The following is a list of the contents of the POW logbook kept by Tommy in Marlag und Milag Nord.  This was a camp maintained by the Germans during WWII for Allied Naval and Merchant Navy prisoners.  The logbook was a gift from the Canadian government and the YMCA to POWs and was apparently received in the camp about mid 1943.

The logbook consists of numbered pages, plus a section in the centre for photos.  

To visit the Photo Section, click here.

The list below shows the page number where applicable, the contents and any comments I have about the page.  Clicking on the page number will open a scanned picture of the document.

I would like to thank Gabe Thomas, author of  MILAG: Captives of the Kriegsmarine for his insightful comments about the logbook.

Title Page

Cover Page -Note hand drawn Merchant Navy crest.

3. Message from Alastair Macfarlane - gives a good idea of the date the log was started

Message from the Prime Minister

5. Message from Robert Blake -expresses a common theme about getting home

5a. Map of Eastern Germany -the camp was in Western Germany

7. Poem -like many in the log, the name is unreadable

9. Poem from Stan Phillips

103. Listing of films at camp cinema  Gabe Thomas sent me this description of the Nimmodeon Cinema

Ration list -this is what prisoners got to eat.

105. POW letters -Some humour -some frustration - Gabe's comments on camp humour

11. Camp drawing -good impression of the type of housing in the camp.

13. Frae Scotia's Heater -by T. Duncan

15. Sincere Wishes   W.J. McRonald. -William John (Bill) McRonald was 7th Engineer on the SS Orama. His nephew David saw the poem and sent on some pictures. Milag group (WJ McRonald 2nd from left middle row) and on SS Ornsay 1938. There is also a press clipping on the sinking of the Orama.

17. Message -Cyril Mann?

19. Message in Welsh  -J.D. Edwards

20. Message -Fred Charles Briggs

21 Hail Fellow - Fred Charles Briggs

23. Poem -Dan Assaf

24. Sam Small's Medal -written out by Gordon Shaw

25. Message -Gordon Shaw (sample of entertainment in the camp?)

25a Camp Money? -probably received in payment for work done around the camp.

27. Dopey -drawing by Stan Gough(?) -I hope Disney doesn't come after us for copywrite infringement.

29. Count your Garden -Alick Dallas

31 Poem by Al Jones

33 Drawing Milag Memories -Artist name unreadable

34. Poem -by Jeff

35. Waltzing Matilda -Drawing of Australia and song by H. Marshall

36. Attempt on Hitler

37. Poem -Fredrick Lewis

39. Canada - Basutoland Missionaries -Oblate missionaries in the camp. George Shaker's log also contains a drawing with the autographs of the Oblates. His drawing is of the chapel.-Gabe has provided the story of the missionaries, their ship the Zam Zam and how they got to the camp .

40. Cartoons from camp paper

41. Hero of  Narvik

43. German Stamps more camp currency

45. Good Skate -drawing by Murray E Condry -3rd Officer Port Brisbane

47. Drawing -What they fought for! Gabe was unable to find the artist -possibly Malachy Malin -greaser British Strength. -the sexiest drawing he has seen in any diary. Matthew Malin,  Malachy's son saw this logbook on the web and confirms that it is his father's signature. (see photo 2 in the photo section.) Roger Coward's book "Sailors in Cages" mentions a George Malin who was in demand to draw "pin ups" of girls.

48.In the Land of Begin Again -drawing -dreams of home

51. Ships Sunk By Enemy Action

53. Ships Sunk By Enemy Action

55. Ships Sunk By Enemy Action

59. Beautiful Things -Bill Hallett

61 Canada -Walter Shaw

67 For Freedom -drawing Jack Lawrence

69 Five Years -drawing Jack Lawrence -the years took a toll

71 The Second World War 1939-?

75 Dream of home - original drawing -"With apologies to Stan Hugill" . After the war, Stan became a famous sea shantyman. He actually lived for a time in Gabe's present house. This drawing may be a copy or take off of a drawing by Stan. Stan was captured by the Atlantis, a German raider when they sunk his ship the SS Automedon. You can visit a website about him by clicking here. The Automedon apparently carried plans for the defense of Singapore which the Germans passed on to the Japanese.

79. Sailing Ship -drawing

81. SS Salmonpool -drawing

83. Captains Courageous -drawing

88. Coastal Forces -drawing Nobby

90 HMS Starfish -drawing Nobby. You can read more about British submarines of WWII by clicking here

98. Dieppe -drawing NK Wood

Rose Marie -camp Players Christmas 1943 - This same cover is in George Shakers logbook. George kept a number of playbills and photos from the theatre and they are in Part Three of his logbook. Gabe has provided a description of the Merchant Navy Theatre

HMS Starfish -PG Hope

Philosopher's Perch -newspaper clipping - back of clipping is in German. Gabe does not think that this picture is from Milag, so he sent a Milag picture.

Merchant seaman ID December 1945

Merchant seaman ID December 1945 -photo and fingerprints

Tommy in later years (1967)-taxi driver in Halifax