Title	The Heater
Description	This page in Mitchener's diary from World War II includes a drawing of a group of prisoners who are passing time by playing cards. They are sitting next to a heating stove that, according to Mitchener, has a six-foot radius. He writes"There's at least one 'Ladies Aid' per room - - Underneath the drawing he explains that the men are playing bridge, staving off hunger, and using a small amount of coal to keep warm. They are actually using wood stumps as a substitute for coal.
Historical note	Mitchener was shot down and captured as a POW during World War II after a bombing mission in Germany. Each compound at Stalag Luft III (there were five) contained around a dozen barracks called blocks, a cookhouse, a shower building, a laundry, and a theater and a chapel building. The winters in Silesia were quite cold, and a chilly wind penetrated the cracks in the walls. The men were frequently cold and uncomfortable. Usually bored, they attempted to pass time by playing cards.
Date	1944-1945
Place	Zagan (Poland)
Creator	Mitchener, Hardy A., 1919-1957
Collection name	Hardy A. Mitchener, Jr. Journal, 1944-1945
Education Tags	US.61 American Soldiers World War II
Subjects - LCSH	World War, 1939-1945 -- Europe; Prisoners of war; Diaries
Subjects - TGM	Barbed wire Rooms & spaces Prisoners Playing cards Stoves Tables Stools
Accession #	THS 760
Owning Institution	Tennessee Historical Society
ID #	33594
Digital type	IMAGE
Digital format	TIFF
Image Rights	Digital image © 2008, Tennessee State Library & Archives. All rights reserved.
Copyright	While TSLA houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use.
Ordering information	To order a digital reproduction of this item, please send our order form at http://tsla.tnsosfiles.com/general/forms/ImagingOrder.pdf to Photo Orders, Tennessee State Library & Archives, 403 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37243-0312, or email to photoorders.tsla@tn.gov. Further ordering information can be found at the following location: http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/ordering-images-and-microfilm-digitization .