Brewing alcohol in Colditz

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Almost all PoW camps distilled and brew alcohol. Brewing and distilling of moonshine in Oflag IV-C (Colditz) was a pastime. In 1941, the Polish contingent did the bootlegging. They used yeast and Red Cross sugar to rustle up luxurious prison made concoctions.

Notable distillers later established themselves in the Schloss such as Michael Farr. Farr's family ran Hawkers Gin (the only gin with a Royal warrant) and he added his craft.[1][2] He made a wine dubbed "Château Colditz".[1] George Drew,[3] Pat Ferguson[3] were also notable distillers. In 1942, Albert van Rood, John Dickinson and Bush Parker brew and distilled moonshine. Prisoners formed firms and in 1942, firms like the Colditz Distilling Company were established.

Earlier stills produced ailments from the impurities. Black teeth and temporary blindness seemed commonplace.

Early distilling in the camp[edit]

The Poles first distilled and stashed alcohol in 1941.[4] And many distillers and brewers of alcohol, with various levels of ability, practiced their game.

Earlier stills lacked refinement. And no means of mass production presented itself. A bad drink caused black teeth and a swollen tongue. Blurred vision often resulted after a drink and sometimes drinkers could not see their limbs and digits. These impairments were temporary. One prisoner developed cirrhosis. Though no one succumbed from alcohol poisoning.[5] A former medical student Peter Storie-Pugh, noted, in moderation the liqueur had a good effect on morale.[5] This medic's testimony was enough justification for the lads.

Notable brewers[edit]

External image
image icon Contents of a Red Cross Parcel.

There were numerous distillers of note. George Drew[3] and Pat Ferguson[3] brew alcohol. Distillers such as Michael Farr from the Hawkers Gin firm added input.[1][2] Farr made a professional standard wine. They called this concoction — "Château Colditz".[1] The lads were not taking the mick naming the wine. A Saxony wine region classic made with Red Cross parcel raisins. A noble rot wine. Farr's wine tasted superior; it made Christmas 1942 better.[1][5]

Some of the RAF mess. F/Lt Albert van Rood (fifth from left, standing), Don 'Weasel' Donaldson (seventh from left, standing), F/Lt John Patrick 'Bag' Dickinson, (first left sitting), F/Lt Vincent 'Bushy' Parker (sitting 3rd from left), Douglas Bader (sitting, center), and Dominic Bruce (sitting, furthest right)

In 1942, using new techniques, van Rood disrupted;[6] he and the mess lads could have a concoction ready in hours.[7]

Colditz Distilling Company[edit]

In 1942 Albert van Rood opened up a distilling firm.[6] He, Vincent Parker and John Dickinson created the synergy for the going concern. Parker traded with a Colditz guard who handled fuel. The literature highlights, nuanced interplay between van Rood, Dickinson and Parker.

The distillery churned a constant stock supply; almost becoming a monopoly.

Operations[edit]

Julius Green trained in medicine.[8] A dentist from Glasgow.[8] Protected personnel according to the Geneva Convention. A man with a code of conduct;[8] he could not do something like this. He merely associated himself to the mess lads drinking the nightcaps.[7]

External image
image icon Julius Green. A dentist Relaxing with a tab (Date:1940s)

Some of the lads knew Green in an informal way. Christening him 'Toothy'. Those who knew him less, he was the 'Toothwright'. Or the 'Fucking Toothwright'.[9] Green made do with the equipment they gave him. What you thought of him depended on the pliers. Sometimes, though, it was the snide pain killer strength. Green was self-deprecating;[9] either a great lad, or a sadistic shithouse.[9] He noted that drinking establishment well.[7]

External image
image icon The Fish, a serial escaper. Standing top right, next to Frank 'Errol' Flinn (Date:1940s)

All clandestine, the Colditz Distilling Company claimed others. Green highlighted the Canadian 'Scarlet' O'Hara, contributed in the background and foreground.[7] The distillery involved Polish officer Tony Karpf.[7] The mess lads called him the 'The Fish'.[7] Later, the Wehrmacht moved on the Poles.[7] And after Colditz, The Fish, a noted escaper, made a home run from another camp.[7]

Experience[edit]

Three realms of reality manifested from that experience of consumption.[7] Some chose a constant state of inebriation[7] and others went teetotal and strenuously latched on to the sobriety.[7] Finally, no one fancied the hangover—'no man's land'.[7][10]

Objections[edit]

External image
image icon An illicit still from a different camp. Most POW camps distilled and brew alcohol.

