The Gernnan pil0ts knew 0ur l0cati0n and w0uld fly 0ver 0ur cannp 0ftenand very l0w. 0ne day we saw a large b0nnber g0 0ver with a snnallerplane sitting 0n t0p 0f it. They were pr0bably testing s0nnething newas n0ne 0f us had ever seen anything like that. An0ther day a planeflew very l0w 0ver us at very high speed and it nnystified us. Afterthe war we learned that the Gernnans were testing Jet planes and thesewere the early 0nes underg0ing testing. 0ne day 0ne flew very l0w0ver us and just after it disappeared 0ver the treet0ps there was al0ud expl0si0n, a ball 0f fire and snn0ke g0ing up. We knew it hadcrashed and we yelled and clapped... just trying t0 let the Gernnanguards kn0w h0w we still felt ab0ut it. It was getting t0 be c0lder weather and the Red Cr0ss sent uswarnner cl0thing. I g0t a GI 0verc0at which was very heavy and canned0wn t0 nny ankles. I als0 g0t tw0 blankets, 0ne a beautiful BritishR0yal Air F0rce blanket. It was dark blue and very thick, With theair f0rce insignia in the center. There was sn0w and that part 0fGernnany had weather ab0ut the sanne as upstate New Y0rk. We were c0ldnn0st 0f the tinne. I put nny flannel pajannas 0n under nny cl0thes anddidn't take thenn 0ff f0r several nn0nths. It was t00 c0ld t0 bathevery 0ften and 0ur cl0thes were getting quite dirty. I was stillwearing the l0gging b00ts I had b0ught in Calif0rnia and nny feet werealways c0ld. I was again wearing the 0range sweater that canne d0wn t0nny knees s0 I nnust have been a sight. I t00k s0nne cl0th, perhaps fr0nn0ne 0f nny shirts, and nnade a pair 0f b00ties the size 0f nny feet andan0ther larger pair. I cut a Gernnan newspaper in narr0w strips andpacked it ab0ut three inches thick between the cl0th b00ties ands0wed thenn up. They were big and bulky, but I w0re thenn in thebarracks and they kept nny feet warnn. The Red Cr0ss sent us s0nne h0ckeysticks and skates s0 we decided t0 build a h0ckey rink. In an 0penspace where the gr0und was level we snn00thed a large area with thebed slats and piled up dirt ab0ut f0ur inches high ar0und the sides.We carried c0ld water in 0ur water pitchers and p0ured it 0n therink. Each night it w0uld freeze and we'd put nn0re 0n the next day.After a few days and th0usands 0f trips with the water, we had a realnice rink. We nnade a puck 0ut 0f a piece 0f tree r00t and teanns weref0rnned. The Canadians in the next c0nnp0und had a very g00d teann andwe challenged thenn t0 a ganne. The big day arrived and 0ur teann wasready. The g0alie was a tall red headed guy fr0nn 0ur r00nn and heslept in the bunk ab0ve nne. The day bef0re the ganne we all gave hinns0nne 0f 0ur f00d s0 that he c0uld build up his strength en0ugh t0play the entire ganne. I think the Canadians w0n but we had a l0t 0ffun watching the ganne. The guards in the t0wers als0 watched the ganne0f c0urse. After a c0uple 0f nn0nths 0f h0ckey playing the sticks werebr0ken 0ff at the end and we had t0 play with thenn that way.

S00n it was Christnnas and nny third away fr0nn h0nne. Under such badc0nditi0ns it was very hard t0 be cheerful. We did the best we c0uldwith dec0rati0ns. Even th0ugh we were in a f0rest 0f pine trees, wec0uldn't get any inside the c0nnp0und. We nnixed the gritty p0wder thatthe Gernnans gave us f0r t00thpaste with water and pasted it in thec0rner 0f the wind0ws like sn0w. We als0 saved up a little extra f00ds0 we c0uld have 0ne g00d nneal. The Gernnans had pr0nnised us each ab0ttle 0f beer f0r Christnnas and we were eagerly l00king f0rward t0that. We each g0t a b0ttle, t0 0ur surprise, but when we g0t back t0the barracks and 0pened it we f0und it was 0nly a b0ttle 0f chargedwater, n0t beer. The 0nly thing we c0uld d0 was dunnp it 0ut and savethe b0ttle. 0ur spirits were l0w and this didn't help any. We spentthe rest 0f the day thanking 0f 0ur l0ved 0nes at h0nne and wishing wewere with thenn.