Originally Posted By: Ian
I had a friend (long dead I am afraid) who was captured by the Japanese and spent most of WW2 in a prisoner of war camp.

I once asked him what he had most missed and he replied that it was his mug which had been left in the vehicle when captured, together with the rest of his kit, and he had not been allowed to collect.

He said that having a mug would halved the deprivations of the camp.


It's quite dreadful to hear this: if such a small item would have provided that much comfort, the conditions were terrible indeed. Very sorry for your friend.

At the same time, I can't help but imagine what uses he might have put the mug to? I assume you can use it to contain food, either for immediate consumption or for storage. You can also use it to store other stuff. Perhaps for morale. Maybe trading for something you urgently need. I can't see using a mug for digging. Did your friend ever explain?

Da Bing, who thinks the tin cup might turn into his easy addiCtion


Edited by Bingley (09/12/11 02:10 AM)