Red Cross parcel refers to packages containing mostly food,

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and personal

hygiene Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

items sent by the International Association of the Red Cross to prisoners of war during the First and

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, as well as at other times. It can also refer to medical parcels and so-called "release parcels" provided during World War II. The Red Cross arranged them in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention of 1929. During World War II these packages augmented the often-meager and deficient diets in the

POW camps A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

, contributing greatly to prisoner survival and an increase in morale. Modern Red Cross food parcels provide basic food and sanitary needs for persons affected by natural disasters, wars, political upheavals or similar events. More recent catastrophes involving delivery of Red Cross parcels include events in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

and

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

World War I

The Australian Red Cross reported dispatching a total of 395,695 food parcels and 36,339 clothing parcels to Allied POWs in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

during the course of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Food parcels were also sent to needy civilians in Belgium and France. British PoWs during World War I were supplied with food parcels by the British Central Prisoners of War Committee of the Joint War Organisation, the combined Red Cross and Order of St John. When the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

refused to allow food to be sent to prisoners of war by the British government, the British Red Cross had stepped forward. Packages containing food and conveniences were sent fortnightly to POWs. Donations collected from the public for these parcels reached £674,908 19s 1d. A total of £5,145,458 16s 9d was spent. By the end of the war, some 9,000,000 food parcels and 800,000 clothing parcels had been despatched by various organisations to British prisoners abroad. French POWs were required to pay for parcels sent to them through a French commission; these packages included potted chicken, various

pâté ''Pâté'' ( , , ) is a paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. Common forcemeats include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). It is often ser ...

s, and even bottled

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

Indigent Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little

income

French POWs could receive parcels with lower-quality food for free, from the "Vetement du Prisonnier" which liaised actively with the Croix-Rouge française.

New Zealand

New Zealand relatives had to buy parcels and were given a choice: A - 4 shillings * 1 Alp milk chocolate * 1 condensed milk * 1 cheese * 1 block chocolate * 2 packets tobacco * 2 packets citrol * 1 tin

Liebig Justus Freiherr von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 20 April 1873) was a German scientist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and is considered one of the principal founders of organic chemistry. As a professor at t ...

* Handkerchiefs or towel or sewing kit B - 4 shillings * tea * 1 condensed milk * sugar * 1 jam * biscuits * 1 block chocolate * 6

Maggi Maggi ( or ) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. The Maggi company was acquired by Nestlé in 1947. History Early history Julius Maggi (1846–1912) ...

soups * 1 packet tobacco * 1 pack cigarettes C - 6 shillings * 1 day shirt * 1 vest * 1 under drawers * 1 pair socks * 1 towel * 2 handkerchiefs * 1 toothbrush * 1 toothpowder * 1 washrag * 1 soap D - For invalids - 6 shillings * 1 pound (450 g) condensed milk * 1 pound (450 g) cocoa * 1/2 pound (225 g) sugar * 1 pound (450 g) Quaker Oats * 1 pound (450 g) cod liver capsules * 1 box extract of malt, Ovomaltine or "Mellins Food" Relatives could send a specific parcel or a package made up of A & C or B & C

American

The American Red Cross commenced delivery of food parcels to American PoWs in German camps in November 1917. The first parcel received by a POW included the following items: *One pound (450 g) tin of corned beef *One pound (450 g) tin of roast beef *One pound (450 g) tin of salmon *Two pounds (900 g) of hash *One pound (450 g) of jam *One bar of soap *Four packages of tobacco *One overshirt *One undershirt *Two cans of pork and beans *One can each of tomatoes, corn and peas *One pair of drawers *Two pairs of socks *Three handkerchiefs *Two towels *One tube of toothpaste *Two pounds (900 g) of hard bread * of evaporated milk *One pound (450 g) of sugar *One-half (225 g) pound of coffee *One toothbrush, comb, shaving brush and "housewife" kit (sewing kit), plus shaving soap. Thereafter, further parcels were sent once per week. These were rotated on a four-week schedule between packages labeled "A", "B", "C" and "D". Each parcel contained meat, fish, vegetable, bread and fruit items, together with eighty cigarettes or other tobacco products. Items of

