Diary of George William Edward Clark, January 1941 - September 1942 - Part 10

NOVEMBER 1941
665
4 TUESDAY
A much better sleep last night. Up at
8.30. Usual morning cup of tea. Very
slushy outside. The stoves are working
alright now. Lunch: Mash. Reminds
me of hamburger shop, all this cooking
Tea: Maize. Very nice. Wrote to
Margaret. I wonder who won the cup.
Jerry claims KHARKOF & Russians are supposed
to have taken it back.
5 WEDNESDAY
666 
A much better nights sleep. up at 8.30
Old Stahl came in screaming about all on
parade but nobody took any notice. Raining
all night and still pouring. As muddy as
hell outside. Lunch: Spuds & saurkraut.
Reading in afternoon 3 musketeers(?)
Tea: Soup, but I did not go down, to wet
mucking about after tea and hit my head
on the wall bled like a stuck pig. -
WOLFSBERG.
667

6 THURSDAY
Head is better this morning. Had a new dressing
Look an awful mess. Snowed during the
night about 1½ inches! This hut is under
quarantine because of a diptheria case! But it
does not seem to worry anybody. We go out
just the same. Lunch: Barley & meat soup.
Played bridge in afternoon and were soundly tossed
also played doctors in K.O. and were beaten again.
668

7 FRIDAY
Had fair sleep awoke at 5.40 shoosters going to
work was up to make tea at 8.30. Was a freeze
last night but soon thawed when some
sun came out, so it was still slushy again
Lunch: Spuds & fish. My day to make tea.
Made a good brew at lunch time. No news
except Italy is supposed to be cutting up.
Rumors of the border being closed for 8 days.
Tea: A soup. Not much good. —

NOVEMBER 1941
669

8 SATURDAY
A good sleep - up at 4.30 will see doctor
today. Got up at 8.30 on parade at 9.45.
had to shift some bricks into a room
out of the weather. A clear day, and
sunny. It froze again last night and
the sun melted it all again and so it
was still slushy. Lunch: Some vegetable 
soup, looks like seaweed. 
No news, some mail in none for
for me. Played deck quoits in afternoon
no tea on saturdays. Met one of our
chaps from 'A' Troop. He has had a letter & 1
post card from home. The post card was sent 
on 24 Sept! Went to concert in night
very good have a piano now a baby
grand! According to German papers men
have to get whatever food they can He
has no communications!
WOLFSBERG

1941  NOVEMBER
670 10^th PARCEL
9 SUNDAY
A good nights sleep, the castor oil never
worked as I had hoped. Up at 9 A.M. in
time for a cup of tea! A beautiful morning.
Lunch: Spuds and maize. Listened to a
piano recital in afternoon. Boiled some
prunes, may make me work. Also cooked
some Robinsons Groats. Am feeling much
better. Am reading the 3 musketeers
671
10 MONDAY
Up at 8 A.M. after a very good night. Tummy 
feels much better! Am in the duty
block have to get the bread. A party of 30
men went & put a wreath on German war
memorial 1914-18. 10 Aus, 10 NZ. & 10 English
Lunch: A mess that looked like seaweed: 
Another lovely day. No news
which we say is good news. Tea: a spud
soup.

A LOT OF LETTERS FROM AUSTRALIA.
1 for C. Bryant.
AMERICA in the WAR again. GERMANS retreating 
on all fronts.
NOVEMBER 1941

11 TUESDAY
672

Usual sleep, up at 9 A.M. Had an Armistice 
day service at 10.45. Very simple
but very impressive. Lunch: Turnips!
We are wondering if the spuds are going to 
hang out the winter? A parade in the afternoon
for the next President of International
Red Cross, A cousin to the Crown Prince of Sweden.
673
£75-16-10

12 WEDNESDAY
Played bridge twice yesterday won 1 & lost 1.
Very warm last night did not sleep so good.
Up at 9 A.M. Weather very overcast. May 
snow today. Lunch: Soup, thats all we
ever get now. News: 400 largest British
bombers over Germany. 37 shot down! had
latest blast bombs. Tea: Maize soup.
Rumors: Petain assasinated! Italy
liable to turn any day. Check parade
WOLFSBERG.

