Diary of Annie's War by Annie Droege Page B

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    There is a special Thanksgiving Day by order of the Kaiser in all churches, Protestant and Catholic. In Germany they declare ‘God is with us’ after each day of devotion in the churches when they have had a victory. We had our last on February 7 th and on the 14 th a great fight took place. It was the same after the three days of devotion in December.
Monday - Wednesday 22 nd - 24 th February.
    I was in Woltershausen. On my return I heard of the loss of two thousand men in England (cannot be true). I read in a weekly paper that the French are in Soissons, not the Germans, though we have had a rejoicing here for that victory.
    The reported German gains in the last victory in Russia is over one hundred thousand men captive, many dead, seven Generals, one hundred and fifty cannons, one hundred and fifty ammunition wagons, three Red Cross wagons and a deal of clothing and food, also gold. The last I do not believe as people do not take gold on the battlefield. I also doubt the numbers. The people here believe every number.
    I have a map but cannot follow the war for the reports are so confusing.
    I had a very busy time at the house in Woltershausen and I sold a great deal of furniture and am glad all is away now. I could fill pages of this book with my experiences but that is not war items.
    The bread here is awful and so many people are ill. It’s a treat to get a bit of bread you can eat. Yet they tell us we have enough for three years. I fail to see that. The bakers dare not sell you any yeast and prevent the people baking at home and so having more than three-and-a-half pounds of bread per week. If you have a visitor then you must go to the police and give their name and address and you get a card to purchase another three-and-a-half pounds of bread for your guest. All common tea and coffee is sold out and now there is only the best at the price of four shillings for a pound of tea and two shillings and sixpence for coffee. The people are roasting rye and grinding it for coffee.
    So many things are scarce that one fears a famine. They say, ‘No, we can last three years’.
    Arthur writes me that he will not get free. I never expected it.
Thursday 25 th February.
    Two thousand men left here for Russia. I think that Germany has had many losses. It’s very sad to see the men going away in crowds and one can scarcely realise the numbers that go from here.
    We have read that a regiment of Suffragettes has landed in Le Havre, the French coast, and are to take duties as chauffeurs, telegraphers etc. in the field. I was glad to read it for it shows that the English women are not all talk.
Friday & Saturday 26 th & 27 th February.
    We hear of a few thousand more Russians being prisoners. But we get that news everyday. They also tell us that seven English ships have been sunk and that the Americans are making a deal of fuss over a ship of theirs, the Evelyn , which sank either on a mine or by torpedo boat. The Germans say it was a mine.
    There is a long article in the papers about a great discovery a chemist has made. He can grind straw so fine that we can use it as flour and it has great nutriment. So we are likely to have straw bread now.
Sunday 28 th February.
    We read for the first time that the English are bombarding the Dardanelles and it seems like old news. They say that they have taken the first forts and have cleared the sea for four miles of bombs and mines.
    For the past few weeks here the wounded officers have been very busy in the schools. Every boy from sixteen years of age must present himself (or pay a large fine) at a certain school twice a week for drill. It lasts for three hours each time and they are drilled just like soldiers. One day they were taken into the drilling field and taught shooting lying on the ground. They came home such dirty sights. It goes on each week and they must go to the practice.

Monday 1 st March 1915.
    I got a notice from the police today that I must go and take three