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

were also provided for American POWs through the American Red Cross. Toward the end of the war, German camp guards and other personnel would sometimes steal the contents of these packages, often leaving only bread for the helpless prisoner. In such events, American camp representatives attempted to make up the loss through stores kept for this purpose in the POW camps. A special agreement between the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

and the American Red Cross resulted in the YMCA providing athletic equipment, books and games for American prisoners in German POW camps.

World War II

Red Cross food parcels during World War II were mostly provided from the United Kingdom, Canada and America (after 1941). An Allied POW might receive any of these packages at any one given time, regardless of his or her own nationality. This was because all such packages were sent from their country of origin to central collection points, where they were subsequently distributed to Axis POW camps by the International Committee of the Red Cross. For POWs held by Axis forces in Europe the parcel route through Lisbon required escorted ships to bring the crates of parcels, or for British, mail bags full of parcels, to Lisbon, there being no safe conduct agreement. In Portugal, parcels would be loaded onto

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

marked ships with many taken through the port of Marseilles, for onward freighting by rail to

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

, from where they would be sent to various camps by the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

was also used as an Iberian transit port, with

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

as an alternative French port. The returning ships sometimes carried allied civilians and wounded being repatriated. The route from Iberia to the South of France was not safe. The Red Cross ship SS Padua was damaged by British bombing in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

in 1942 and then sunk by a mine outside Marseilles in October 1943. The SS Embla was bombed by British aircraft on 6 April 1944 causing a fire, and the same ship was attacked again on 20 April 1944, by American B-26 bombers, who this time sank the ship and killed the ICRC agent. On 6 May the "Christina" was attacked while at anchor in Sete. This latest act resulted in the ICRC suspending the route. The Operation Dragoon invasion of Southern France, preliminary bombing in July and the actual invasion in August 1944 put a stop to rail transport and then Marseilles being used by the Red Cross. The SS Vega sailed to the alternative port of

with parcels in November 1944. On 8 May 1945, it was reported that 7,000,000 parcels, weighing were at sea or in warehouses in Britain, Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseilles, Toulon, Geneva and Gothenburg. A Red Cross representative said that they were not perishable and could be used for distressed civilians and as a flexible reserve.

British food parcels

During World War II, The British Joint War Organisation sent standard food parcels, invalid food parcels, medical supplies, educational books and recreational materials to prisoners of war worldwide. During the conflict, over 20 million standard food parcels were sent. Typical contents of such a parcel included: * packet of tea *Tin of cocoa powder *Bar of milk or plain chocolate (often Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut chocolate, or a similar product) *Tinned pudding *Tin of meat roll *Tin of

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese, cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, or plastic cheese) is a food product made from cheese and unfermented dairy ingredients mixed with emulsifiers. Additional ingredients, such as vegeta ...

*Tin of condensed milk ( Klim—a Canadian instant milk beverage—or else Carnation or Nestle brand) *Tin of dried eggs *Tin of sardines or herrings *Tin of preserve *Tin of margarine *Tin of sugar *Tin of vegetables *Tin of biscuits *Bar of soap *Tin of 50 cigarettes or tobacco (sent separately—usually

Player's John Player & Sons, most often known simply as Player's, was a tobacco and cigarette manufacturer based in Nottingham, England. In 1901, the company merged with other companies to form The Imperial Tobacco Company to face competition from US ma ...

brand cigarettes, or Digger flake pipe tobacco).British Red Cross: Food Parcels
Retrieved 2010-09-26.
Retrieved 2010-09-26. The Scottish Red Cross parcels were the only ones to contain

rolled oats Rolled oats are a type of lightly processed whole-grain food. Traditionally, they are made from oat groats that have been dehusked and steamed, before being ''rolled'' into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then stabilized by being lightly ...

