"Bill and I also found a warehouse in the main street and on entering we saw many civilians filling up sacks with sugar, flour and anything which was edible. We dived in and soon had well over a hundredweight of sugar which Bill took away.
I started to fill a sack with flour when up came two Czech guards. They herded everyone out and I took what flour I had but was not allowed to pass outside with it. I was very annoyed and I remember I shouted what German I could think of at the time to the two guards.
They told me I would be getting food later on so I wouldn’t need the flour. I let the sack fall to the floor which sent up a puff of dust and took my leave of them. We had the sugar anyway.
We visited the Serbs daily and in this manner we had sufficient food. The Czechs opened a dining place and there we obtained a soup twice daily. We went to another café and had a mid-day meal of vegetables for which we had to pay. I had a few marks left and so was able to pay."
My photo today was taken in April but overlooked until now. The kingcups were growing in the river but close to the bank. I've cropped the shot to 1:1 format.
Do you mean for me? Emotionally? Everything is 'lifted' from my own word-processed copy of my dad's diaries. My dad said he started writing out of sheer boredom'. I'm so glad he did!
@quietpurplehaze
I love reading your entries and they remind me how much I miss my dad . His experiences in the war in bomb disposal were to horrific to recall. These must be very special memories for you.
Beautiful image and narrative Hazel so pleased you have a record, we spent years trying to get our Dad to talk and record about his time in the war, when he did we could understand it was so painful for him to recall, he was at Dunkirk, D.Day landings fought through France and Germany to the end of the war, lost lots of good friends on the way;)
Lovely capture.I love kingcups reminds me of my childhood when I would run to the pond in a field to look at them on my way home . Another Interesting instalment from your Dad's diary.
I hope that when your Dad at last could speak a bit about his experiences it did help him. So terrible to live one's life with those painful memories locked inside.
Like Peter my dad never ever spoke of his times during the war. As a navigator in Bomber Command I think he saw so much destruction below him he just blocked it out from his mind. Even my mum didn't know much. It's so good your dad left his story for you, a very loving thing to do for himself & his family even if it was through boredom.
I love this image, Hazel. It is wonderful that your Dad wrote this diary, as so many soldiers returned, to distressed to talk about their experiences :)
@quietpurplehaze I don't think he ever got over his experience even after we had talked through over many months and my sister had typed it all out, he never claimed his medals one being the Military Medal awarded on D-Day plus 2. nor attended any reunion dinners, but always attended the remembrance services:)
I like your photo & textures of plants & water .
Do you mean for me? Emotionally? Everything is 'lifted' from my own word-processed copy of my dad's diaries. My dad said he started writing out of sheer boredom'. I'm so glad he did!
I love reading your entries and they remind me how much I miss my dad . His experiences in the war in bomb disposal were to horrific to recall. These must be very special memories for you.
That was a very difficult job for your dad to do. I do think that we miss our special people more, not less, as time goes on.
I hope that when your Dad at last could speak a bit about his experiences it did help him. So terrible to live one's life with those painful memories locked inside.