Green highlighted the newer distillery caused envy.[7] Lags complained they held that luxury hostage.[7] They terrorised a harmless enterprise, hurting the emotional state of the mess lads. The mess lads argued with the gobshites.[7]

External image
image icon Some of the clientele here. The clientele were good lads. The vindictive gobshites were good lads. (Date 1942-45)

Stressing, fighting or debating and arguing, they all made compromises.[7] Keen on this benevolent endeavour, Bag Dickinson borrowed the castle's plumbing.[11] Bag secured the metal containers and tubing ensuring the distillery grew at speed.[7] The vindictive gobshites who opposed this enterprise: they reached contrition. Contented and settled; after they liberated the calorific delicacies from the mess and distillery.[7]

Trade[edit]

Crème de menthe. The best ingredients went into all this stuff.

The distillery traded and bartered.[7] The company maintained a surplus stock for profit selling a selection of liqueur. Distillers attempted knockoff drinks like grog,[12] whisky, vodka, crème de menthe, white schnapps and gin.[7][2] A shovel of coal secured a cheap drink for a miser.[13]

Drinking[edit]

A brewery piss-up lasted from Boxing day 1943 till 29 February, 1944.[13] Van Rood's company also profited from this.[13]

In spring 1944, Parker was steadfast; they celebrated the ANZACs (see: Anzac Day).

They celebrated holidays of all nationalities. Open to all religious festivals.[7] A lad went to the cooler—they drank.[7] A lad went to a Leipzig court martial, they commiserated.[7] They would have a bash for the lads coming from the cooler. They had drinks for escapers, going home.[7]

Critics[edit]

The brewers and distillers tried their best. And all PoW camps had liqueur critics and wine stewards in the numbers.

One wine steward was sick of it. The lad threw shade at Farr's superior Chateau Colditz. In 1942 he noted, there was plenty of the stuff; great for Christmas. But snided the drink was terrible. It could blow your fucking head off. They could do better than that.[14]

Rex Harrison and Bush Parker were old mates.[15] Harrison was candid on his great Aussie mate's grog experiment. The grog, it — "tasted of cats piss, it could burn a hole in steel plates. There would be fewer casualties if water broke it down."[15]

Eggers and the security squads[edit]

The prison command suspected concealed drinking establishments.[7] Making assumptions, they believed with an intensity this would hinder escaping. They were wrong. Despite the extra security and surveillance, no camp had more escape attempts than Schloss Colditz.[7]

Aftermath[edit]

External image
image icon Eggers drinking with Farr in 1974.[16]

Drinkers met up post war.[16] Karpf and Green never met inside the Schloss.[note 1] Post war, Karpf married a Glaswegian lass.[17] And once or twice a year, Green would meet 'The Fish'. They would reminisce about Colditz and the lads lost in the conflict. He'd sample Karpf's refined distillery and hospitality.[7]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Karpf and the Poles left Colditz in 1943. Green arrived at Colditz in 1944.

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Jarvis (2022).
  2. ^ a b c Macintyre (2022), p. 152.
  3. ^ a b c d Staff Reporter (2005).
  4. ^ Reid (2014), Kindle location 2083.
  5. ^ a b c Macintyre (2022), pp. 151–152.
  6. ^ a b Reid (2014), Kindle location 1419.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Green (1971), pp. 141–142.
  8. ^ a b c Green (1971).
  9. ^ a b c Macintyre (2022), p. 198.
  10. ^ Reid (2014), Kindle location 2125.
  11. ^ Reid (2014), Kindle location 2109.
  12. ^ Burgess (2019), Kindle location 3093.
  13. ^ a b c Reid (2014), Kindle location 2122.
  14. ^ Schädlich (2016), Kindle location 285.
  15. ^ a b Burgess (2019), Kindle location 3060.
  16. ^ a b Henderson (2022).
  17. ^ Collins (2023).

References[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Burgess, Colin (2019). The Diggers of Colditz (3 ed.). Australia: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781760852153.
  • Green, Julius Morris (25 November 1971). From Colditz in Code. United Kingdom: Robert Hale. ISBN 978-0709124825.
  • Macintyre, Ben (15 September 2022). Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle. United Kingdom: Penguin. ISBN 978-0241986974.
  • Reid, P. R. (2014). The Latter Days at Colditz. UK: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 9781473603653.
  • Schädlich, Thomas (2016). Tales from Colditz Castle: Diary from Martin Schädlich. Colditz, Germany: Verlag Schädlich. Kindle Edition. ASIN B01M0YQGZM.

Newspapers[edit]

Websites[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brewing_alcohol_in_Colditz&oldid=1223235083"