December 15, 2011, by Fraser

15 December: The Clarion

The Clarion was a magazine produced by allied prisoners of war at Stalag 344 and this is the front cover of the edition from Christmas 1944. It contains a range of material including pictures of a sunny day at the Stalag lido and tales of what a typical pre-war Christmas was like for captives from across the globe.

If you would like to see some of the pages from the souvenir issue, you can view them as a PDF.

Professor Liz Harvey from the Department of History is an expert in German history. We spoke to her about contents of The Clarion and the fate of those who were imprisoned in the Stalag:

If you can’t see the YouTube video, try this alternative location or view on iTunes U.

The magazine is from a collection of items belonging to William Rogan of Newark in Nottinghamshire who was an allied prisoner of war from 1940-45. The extensive collection also contains photographs, medals, a pocket diary for 1940, a manuscript of poetry and even a letter from King George V to accompany a military medal.

All of the items featured in our e-Advent calendar are from the University’s historic library holdings, held in Manuscripts and Special Collections. For more information on the wide range of materials available, take a look at their website and blog or contact the curators on mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk.

Find out more about our Manuscripts development plans and how you can support us via the Impact Campaign website.

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