Food at Stalag X1B

At last we arrived at Stalag XI B, which was to be our home for a few months. After all the preliminary checking was over, we were allocated to a hut. The bunk beds were in tiers of four, which meant a lot of men in each hut.

One of my men was dispirited and feeling sick. He did not like the staple diet of turnip soup. Who did? I persuaded him to collect his ration every day. He could only manage a few spoonfuls — and I demolished the rest! I did not mean to be unkind, but I hoped that he would not get well too quickly. This meant I could ensure a double ration of soup for some time. After all, one had to keep up one’s strength!

As a bonus, each hut in turn would be allocated potato peelings to supplement the food, and these helped to fill the gnawing hunger, which constantly affected us. For some reason, which I never understood, green pea soup was served on a Sunday — and it was not too bad! Occasionally a German military band would play selections of music, at what could be considered a lunch-time concert. I remember on one such occasion, lying on the grass with my eyes shut, and pretending I was in Princes Street Gardens, back in my home town of Edinburgh.

There was one subject of discussion that was taboo — and everybody talked about it. FOOD. I was always interested, and intrigued, listening to groups of POWs relating to each other the huge meals they intended to eat after the war. Little did they know, that their stomachs would have shrunk and they would be unable to cope with the rich foods that they promised themselves. They drew up menus, elaborately dreamed up and worthy of a banquet, for meals of five, six or more courses. We had talks from a food expert, who had worked in the Lyons Cornerhouses in London. He specialised in confectionery — Chocolate Eclairs, Vanilla Cakes and other such mouth-watering fantasies. It made a change from thinking about Turnip Soup as we wrote down the recipes for such delicious treats.