. Approximately 163,000 parcels were made up each week during World War II. Sometimes, due to the shortage of parcels, two or even four prisoners would be compelled to share the contents of one Red Cross parcel.

American food parcels

The American Red Cross produced 27,000,000 parcels. Even before America entered the war in late 1941, they were supplying, through Geneva, parcels to British, Belgian, French, Polish, Yugoslav, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, and Soviet prisoners of war. The Philadelphia centre alone was producing 100,000 parcels a month in 1942. A list of the contents of a typical Red Cross parcel received by an American

airman An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions. In civilian aviation usage, t ...

held prisoner in Stalag Luft I near

Barth, Germany Barth is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated at a lagoon ( Bodden) of the Baltic Sea facing the Fischland-Darss-Zingst peninsula. Barth belongs to the district of Vorpommern-Rügen. It is close to the Western Pomerania L ...

on the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

: * can of powdered milk *One package ten assorted cookies * can of oleo margarine * package of cube sugar * package of Kraft cheese * package of K-ration biscuits * can of

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

*Two D-ration chocolate bars * can of jam or peanut butter * can of salmon or

tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max len ...

* can of Spam or corned beef * can of liver paté * package of raisins or prunes *Five packages of cigarettes *Seven vitamin-C tablets *Two bars of soap * of C-ration vegetable soup concentrate.Eat, Drink, Smoke and Be Creative: Red Cross Parcels
Retrieved 2010-09-26. According to this airman, recipients of these parcels were permitted to keep only the cigarettes and chocolate bars; the remainder of the parcel was turned over to the camp cook, who combined them with the contents of other parcels and German POW rations (usually bread, barley, potatoes, cabbage and horse meat) to create daily meals for the prisoners. Cigarettes in the parcels became the preferred medium of exchange within the camp, with each individual cigarette valued at 27 cents within Stalag Luft I. Similar practices were followed in other POW camps, as well. Cigarettes were also used to bribe German guards to provide the prisoners with outside items that would otherwise have been unavailable to them. Tins of

, which were hard to come by in Germany late in the war, served this same purpose in many camps. Contents of these packages were sometimes pilfered by German guards or other camp personnel, especially toward the end of the war.The Prisoner of War First Aid Safety Kit
Retrieved 2010-09-26.

Canadian food parcels

The

Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society () The Canadian Red Cross Prisoners of War Parcels Committee was led by Chairman Harold H. Leather, M.B.E., of Hamilton, Ontario and Vice Chairman

John Draper Perrin John Draper Perrin (August 26, 1890 – September 19, 1967) was a Canadian entrepreneur, mining executive and civic leader.Staff report (19 September 1967). J. D. Perrin dies at his home. ''Winnipeg Free Press''Edited by Greene, B. M. (1948). Perri ...

of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Contents of the Canadian parcel included: * of milk powder * of butter * of cheese * of corned beef * of pork luncheon meat * of salmon * of sardines or

kipper A kipper is a whole herring, a small, oily fish, that has been split in a butterfly fashion from tail to head along the dorsal ridge, gutted, salted or pickled, and cold-smoked over smouldering wood chips (typically oak). In the United Ki ...

s * of dried apples * of dried prunes or raisins * of sugar * of jam or honey * of pilot biscuits * of chocolate * of salt and pepper (mustard, onion powder and other condiments were also sometimes enclosed) * of tea or coffee * of soap. Parcels did vary; those delivered to the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

by the SS ''Vega'' in 1945 contained slightly different quantities, both raisins and prunes, and marmalade instead of jam.

New Zealand food parcels

The

New Zealand Red Cross New Zealand Red Cross or Ripeka Whero Aotearoa is a humanitarian organisation, which has more than 15,000 members and volunteers. In New Zealand, Red Cross delivers core community services, such as Meals on Wheels, Community Transport, Refugee ...

