In the summer of 1942, my dad, Bert Martin, was a PoW in a camp at Benghazi, having been taken prisoner at Tobruk:
"Occasionally we received an issue of ‘ghee’. This meant 1 tablespoonful of ‘Indian butter’ - white grease it looked like. It was O.K. spread on bread and I used to fry my bread in it when I had sufficient. I remember well how I made some rissoles one day with my bread and bully. I used to try several varieties of pies etc., but after all was said and done, it was still the same old bread and bully. Making pies etc. helped to pass away the time and sometimes it added a slightly different taste to the rations. One thing it did not do was increase the amount of food!
Round about this period, many prisoners were exchanging their kit to the Italian guards over the wire. In most cases, the Italians were offering bread or cigarettes. I managed to obtain some loaves and cigarettes in this manner. When I could only get cigarettes, I used to exchange 5 or 6 of these with another prisoner for half a loaf of bread. Smoking did not mean very much to me then and I would much rather have food. Of course, some men preferred a smoke to food and were willing to give half their loaf in order to secure a few smokes. I obtained several extra half loaves in this manner and they were most welcome.
My kit soon decreased and I gave up shaving as blades were scarce and very soon I had no kit left at all. I can recollect how I used to search through my remaining odds and ends in an effort to raise a smoke or a piece of bread. A lot of kit changed hands through the auction which was conducted inside the pen. There were several crown and anchor boards running and as soon as the cigarettes came along all one could hear was these games in action.
The weather continued to be fairly hot at the time but the shower-baths enabled us to have a decent wash. We were obliged to use Italian soap however, which was very poor stuff. This was issued to us occasionally and it was a dull green colour and its smell was - well, just like nothing on earth."
from the PoW diaries of my dad, Bert Martin (Gunner 943454 - Royal Artillery - 67th Medium Regiment)
I've posted this small extract for the word 'just because' I know some of my 365 friends like reading my dad's diaries. And 'just because' for me it's a small act of remembrance, in the light of my lack of success in getting them published in their entirety.
Sam, I appreciate your comments. Bit emotional today - strange how sometimes one can remember loved ones in a really calm way and other times it 'gets' to you. I see the word for tomorrow is sister so a bit more remembrance for me then.
and if you start here and follow on each day: http://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/add-ins/2012-05-07
you can read abut his last 3 weeks when he was on the run in Czechslovakia and his return home to England. In these posts I've interwoven some of his earlier experiences. ( I was born in 1946.)
Ohh thank you. I will read them for certain. I have read some books by John Nichol & Tony Rennell about this time period. They are history books but written mainly from diaries and interviews with people. They are very moving and bring history alive for me. Thank you
Those sound interesting too. The director of the museum in Leeds was so pleased to have the originals of my dad's diaries as they are full of everyday detail from the pov of an ordinary soldier.
Great shot, I like the fluffiness of your bees.
Thank you for the diary entry as well. It is just so fascinating to read what they went through. I was transported back to 1942 for a few minutes. Thank you so much for sharing it.
The diaries are in The Second World War Experience Centre - website is is interesting http://www.war-experience.org/. They are there simply because it's where the museum is: my dad came from Claydon, Suffolk and our family lived in Ipswich for many years, we are in Hampshire now.
Always wonderful to read your dad's diaries Hazel. He was a remarkable man leaving a legacy like that when so many never breather a word about their experiences. It probably did him good at the time & left you with memories of your lovely dad.....it makes me feel emotional just thinking of it! Mind you they are just playing Danny Boy on the TV for a boxing winner! That always makes me feel it!
I have nothing of my dad left...not even a memory of him talking much....sad! Sister will be good tomorrow!
What a great piece of history, its the like of your dad writing his everyday happenings that give such a great insight in to what life was like as a POW.
Lovely photo too
And it's always good to read your words, Pat. I guess I am very lucky as I also have a tape recording made by the Imperial War Museum of my dad talking about his experiences. Plus he loved to make tapes of music interspersed with chat and send to relatives and I have some of those. I have my paternal grandfather on tape(recorded by my dad) telling risqué Suffolk jokes - the only trouble is that the humour is so specific to the Suffolk dry humour that when I've played them to friends they don't 'get it'!!!
Just followed through to your posting after your comment on my photo. So very glad I did. Will read some more extracts when in the right frame of mind - suffering with frequent migraines at present. Fave for the image too!
So sorry for the migraines and hope they will soon go away. Thanks for the fav and nice to read your comment. I did enjoy our little photographic jaunt.
What to say after all those great comments on you Dad`s dairy page.?
Sometimes I wish I could do write better . Or talk. Then I`ve the same.
I also wish you did a worse pic. Now it`s so difficult to praise this pic. into the sky and give it a fav. as it`s worth it . Well that`s silly me
I never find you silly, Ferry. And I am not working in a foreign language. (You know I started to learn Dutch but I never got further than 'please' and 'thank you'!!) So thank you very much!
Fascinating, Hazel! Thanks for linking the other entries--I'll read them later this weekend. I also have a diary that my Dad kept during the War. He wrote in light pencil and his writing is hard to read. But I keep saying that someday I'll seriously try to decipher it.
