This method of supplying food to the prisoners in Germany was not altogether satisfactory. In the first place, men in good regiments were much better looked after than those who belonged to regiments where there was no organisation for the care of prisoners; and in the second place, it was open to abuse. Some men, for instance, wrote to various people in England and obtained by this means more parcels than they could possibly want. One prisoner managed by diligent writing to obtain as many as fifty parcels. The difficulty of getting food into Germany increased as the war went on, and it was soon found that the whole problem had become too big for voluntary effort. Accordingly in October 1916 a Central Prisoners of War Committee was formed under the auspices of the Government, and the supply of regular food was officially taken in hand with the aid of the American Embassy in Berlin. This did not entail the abolition of the various regimental funds, but it ensured every prisoner being provided with an adequate amount of food. After this the packets of food were sent with a Red Cross label, provided by the authorities, and no parcel could be sent, unless it had been packed by the Central Committee, or under their authority, as they were responsible that the parcels contained nothing that contravened the regulations. No prisoner was allowed to receive parcels from more than one authorised organisation.
The following memorandum was issued for the guidance of the prisoners' relations and friends:
System of sending Parcels to Grenadier Prisoners of War in Germany
1. No parcels either of food, tobacco, tea, or clothing can now be sent by private individuals to these prisoners, nor should monetary assistance be given to any agency except our own. Books can be sent to them only through authorised publishers, such as Mudie's, W. H. Smith, and Bumpus. Gramophones, boxing-gloves, and a few other such articles can sometimes be sent by special request through the Central Prisoners of War Committee, 4 Thurloe Place, S.W.7.
We cannot accept parcels from individuals to be forwarded to prisoners, but only subscriptions to our funds.
2. Details of parcels are as follows:
(1) Assorted food parcels (weight under 11 lbs. gross) are sent three times per fortnight to each prisoner at the cost of £6: 15s. per man per quarter, or £2: 5s. per parcel per quarter. Each parcel contains 1 cake of soap, and frequently other necessaries applied for by the men.
(2) 1 lb. of tea (in a separate parcel) is sent out per month to each man, costing 1s. 8d. per month, duty free.
(3) 250 cigarettes or ½ lb. of tobacco, as preferred, is sent to each man (in a separate parcel) costing 3s. 8d. per month, duty free.
(4) A separate supply of bread or biscuits, according to season, is sent to the Camps by the Central Prisoners of War Committee, and each man should receive 4 lbs. per week. In future we shall have to pay for this, and it will cost us 8s. per man per month (based on 7s. 6d. per four weeks).
(5) A complete outfit of clothing is sent out to each man twice yearly.
3. We classify our subscribers as follows:
(a) Adopters, who subscribe for parcels to specified and named men, paying £2: 5s. per quarter for each fortnightly parcel. In some cases an adopter pays £4: 10s. for two, or £6: 15s. for three fortnightly parcels all sent to the same man; in other cases an adopter takes over two men or three men, or more, and pays for one or more fortnightly parcels each. The names of the senders cannot, owing to shortage of labour, be written on parcels, and the subscriber writes to the prisoner to let him know what is being done for him.
(b) Friends or relations, who subscribe monthly, or occasionally, for the tea, tobacco, or bread, at the prices above quoted, or pay 7s. occasionally when they wish to provide for one of the regular parcels.
(c) Givers of donations, of various amounts to be used as we think best.
N.B.—It is possible for relations of prisoners by applying to the Regimental Orderly Room to get allotments made to them out of the prisoner's pay, in order to enable them to subscribe to us. This can only be done when a prisoner writes to say he wishes it, and defines the amount of the allotment.
These instructions were altered several times, and new rules and conditions were added. Soon after the official system came into force, there was an unfortunate hitch about the bread. The Central Prisoners of War Committee, which had undertaken the supply, found that the arrangements they had made for its manufacture and despatch from Copenhagen were anything but satisfactory; complaints from the prisoners showed that the system was not working well. Steps were at once taken by the Central Prisoners of War Committee to rectify the fault, and afterwards the supply was carried out satisfactorily from Copenhagen and Berne.
One prisoner, who wished to inform his friends of the true state of affairs, and who feared his remarks would not pass the Censor, wrote on a postcard, "1 Corinthians iv. 11." The German Censor's biblical knowledge was fortunately weak, and he allowed the card to go. The text referred to was:
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place.
Early in 1917 the relatives of the men in Germany began to hear more frequently from them, and to learn how badly some of them were being treated. Thus a considerable correspondence grew up with these anxious people, as well as with the prisoners themselves, and General Thynne had to ask the Lieutenant-Colonel to give him some help. Lieutenant Bernard Samuelson, who was at that time incapacitated for active service by wounds, therefore joined in the work; in July of that year, General Thynne requiring a short holiday, Lieutenant A. O. Whitehead (also wounded) helped; and when General Thynne returned, and Lieutenant Samuelson, who had rendered most able assistance, had rejoined for active duty, Lieutenant Whitehead continued to work with General Thynne. Being a business man with more than common capacity and experience, Mr. Whitehead's assistance and powers of organisation were invaluable, for the clerical work and correspondence had become considerable, and he devoted himself to the work with the greatest zeal and interest.
In the autumn of 1917 it became very difficult to procure the necessary supplies of provisions; in fact, some essential articles were absolutely unobtainable. It was, therefore, decided to ask the Central Prisoners of War Committee to pack and despatch the parcels, which they were able to do, as they had very large contracts for supplies; and this they continued to do with most satisfactory results until the cessation of hostilities, November 11, 1918.
During 1918 the number of prisoners greatly increased, principally because the 4th Battalion had been surrounded by the enemy, when under orders to hold the position at all costs near Merville, and, whilst losing heavily in casualties, had had over 250 men captured. The other Battalions lost some men captured during the fighting in August and September, thus bringing the total up to 475, including 27 men interned in Holland, and 6 in Switzerland, besides several badly wounded men repatriated, 3 who died in captivity, and 2 who escaped.