Society provided 1,139,624 parcels during the war period, packed by 1,500 volunteers. Prisoners parcels included: * of tea * can of corned

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

* can of lamb and green peas * of chocolate * of butter * of coffee and milk * of sugar * of peas * of jam * of condensed milk * of cheese * of raisins. Unlike the American and British parcels, Canadian and New Zealand Red Cross parcels did not include cigarettes or tobacco.

Indian food parcels

Indian parcels, supplied by the

Indian Red Cross Society The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is a voluntary humanitarian organization to protect human life and health based in India. It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and shares the Fundamental Principles of the Inter ...

, contained: * fruit in syrup *

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

s * toilet soap * flour * 8 biscuits * margarine * Nestle's Milk * rice *

pilchard "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the ...

curry powder Curry powder is a spice mix originating from the Indian subcontinent where it is typically called garam masala. History Key ingredients of curry powder consist of ginger, garlic, fennel, mace, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric ...

* sugar * dried eggs * tea * salt * chocolate Indian parcels did not contain meat or tobacco products.

Argentinian bulk parcel

The Argentinian Red Cross provided parcels containing: *

bully beef Bully beef (also known as corned beef in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and other Commonwealth countries as well as the United States) is a variety of meat made from finely minced corned beef in a small amount of ge ...

* meat and veg *

ragout Ragout (French ''ragoût''; ) is a main dish stew. Etymology The term comes from the French ''ragoûter'', meaning: "to revive the taste". Preparation The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat. The main ingredients ...

* corned mutton *

pork and beans Pork and beans is a culinary dish that uses pork and beans as its main ingredients. Numerous variations exist, usually with a more specific name, such as Fabada Asturiana, Olla podrida, or American canned pork and beans. American canned por ...

* butter * lard * honey * jam * milk jam * condensed milk * sugar * cheese * biscuits * pea and lentil flour * chocolate * cocoa * tea * 1 soap * dried fruit

South African parcels

From the British South African Red Cross.

Invalid Food Parcels

Invalid parcels were specifically designed for invalids, i.e. disabled or ill prisoners. The contents varied, but what appears to be a British one contained: * 2 tins Yeatex * 3 tins concentrated soup powder * 1 tin gooseberries * 1 tin

Horlicks Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was s ...

* 1 tin

Ovaltine Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovalt ...

* 1 tin milk powder * 2 tins dried eggs * 1 block of chocolate * 1 tin cheese * 1 tin condensed milk * 2 tins compressed oats * tea * 1 tin creamed rice * 1 tin

Rowntree's Rowntree's is a British confectionery brand and former business based in York, England. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat (introduced in 1935), Aero (introduced in 1935), Fruit Pastilles (introduced in 1881), Smarties (introduced in 1937) brands ...

cocoa * 1 tin lemon curd

Food parcels in the Pacific theater

In 1942, permission was granted by Japan for a diplomatically neutral ship, after Japan refused to permit a Red Cross ship to be deployed, to be dispatched to distribute the parcels. A

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

vessel, the MS Gripsholm delivered 20,000 Red Cross parcels from Canada, America and South Africa and in addition a consignment of 1,000,000 cigarettes. A second voyage was refused. The

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

government in August 1942 announced that no neutral ship, even a Red Cross ship, would be allowed to enter Japanese waters. Red Cross parcels intended for Allied POWs in Japan were accordingly stockpiled in

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, and a single ship was ultimately permitted to transport some of these to Japan in November 1944, which, in turn were carried by the Japanese vessel '' Awa Maru'', carrying Red Cross markings, in March, 1945, to Singapore. How many of these actually reached the POWs is not known, and the sinking of the ''Awa Maru'' on the return trip by a US submarine prevented any future shipments from being made. At the Changi prison camp run by the Japanese in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, an average POW received a fraction of one food parcel in the three-and-a half years that the camp was open.

