LIFE IN PRISON CAMP

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24022, 10 August 1943, Page 6

LIFE IN PRISON CAMP

—«— CHRISTCHURCH SOLDIER’S LETTER ANZAC DAY CELEBRATIONS Writing to his father, Mr J. P. E. Veale, of Christchurch, under date April 30, from a prison camp in Germany, Major L. H. Veale says the Anzac Day celebrations in the camp were a grea' success. It was intended to play a Rugby match, New Zealand v. Australia, but because the grounds w ere very hard the match had, to be abandoned and it was also found impossible to play a hockey match that had been arranged. "The gathering in tl. canteen, however." writes Major Veale, “was a great success, although the order was to ‘bring your own mug.’ Beer was plentiful and there was some really good music supplied by an orchestra led by Captain S. S. Turner, of the Royal Engineers: It was a representative gathering, officers from Great Britain, the Dominions, and the United Str*>- b r "nc n“esent. A special Anzac

memorial service was held in the chapel, and over this Padre Cave, assisted by Padres Morgan and Wright, of the New Zealand Church Army, officiated. It was a very impressive and fitting memorial service.” Writing earlier in the year. Major Veale said that a few days before Christmas there appeared very little likelihood of a Christmas dinner, but thanks to the work of the Red Cross the following menu was placed before 100 New Zealand and 140 Australian officers;—tomato cocktail, salmon and white sauce, Kiszky Sinacznego, grilled steak and macaroni, steak and tomato pudding, Lenniski bomby. potatoes mashed and baked. Macedoine of vegetables, Ananas a la turque. Christmas pudding, cafe creme fromage varie et biscuits. Oflag VIB, in which Major Veale is the senior New Zealand officer, is a camp of 2800 prisoners, and in the early part of the year was almost buried by the snow, with the temperature 20 degrees below freezing point. With such a wearisome scene outside, the educational library, built up through the efforts of the British Red Cross and the organisations in Geneva, became a main centre of camp life during the winter months Educational Facilities The following extract is taken from “The Times" Educational Supplement, written after Mr Andre de Bloney. secretary of the Student Relief Fund, had visited the camp. “Major Veale," says’ the report, “is responsible for the programme of courses covering most branches of knowledge. Education in Oflag VIB is more thoroughly organised than in most prison camps. The camp ‘university’ is divided into six sections, each one headed by a qualified instructor. The most extensive one is the engineering section, which offers 15 courses, including higher mathematic , electrotechnology chemistry, and physics. Twenty different languages are included in the programme and the arts section ranges from water-colour painting and anatomy to history and philosophy. A 1 though few of the teachers are mem bers of the profession in civil life, they take their present task very seriously "Thanks to the efforts of the British Red Cross, the prisoners will be able to take their examinations in camps, and 50 educational bodies have granted permission for their examinations to be taken under these conditions, although so far as the universities are concerned, the only external degrees which can be taken are those of the London University.” Major Veale lef* New Zealand with the Ist Echelon and left Egypt in charge of an aU’Tlerv section which fought in Greece. He was captured with otl.e. New Zealanders during the fighting in Crete