Free Diary of Annie's War by Annie Droege

read different. We cannot get to know the name of the English ship that is supposed to be lost.
Friday 29 th January.
    We read today that the boat lost last Sunday was the Lion . They do not say how many lives were lost. They also remark that two torpedo boats of the English were sunk.
    There is announced today the loss of an airship (Zeppelin) in Russia. The men were saved but imprisoned. We also hear that the Germans have made headway in France.
    I went to see Grebe the agent for the estate today. He says the war will last another twelve months.
Saturday 30 th January.
    No news today, only that of the seven flyers (French) three were shot down by the Germans and a famous flyer was killed.
    I went a little way on my own today in the forest for it was so very beautiful. We have had this frost nearly a week and everything is lightly covered with snow. They are tobogganing on Galgen (gallows) Hill and it is a lovely sight. The trees have a covering of ice on all the branches and just look like huge glass chandeliers with the sun shining through them. Some of the icicles hanging down from the trees are half a yard long. When a slight wind comes they ring as they touch one another and then fall to the ground. I have never seen anything like it. Not even on the stage.
    I stood half an hour watching the young people with their sledges. The view was magnificent off the hill and for miles and miles nothing but snow. Then I saw a long black line just like a snake. It was the soldiers going to the shooting range and the others coming back. In the distance there was the constant shooting where the men were learning to shoot human beings. Perhaps some of them, before two days older, would be dead themselves. To my back was the lovely forest and over all there was such a beautiful blue sky and brilliant sunshine. One could not believe that a war was raging and that a thousand of these soldiers are going away tonight.
Sunday 31 st January.
    We hear today of ten thousand Russians being captured. It’s a very large amount. This week they have given the amount of prisoners they have in Germany. It is enormous.

    Russian officers 3,575 – men 506,294 – Generals 18.
    French officers 3,459 – men 215,905 – Generals 7.
    Belgian officers 612 - men 36, 825.
    English officers 492 - men 18,824.

    Rye bread has risen in price and is two pence a pound. When one remembers it is not as nutritious as white bread you think it dear. White bread is sold by the small dinner cob, not by weight at all.
    Steinoff writes me he has sold the fowls. He could not buy food for them.
Monday 1 st February 1915.
    I hear this morning that the German undersea boats have sunk three steamers. Two near Liverpool and one near Le Havre but the men were saved. They were trading vessels taking food into England.
    Went to the bank and sent the money to Königswinter and to Lamspringe but find I have other rates to attend to.
    I hear that Herr Allorn who was in Ruhleben with Arthur has gone to the mad house. He first went to Hannover to go in the army but his complaint grew much worse and he is now put away. I thought him queer when I last visited him.
Tuesday & Wednesday 2 nd & 3 rd February.
    There is nothing to report. The Kaiser has gone to Poland. The Russians have been making headway. The Germans are glad one of the boats sank because it had so much food on it and because it was going to Belgium.
    I went out to tea today and we talked of the shortage of supplies. They fear a famine and we are told that there will be a shortage of meat after this week.
    A letter has been received from a doctor from this town who is in Russia. He must be out of the regular track of the war as he asks for supplies. He says he is in a dreadful fix and has to take the shirts off the men to tear into bandages. They have no beds or necessaries and he must put the men, partly naked, in straw on the floor and the men are constantly dying off. His letter was very dreadful to