Incredible macro, Hazel -- seems amazing that we can see the sheen of the bee's fur :-) I also so appreciate your sharing your father's diary. Amazing to contemplate.
What a great shot and such an interesting story of your father's diary. I am definitely putting this as a fav, not only for the gorgeous photo, but also because I want to read your Dad's story again as I have only come across one earlier entry of his. I hope you can get it published in its entirety one day, it would make a marvellous read.
Thank you all for your interest in my post - both photo and diary excerpt. It was quite a task word-processing 46,000 handwritten words back in 2000 when I first transcribed my dad's diaries and I did actually become ill with the stress of the content of it. Although my dad had the most beautiful handwriting I did get some foreign place names incorrect. I found a publisher, ex war veteran, but in the end he could not cope with it. So I think I have to be content with my own copy I made, including illustrations of photos etc my dad brought home. Several family members and friends have found it interesting and the original diaries are in the Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds, for research and for posterity.
Hello once again Hazel. I always thank your dad for keeping his diaries and drawings of that part of his life, I hope you don't mind me saying it but it is almost like hearing my own dad & the stories he told my friends & I as we were growing up. I've said before he wrote very little but was a great story teller.. Many thanks & I.m sure that if they have met again my dad would devour his diaries from cover to cover.
Regards Lew
Lew, I'm so chuffed you posted this comment. I plan to put a few more little extracts on here as and when it seems appropriate. Hope you and the family are all fine!
It is hard to imagine the hardships faced by your Dad and these other (in fact any) pow's. His words really set the scene with colour. The hardships and how he overcame them. I am glad you keep writing his extracts.
I do like the shot very much, it makes me think he may have liked some honey to go with his bread.
August 10th, 2014
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Sam, I appreciate your comments. Bit emotional today - strange how sometimes one can remember loved ones in a really calm way and other times it 'gets' to you. I see the word for tomorrow is sister so a bit more remembrance for me then.
Thank you for your comments. I've posted quite a lot of extracts from my dad's diaries, some rather long!
Here are one or two if you'd really like to see:
this one deals with Christmas 1941 and his capture at Tobruk http://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/a-few-more/2013-12-19
here is Christmas 1943, in a German pow camp: http://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/365/2012-12-23
and if you start here and follow on each day: http://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/add-ins/2012-05-07
you can read abut his last 3 weeks when he was on the run in Czechslovakia and his return home to England. In these posts I've interwoven some of his earlier experiences. ( I was born in 1946.)
Those sound interesting too. The director of the museum in Leeds was so pleased to have the originals of my dad's diaries as they are full of everyday detail from the pov of an ordinary soldier.
Thank you for the diary entry as well. It is just so fascinating to read what they went through. I was transported back to 1942 for a few minutes. Thank you so much for sharing it.
The diaries are in The Second World War Experience Centre - website is is interesting http://www.war-experience.org/. They are there simply because it's where the museum is: my dad came from Claydon, Suffolk and our family lived in Ipswich for many years, we are in Hampshire now.
I think many people did not speak of it, my dad didn't but he said once that he started his diary when a prisoner out of sheer boredom.
Thank you - I probably only post the fluffy ones...... great that you liked the diary entry.
Thanks so much for your interest. I'm always a tiny bit hesitant when I do these posts in case everyone is bored witless!
I have nothing of my dad left...not even a memory of him talking much....sad! Sister will be good tomorrow!
Lovely photo too
And it's always good to read your words, Pat. I guess I am very lucky as I also have a tape recording made by the Imperial War Museum of my dad talking about his experiences. Plus he loved to make tapes of music interspersed with chat and send to relatives and I have some of those. I have my paternal grandfather on tape(recorded by my dad) telling risqué Suffolk jokes - the only trouble is that the humour is so specific to the Suffolk dry humour that when I've played them to friends they don't 'get it'!!!
So sorry for the migraines and hope they will soon go away. Thanks for the fav and nice to read your comment. I did enjoy our little photographic jaunt.
Sometimes I wish I could do write better . Or talk. Then I`ve the same.
I also wish you did a worse pic. Now it`s so difficult to praise this pic. into the sky and give it a fav. as it`s worth it . Well that`s silly me
Thank you for your appreciation of my photo and the excerpt from my dad's diary. Wish he could hear/read the comments!
thank you so much!
Thanks very much for your comment on the photo and the text.
I never find you silly, Ferry. And I am not working in a foreign language. (You know I started to learn Dutch but I never got further than 'please' and 'thank you'!!) So thank you very much!
Molly, many thanks for your comments and the fav - appreciated.
Thank you for your generous words, as ever.
Thank you for your comments - I guess my pride has increased as the years have passed.
Thank you so much for your comments - I read and enjoy them all.
@darsphotos @johenn @jules13 @lealady @jules13 @skstein @cathieg @mcmary @onewing
Oh thank you Judith - it means a lot to me that you are a fan of my dad's diaries as he got not a lot of recognition for them when he was alive.
David, thank you and hello, how are you?
Regards Lew
Lew, I'm so chuffed you posted this comment. I plan to put a few more little extracts on here as and when it seems appropriate. Hope you and the family are all fine!
I do like the shot very much, it makes me think he may have liked some honey to go with his bread.