1941 NOVEMBER
FIRST MAIL! AM I HAPPY. 4 LETTERS.
674 13 THURSDAY
A fair nights sleep. Up at 9 A.M. What a
life. No snow yet. Still very overcast.
I am getting scarfaced! I will muck
about. Lunch: Barley & spuds soup.
Cec Bryant got another letter yer yesterday
Still cold and cloudy. No tea tonight
Rumors: Admiral Darlon (FRANCE) assasinated
American warship sunk! sabotage in Austria
Germany & France!!!
14 FRIDAY
673
Could not sleep much last night, until
late. Up at 9.45. What a job. Very
cold and windy a slight fall of snow

during night. Flakes flying about all day.
Lunch: Soup. Went on sick parade with
scratched le shin. Mail! You beaut!
Four letters 1 from Margaret, 1 Trix
& 2 from Mother. Oh boy oh boy. I am 
in love again. Trix married.

NOVEMBER 1941
676

15 SATURDAY
Snowed all night about 2 inches deep.
Started last night late. Much warmer
this  morning. Up at 9.30 it's getting worse
this lying in habit. I have read my
letters about 6 times already. Should be
getting a lot  more from now on. Lunch:
Spuds & fish Usual ration of bread & marg.
Finland is finished according to Reuters!
A small bit in the Paris Soir. saying that
Reuters are wrong! I know who I would
rather believe!!! English navy captured 15
ships going from DAKAR un-occupied
FRANCE and filled with tea coffee and all
those things! Also supposed to have taken
20 odd ships filled with troops and war
material - all German in the Mediterranean
Hitler has asked for peace but Churchill said no
"Rushing trooped to channel ports invasion wrote
iminent.

WOLFSBERG.

1941 NOVEMBER
ANOTHER LETTER. AIR MAIL FROM
MOTHER.
16 SUNDAY

677 11^th  PARCEL. 2^nd CANADIAN
Up at 9.45. A good sleep. Some chaps went
spud bashing early and came back with sackfull
for their own use. We're only prisoners too!
Lunch: A very watery cabbage & spud soup.
Still very overcast although sun tried to
shine. No snow or rain. Very slippery because
of a freeze up. Parcel day tomorrow and all
Canadians. Hooray. Russians supposed to have
started big offensives!
17 NOVEMBER
678
Duty day. Up at 7.30 A.M. Still quite dark
and cold. Had to do the cleaning up. Others do 
the bread & coal fetching. Got my parcel at
8.30. Weather still hazy. A red sun rise?
Lunch: Usual watery soup. The meals are
terrible, we would be in a bad way only for the
Red Cross parcels. Played bridge in afternoon
Lost again. Tea: A seaweed soup, awful. —

NOVEMBER 1941
679

18 TUESDAY
In bed 10 P.M.last night Had a good sleep.
Up at 9.45 what alife. Usuall cold morning
no snow or rain slight frost. Lunch: 10.30
we parade get the food 11. Spuds & cabbage.
Bread issue 1/5 and margarine 1/16. A lot
of parcels in from Australia. None for me
yet. No mail either. Tea: Soup, No change
in the weather. My day on tea tomorrow.
680
19 WEDNESDAY
A good nights sleep last night should have
been a check roll call last night but it
never happened. Up at 8.30 to make the 
tea. Lunch : Usual soup! A big mail in!
nearly 500. None for me. Weather still overcast.
No change. Rumors of Germany
making an advance on most northern
front & Russians cut him off. A hell of a 
mess. Tea: Usual soup. Played bridge won.
WOLFSBERG
1941 NOVEMBER
681

20 THURSDAY
Up at 9AM. A good sleep. were issued with
 a tin of delousing powder from Red Cross. Fixed
the fleas! Was to be an inspection at 9AM.
but it never happened. Lunch: A mess of beans
maize bully & spuds. Not bad. Not much
mail today. Did a map of Australia! No
tea today. There will be a check of all

N.C.O.s. tomorrow morning 8.30! In bed. 10.
682

21 FRIDAY
A lot of rumors last night. Hun. Planes supposed to be
bombing Italian troops on the border! Russians
have pushed Jerry 50 K.M. past Odessa! King Emanuel
in London - abdicated! Italy capitulated! Churchill
promised largest airel offensive ever! Jerry running
like hell in Lybia. 100 miles in 2 days. Phew! Up 
at 8. parade off. Lunch: Spuds & fish. No
mail. Only 18 letters all told. Tea: Maize & spud
soup. Mucking about all day & night.

