Sample of Bread sent to Allied Prisoners of War in Germany

Dry and brittle white bread, broken into two halves. The bread is housed in a square, brown cardboard box affixed with a red cross label. The label is stamped 'AUSTRALIAN BRANCH BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY'. Handwritten in black ink on the front of the label is 'Bread sent to Prisoners of War from Berne, Switzerland. See Captain Miles for descriptions.'

This well preserved piece of bread is of the type supplied by the British, Canadian and Australian Red Cross Societies to their prisoners of war in Germany during the last year of the First World War.

The bread was manufactured in Switzerland, from Canadian flour, specially imported for the purpose by the International Bureau de Secour. Parcels were sent weekly from Berne, addressed to individual prisoners in Germany. The addresses were supplied by the Red Cross Societies concerned, who also shared the cost of manufacture and distribution.

Due to the type of flour used to make the bread, when soaked in water, split open and dried quickly by the prisoners, it made a soft white bread. This bread was both nourishing and palatable, and a welcome change from the German black 'sawdust' bread.