This page in Mitchener's diary shows the oncoming Russian advance into Poland and Germany in January 1945. It is captioned,"From Memel to Budapest" and "Uncle Joe Moves Again." The diarist has drawn a calendar with the date January 12 circled as...
This page is blank except for a drawing of a military tank that has been cut out from another sheet of paper and placed in the diary. Underneath the tank, Mitchener has written, "From the West" and "Lt. Hardy A. Mitchener." In addition to the...
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II shows a song along with a tiny illustration of a soldier in prison. The song is called "Thanks for the Memories" and is attributed to L. G. Young, POW. The song is a parody and makes light of the...
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II shows the remainder of the song, "Thanks for the Memoires," which begins on the previous page of the diary. Another song, "Kriege Rations," is also shown. This song makes light of the fact that...
This page includes a list of RAF (Royal Air Force) expressions, which include "Taking a good view," "Puttin' up a black," "getting a green," "Beacon crawling," "A short burst," and "Operational type." Mitchener has also drawn a picture of a soldier...
This page lists one contact name. Mitchener has written, "D. C. Van Weelden/Nyack, N.Y. (30 Mi. N of N.Y. in Hudson Valley). Contact concerning Alaska." The page has a cut-out piece of cardboard with Lt. Mitchener's name on it. In addition to his...
This page in Mitchener's diary from World War II includes a drawing of the library at the POW camp. On the top of the page, he has written,"For a little learning is a dangerous thing." Underneath this, he has drawn a picture of books on shelves and...
This page in Mitchener's diary shows the barracks as they appeared on January 27, 1945, after a rapid evacuation of the POW camp. The picture shows the interior of a room with everything in disarray. He writes,"As result [sic] on a cold Sat. P.M....
This is another page of the Christmas program that was given to the POWs at Stalag Luft III in 1944. It includes the lyrics to "Silent Night" and a schedule of the theatrical entertainment from Dec. 20-Dec. 23. Some of the events include "Holiday...
This is another page of the Christmas program that was given to the POWs at Stalag Luft III in 1944. It includes a dedication page that reads, "The Senior American Officer extends very cordial season's greetings to all officers and men under his...
This is another page of the Christmas program that was given to the POWs at Stalag Luft III in 1944. It includes the lyrics to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The program lists carols performed by the "troubador group" on...
This page in Mitchener's diary from World War II includes a drawing of the toilet facilities at the camp. On the top of the page, he has written, "The Germans had a name for it. 'Abort' ---" Underneath the drawing, he has written, "Busy Corner (3...
This page is a poem or list of things that Mitchener misses and craves during his imprisonment in a POW camp in Germany. He has then included a small poem that reads,"I have loved those things/Gentle living our country gave/You'll find them where...
This page is a poem,"Prisoner's Prayer." Mitchener notes that it was memorized by a POW from scratchings on the wall in a Vienna transition camp. The poem asks for God's protection for airmen facing "shell, flak, fire, and foe." He writes, in part,...
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II shows a short poem called "Comrade to Freedom." The poem observes that men who have never been in bondage do not truly understand the joys of freedom.
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II shows the continuation of a poem called "The B-17," by POW D. Hughes. The poem is about the greatness of the B-17 bomber. A drawing of a B-17 bomber with the word,"Glory!" above it can also be...
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II shows a poem called "High Flight," written by Pilot Officers John J. McGee, Eagle Squadron, killed in action. The poem is about the joy of flying.
This page is a poem, "Bars, Inc." written by "Coyle" and dedicated to "Ivan - POW El Grande." The poem or song is about having a bar in every room of the house. Mitchener has drawn a small picture of a bar with a sign "Home Sweet Home" next to it....
This is the last page of "Mothers' Sons," a poem about the sons who don't make it home after the war and the ones who do. Mitchener is aware of his own luck to have survived his air missions, but sympathetic to those mothers who will never see...