NOVEMBER 1941
REG WRIGHT DIED AT 1 AM TODAY!
683

22 SATURDAY 
In bed 10.30 P.M. did not get to sleep until
nearly midnight! Were issued with another 
blanket yesterday - an English Red Cross
issue full size! Up at 9.30. usual cold
morning. Old Stahl was screaming in here
this morning. Lunch: Sea weed soup! News!
Unrest in France. A German officer was shot
so the Germans shot 100 Frenchmen! Had
a tin of bully beef with mustard. Very nice 
& tasty. Believe another Canadian parcel
next week! Seems pretty true about Italy!
According to a chap who came in from a working 
camp today. Germany tried an invasion
last Thursday - lost 50, 000 men and English
troops followed up and made a landing on
the Continent - where nobody knows,
The chap heard it on the B.B.C. No mail
for me today. A lot up though. Still cloudy.
WOLFSBERG

1941 NOVEMBER
12^th PARCEL
684

23 SUNDAY
A good nights sleep. Did not get up until
11A.M. Did not go down for lunch. Feeling
pretty good. Plenty of rumors flying around
A.A. guns in WOLFSBERG? A Prince in
Italy has taken Italian troops in hand                                       in Southern Italy Has sent plans to England
to get British troops thru' Brenner pass.
A strict Blackout here! Its' afloat!
685

24 MONDAY
A good sleep. Up at 7 A.M. Went to R. WRIGHTS.
funeral. A marvellous burial. 30 of us. & 30 
Germans in a firing party. Three volleys. One
wreath from us & 1 from the jerrys. Back in camp
10.15 Lunch: A cabbage & turnip soup. Rumors
still flying thick and fast. England has taken Portugal
British troops on outskirts of Paris. Fighting in 
Belgium, A lot of troops in Wolfsberg. Petain
battle to turn any day. Pope in U.S.A.

NOVEMBER 1941
686
25 TUESDAY

Another pretty good sleep, up at 9 A.M. We are duty
block. I had to get the bread. Sleeping
in certainly make the days much shorter.
The days are simply flying! Lunch: Usual
soup. Drew my parcel yesterday. An English

one. Good too! No mention of Russia
No mail I A meeting in Berlin of all occup state.
687
₤79-13-10
26 WEDNESDAY

Am detailed(?) for spud bashing this morning
at 7 A.M. But did not get up until 10.30.
Did not go down for lunch! Turnip &
cabbage soup. Wrote 2 cards to Margo yestedy
Did some spud peeling this afternoon also

played chess. Did not go for tea. Rumors. -
Confirmed in German papers about landing -

they say they can be pushed back. Leaflets on
France England has new fighter 12 guns, 3 c
WOLFSBERG
1941 NOVEMBER
688
27 THURSDAY

Usual sleep in up at 10.30. Did not go
down for lunch. Had a dixie of soup with

a marmite cube. Played bridge in afternoon
just got beaten by 3 points. Made a dish of biscuits
raisins and milk. Also had a tin of M & V. Sun
is out! the first time for weeks. Probably be a

freeze tonight. A lot of the usual German

"organisation" A terrible muck in lots of things.
689
28 FRIDAY
Usual sleep. Woke up with the sun coming in
the window 10.30. Did not go down for lunch.
it was the usual fish & spuds. I had a tin of
meat loaf. Playing bridge in afternoon. The
weather is the best for weeks. A frost early in

the morning. Jerry makes several claims in

Lybia. Claims to have wiped out 22 Armored
Brigde! Also some armoured vehicles.
A search in afternoon for extra clothing. Some
slieght of hand work. 
 

NOVEMBER 1941
LETTER FROM ALICE CLARK IN ENGLAND
690
29 SATURDAY
Up again with the sun shining 10.30
went down to lunch which was spud & maize
soup with which I put a marmite cube.
Bread issue with 1/17 of 2 K.G. margarine
and 1/5 of a tin of argentine butter!
Come from the Red Cross. Drew the finish
of my parcel. Had a tin of beans at 4 P.M.
Have a tin of mixed fruit pudding for 
tomorrow. Another letter for me from
Alice in England. Posted 22-11-41.
Germans claim 5,000 prisoners in Lybia
also 500 tanks captured also two
battleships 1 in the Atlantic and one 
in the Mediterranean. All houses round
here have swastikas flying. Very
cold day. Freezing all day. Its about
time it snowed again. Concert at 7P.M.
very good - payed to see worse.
1941 NOV. & DEC.
WOLFSBERG
wrote to Margaret 13^th PARCEL 3^rd CANADIAN
691
30 SUNDAY
Up as usual 10-45 & went straight down
for lunch which was same as yesterday.
and nice & hot. Everything is frozen. We
were supposed to do 1 hours P.T. today in punishment
for mucking up on the search on Friday
but it never came off. Reading the book 'Mutiny
of the Bounty'. Rumors. A Jerry guard has said
we will be out in 2 weeks he didn't say what for
692
1 DECEMBER
Usual hour of rising 11AM. did not go down
for lunch, too cold! Plenty of ice around, Usual 
bread & margarine issue - drew parcel at 2 P.M.
Canadian! Also 2 oz Log Cabin tobacco! Issue of 1
toothbrush & 1 pte Lifebuoy. B.O.! Plenty of rumors
The battle of the Cunninghams in Lybia Jerry surrounded
at Bardio, we are at Derna. Jerry getting
a hiding in Russia Planes his chief bother.
FLASH! Air raid alarm here at 6.30 all lights out!

