight British Forces Special Vouchers (BAFS) had been introduced as a form of currency to be used solely in British Forces outlets and Pay Parades were back and our life of Reilly was over.
Of course the Black Market still flourished and cameras, watches etc could still be exchanged for chocolate, coffee or fags, but the NAFFIs only took BAFS. But with beer at 4d (1陆p)a pint the demob parties still continued.
Maurice Rattigan

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