1944 - 1945
A watercolor perspective of the main gate at Stalag Luft 1 drawn by Jack Friend
in his Waretime Log. It shows the large guard tower at the entrance and the
German war flag flapping in the wind on a summer day.
Click image for link to art images.
Twice a day this scene was enacted in all compounds of Stalag Luft One. This is in North One Compound.
Five deep to facilitate Teutonic higher mathematics, each squadron stood at attention while being counted.
Despite the common multiple the procedure was more SNAFU than not .. which necessitate frequent recounts.
The latter were tolerable in the warmer months, but with the advent of cold weather,
bone chilling gales would roar in from the Baltic in the background.
Come and Get Your Stew - Mess Hall in North 1 Compound at Stalag Luft I
This communal mess hall in the North I
compound was the only one of its kind in American Prisoner of War Camps
in
Germany.
From it 2,000 men were served two meals daily in four sittings of
500 each. The Red Cross Parcels were pooled and the meals were
prepared
for the group. The mess hall also served as a play house,
schoolroom, and church until it burned to the ground shortly
before liberation. Dr. Kuptsow in his narrative describes
working the water bucket
brigade to help extinguish the fire to no avail.
Per Clint Gruber - a roommate of Lt. Early: Early drew himself on the left top bunk. On the bottom is Bob Reid. Middle top is Roy Braly.
Bottom bunk is Bob Wilkins. Top bunk right, Dick Ketchum. And, completely sacked out (my usual posture) in the bottom bunk, is myself.
American Bombers over N. Germany
Go To Luft 1 Page