Commitment and Sacrifice by Shevin-Coetzee Marilyn; Coetzee Frans;

Author:Shevin-Coetzee, Marilyn; Coetzee, Frans;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Published: 2015-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

1918

January 1. This evening we celebrated New Year’s; “celebrate” isn’t really the proper impression. We had a theater performance Hussar Fever and made a little noise. The only drink that we got was coffee. The lights were left on until 12:30 a.m.

Right at the New Year a change in our daily rations was made and now we receive six ounces of bread per day and for the rest two ounces of bread and two ounces of biscuits. The rest of the list remains the same as before.

Now we receive a bit more coal—38 per day per section.

January 3. Regarding Christmas … Baron Schröder gifted us a can of sardines instead of his usual six pence. Also the Red Cross gave us each a book and fifty cigarettes and twenty cigars each.

During the first week of this month it was very cold here but very mild during the second half. We had a small celebration in honor of his Majesty’s [Kaiser Wilhelm] birthday on the 27th. The speech by Rebhahn was very good. Our kitchen provided us with a special Kaiser dinner.

On the 28th of this month the first internees from here were released to Holland. A day later some were released to Germany. Another list of the forty-five year olds was prepared.

Despite the German Government’s prohibition, internees continue to go to England to work. On the 31st of this month, however, some returned here at the behest of the Swiss representative, or so it is reported. …

February 1. We feared that our rations would be shrunk yet again but fortunately this did not occur. The only change that happened was that instead of the 2,300 pounds of oatmeal that our kitchen gets each month it will only be able to buy 1,800 pounds and there is no cheese available. The tins of honey here and there that can still be purchased now cost 1 shilling/10 pence per piece.

February 28. Over the course of this month more transports of invalids left for Holland. Among these invalids there were, however, many healthy internees, who under one pretext or another were able to leave. Most of these were internees who had money. Rumor has it that shortly the doctor from London will come here in order to examine more internees. Until now the very sick have not been sent away. Also a transport of forty-five year olds have gone to Germany. There’s still a number of forty-five year olds here. Most of these are the ones who do not want to go to England and others are naval personnel over forty-five years old. The last is a scandal. There have been a few good theater performances again. …

On the 25th of this month our meager rations once again were changed to our disadvantage: instead of six ounces of bread and two ounces of biscuits, we now receive five ounces of bread and three ounces of biscuits. Instead of one ounce of margarine we get only ½ ounce. The tiny ration of milk has also been reduced!! Instead we get one more ounce of oatmeal, so that now we receive five ounces.

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