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Volunteers Packed Parcels of Comfort to Men Imprisoned

What the Parcels Contained

Four variations of parcels were sent on rotation to add variety to and supplement the meagre diet of prisoners of war in Germany. (This information can be downloaded separately as PDF from the resources section).

Boxes about to be sent to prisoners in Germany, showing a shirt, pipe, and varioius tinned items.
Parcels for WW1 Prisoners in Germany

Parcel A

1 lb Beef
½ lb Vegetables - cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots or onions
1 lb Sausages
½ lb Cheese - tinned
¼ lb Tea
½ lb Nestles Milk
½ lb Sugar
½ lb Margarine or dripping
1 lb Jam
1 lb Biscuits
50 Cigarettes or 2 oz of tobacco and papers
1 Tin Sardines
1 Tablet soap

 

Parcel B

1 lb Tin Rations
1 lb Tin Herrings
1 tin Oxo Cubes or Marmite
1 lb Biscuits
¼ lb Cocoa
½ lb Bacon
½ lb Dripping
1 tin Baked Beans
50 Cigarettes
½ lb Nestles Milk
1 lb Syrup
1 lb Rice
1 Tablet Soap

 

Parcel C

1 lb Beef
1 lb Tin Salmon
½ lb Ration Biscuits
½ lb Milk
¼ lb Tea
½ lb Sugar
1 lb Tin Fruit or dried fruit
1 tin Oxo Cubes
¼ lb Chocolate
½ lb tin Beef, Ham or Veal loaf
1 lb Suet Pudding
½ lb Margarine or dripping
Quaker Oats or Grape Nuts
1 Tablet Soap

 

Parcel D

1 lb Tin Beef or Rations
½ lb Bacon
1 lb Tin Sardines
1 lb tin Baked Beans
3 Soup Squares
¼ lb Tea
½ lb Nestles Milk
½ lb tin Beef, Ham or Veal loaf
½ lb Biscuits
½ lb Dripping
½ lb Currant Biscuits
50 Cigarettes
1 lb Tin Marmalade or Jam
Quaker Oats
1 Tablet Soap

Personal Parcels

A ban on personal parcels was brought in early in the War, causing great resentment and on 1 December 1917 a Personal Parcel scheme was introduced. Next of kin were allowed to send one parcel each quarter, weighing between 3lb-11lb and could contain any of the following:

  • Tobacco pipe and pipe lights
  • Hair brush and comb
  • Sponge
  • Pomade
  • Pencil
  • Clothes brush
  • Tooth powder and toothbrush
  • Buttons
  • Chess, Draughts, or Dominoes
  • Cap badge or badges of rank
  • Shaving brush, safety razor, shaving soap (one stick per quarter)
  • Dubbin (a type of shoe polish) and bootlaces (mohair)
  • Brass polish
  • Hobnails (for boots)
  • Sweets (8oz only)
  • Housewife (sewing kit)
  • Medal ribbons
  • Handkerchiefs (one per quarter)
  • Health salts
  • Mittens (one pair per quarter), mufflers (one per quarter)
  • Insecticide powder
  • Braces and belts (made of webbing, not rubber or leather)