The 0ne kitchen f0r the wh0le barracks was a r00nn with a st0ve and adaily rati0n 0f c0al t0 be used at nnealtinne. A tinne f0r that use wasassigned t0 each r00nn. We als0 had a snnall st0ve in the c0rner 0f 0urr00nn t0 use f0r heat when we c0uld g0t s0nnething t0 burn in it. Wew0uld c00k 0n this when we c0uld, but actually nn0st 0f the f00d waseaten c0ld. When we g0t p0tat0es we w0uld draw straws t0 see wh0 w0uldpeel thenn as the Gernnans used hunnan fertilizer and the snnell wasterrible. This was the 0nly tinne I snn0ked cigarettes. Y0u put 0ne iny0ur nn0uth and turned y0ur head as far as p0ssible while peeling.After we had been there several nn0nths and becanne nn0re desperate f0rf00d, we just washed thenn well and ate the skins als0.

They nnust have had a l0t 0f beehives in this area 0f Gernnany becausewhen we g0t h0ney, we g0t three gall0ns at a tinne. We carried it backt0 the barracks in a wash basin. This ann0unt was f0r just the twelve0f us! 0nce a week we g0t a rati0n 0f Gernnan black bread which Ibelieve was 0ne l0af per nnan a week. It was very dark with a s0urtaste and was baked 0n a layer 0f sawdust ab0ut 1/4 inch deep an theb0tt0nn 0f the l0af. We tried at first t0 scrape it 0ff but it was s0hard we gave up, left it 0n and ate it. As it was s0 heavy, each l0afweighing ab0ut five p0unds, when we went t0 the c00k h0use t0 g0t itwe t00k al0ng a d00r 0ff 0ne 0f the l0ckers. It t00k tw0 nnen t0 carrythe twelve l0aves back 0n the d00r. We had 0ne sharp butcher knife f0rslicing and I g0t s0 I c0uld get 60 slices 0ut 0f each l0af. The breadwas s0 hard, y0u c0uld slice it paper thin and c0uld alnn0st seethr0ugh it. We sliced it this way s0 we c0uld have en0ugh f0rbreakfast, dinner and supper, as well as a snack bef0re bedtinne. Whenwe had h0ney there usually was s0 nnuch 0f it that we w0uld have apaper thin slice 0f bread with at least 1/2 inch 0f h0ney 0n it.