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Private Edwin Durham • Second Battle of Ypres • Prisoner of War • Welcome Home
Prisoner of War
After convalescing in hospital, Durham was moved to the Prisoner of War camp at Stendhal, Germany, about 90 miles west of Berlin. The men were well treated, although rations were short in supply, especially near the end of the war. Prisoners were issued a prison uniform, supplied by the Red Cross, that was black with brown stripes down the legs and a brown insert in the sleeves of the jacket. The daily fare at the camp consisted of black bread and soup, and the men depended on packages from home and from the Red Cross for additional food, money, and supplies. A new arrival at camp would be paired up with someone who had been at the camp for a while and they would share their parcels until the new arrival began to receive packages.
Prisoners also performed labour both inside and outside of the cmap. Durham worked as an electrician while others would be billeted with farm families. More unfortunate prisoners would be sent to work in the salt mines. To keep the men occupied the camp organized concerts, a debating club, orchestras, plays and sports teams. Durham traded English lessions for Cello lessons. The men also adopted a black cat as their mascot, and gave the cat and her five kittens a home in their barracks. After the Armistice took affect on November 11, 1918, the camp was visited by Canadian officers who arranged for the transporation of the men back home.
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