plane heard.

DECEMBER 1941
693

2 TUESDAY
Usual morning rising hour. 10-30. Can't get
to sleep until nearly 1 A.M. What a life. Did not 
go down for lunch. Issue of bread & margarine
as usual. A parade at 2 P.M. for all N.C.Os. just 
another check parade. Got through with flying colours
No mail. Lights did not come on until 8 P.M.
Played bridge & won. Rumors of Jerry being beaten
in desert Ite's thru' it in and allowed him to be
surrounded
694

3 WEDNESDAY
Up early this morning - on fatigues I was on 
coal carrying. The frosts are pretty heavy.
I was up before the sun. It rises at about 7.30 &
sets about 5. Did not go down for lunch
had my tin of bully beef with English mustard
Havenot being been down for lunch for some
days now. Rumors are few. Jerry has taken
6,000 English prisoners in Lybia and we have
taken 60,000 which proves nothing.
WOLFSBERG
1941 DECEMBER
A LETTER FROM AUNTY DORA SAME DATE AS 
ALICE'S
695

4 DECEMBER
Up at 11 A.M. Did not go down for lunch
again had tin of sardines. Issue of bread & 
syrup. Had shower. Played bridge again in
afternoon & win again. Played 2 won 2. Keep it
up. Letter from Aunty Dora posted same time as
Alices. Will take some answering! Rumors of
placards in all towns telling people to prepare for the
worst and to all do their bit. Jerry getting a hiding
in Russia. 
696
5 FRIDAY
Usual rising. Then had to do a fatigue - bringing
up coal to the de-louser. Made me hungry for
lunch which was fish & spuds - but I did not
have any fish - it smells! Had a tin of salmon.
back on fatigues in afternoon - passed the time
away and A bit of exercise. A beautiful day.
H.M.A.S. SYDNEY sunk in Australian waters!
attacked an armed raider which was also sunk!
This was addmitted by Jerry in his paper!

DECEMBER 1941
697
6 SATURDAY
 Still getting up late 11 this morning. went
down for lunch. Bloody awful! complaints
were made against it. Potato peelings & 
water! Only a small mail today Rumors
of 170 Parcels in - all for Australians & N.Z.
men. But only 25 names on the list.
Played bridge in afternoon and won again
that makes three straight! Played again
at night and again won. Four straight.
We're on top now. Rumors :- Canadians
have taken Bengazi - captured 15,000 
Ite's & Jerrys also the 9,000 British that
had been taken & two Generals! Also French
Canadians are fighting from Leningrad.
The desert campaign will be over by
Christmas! In bed early 10-15. The
weather is still good. Slightly cloudy 
night.
U.S.A. in the war!!!
WOLFSBERG
1941 DECEMBER
14^th PARCEL
698

7 SUNDAY
Had a marvellous sleep woke up at 8 AM
when Stahl came in - He must have slept in
got up at 11 A.M. went down for meal usual
slop with tiny  piece of meat. Rumors that
America is in the war again! Guards have not 
got tin hats on today. Photos being taken of
boys in groups of 50. Did not have mine taken
All Europe but SWitzerland & Turkey in war!
699
8 MONDAY
Up early this morning bread issued at 8-30
inside the barrack room as it was pouring.
Got back into bed again until 11 A.M. the went 
for lunch which was a mess NEWS! U.S.A.
is definitely in the war! Well wouldn't it! at last.
England has declared war on all anti-Commintern
Pact U.S.A. at war against
Japan. All banks in Germany are closed
as from yesterday. Roll on the boat! -