25 Dec 1944, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Thomas Edgar and the other bakers make a Christmas loaf from a four year old reserve of flour. The Camp has not tasted wheat bread since January 29, 1944 - all bread has been made out of rice since the flour issue stopped.

From its last remaining stocks the camp also gave each of us a small loaf of real bread. The flour was pre-war and decidely musty. Even the weevils in it had died of malnutrition, yet it tasted as good as rich plum-pudding. We realized again that the true Christmas is not a matter of commercial enterprise.

Sources:

Unpublished manuscript of We Baked Bread To Japanese Orders! viewable at

http://brianedgar.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/thomas-edgar-some-documentation/

William Sewell, Strange Harmony, 1948, 158