Food parcels in the German Concentration Camps

In November 1943, the Red Cross received permission from Nazi German authorities to send Red Cross parcels to inmates of

concentration camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

, but only to those whose names and specific locations were known. By May 1945, 105,000 specific individuals had been identified. About 1,112,000 parcels containing 4,500 tons of food were ultimately sent to the camps, including those at Dachau,

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...

, Ravensbrück, Sachsenhausen, Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. In addition to food, these parcels also contained clothing and pharmaceutical items.

German POWs after World War II

Three months after the

German surrender The German Instrument of Surrender (german: Bedingungslose Kapitulation der Wehrmacht, lit=Unconditional Capitulation of the "Wehrmacht"; russian: Акт о капитуляции Германии, Akt o kapitulyatsii Germanii, lit=Act of capit ...

in May 1945, General Dwight Eisenhower issued an order classifying all surrendered soldiers within the American Zone of Occupation as Disarmed Enemy Forces, rather than Prisoners of War. Accordingly, the Red Cross was denied the right to visit German POWs in American prison camps, and delivery of Red Cross parcels to them was forbidden. In the spring of 1946, the International Red Cross was finally allowed to provide limited amounts of food aid to prisoners of war in the U.S. occupation zone.

Postwar study on Red Cross parcels and Canadian POWs

The Canadian government conducted a detailed study of the effect of the Red Cross parcels on the health and morale of Canadian POWs shortly after the end of World War II. Over 5,000 former POWs were interviewed, and Canadian authorities determined that a significant number of soldiers did not get the intended one parcel per man per week; most had to make do with one-half of a parcel per week, or even less on some occasions. Soldiers were asked to state their preferences with regard to specific contents of the parcels: the most popular item turned out to be the biscuits, with butter a close second, followed (in order) by meat, milk (powdered and other), chocolate, cigarettes, tea, jam, cereals, cheese and coffee. The Canadian parcel was preferred to British, American or New Zealand-issued parcels, claiming that the Canadian parcels had "greater bulk", "lasted longer", and/or had "more food". With regard to especially disliked foods, the Canadian respondents (over 4,200 of the interviewed POWs) expressed the greatest distaste for the vegetables and fish enclosed in the food parcels (about fifteen percent of the total number of respondents), followed (in order) by condiments, egg powder, cereals, fat, cheese, desserts, sweets, beverages, jams, biscuits and milk. However, except for the first two items on that list, all of these were named by only a minuscule percentage of the total number of respondents.

Parcels from Red Cross organisations in occupied countries

* Belgium sent parcels to their POWs and in addition, family members could send parcels. * Denmark sent parcels to Danish citizens incarcerated in

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as con ...

. * France sent parcels to their POWs and in addition, family members could send parcels.

Red Cross medical kits

American

A second type of parcel delivered through the Red Cross during World War II was the Red Cross Prisoner of War First Aid Safety Kit, which was supplied by the American Red Cross for distribution through the International Committee. Such parcels generally held the following items: *A twelve-page booklet with instructions on the use of the enclosed medical supplies, printed in English, French, German, Polish and Serbo-Croatian *Ten packages of sterilised gauze, in two different sizes *One package containing 500

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

pills *Two packages containing 500

aspirin Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat inc ...

tablets each *Twelve gauze bandages *Two cans of insecticide powder *Four tubes of

boric acid Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula . It may also be called hydrogen borate or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white powder, that dissolve ...

antiseptic ointment *Two packages containing 500 sodium bicarbonate tablets each *Two tubes of Salicylic ointment (for treatment of

athlete's foot Athlete's foot, known medically as ''tinea pedis'', is a common skin infection of the feet caused by a fungus. Signs and symptoms often include itching, scaling, cracking and redness. In rare cases the skin may blister. Athlete's foot fungus ...

and similar fungal diseases) *Two tubes of Mercuric antiseptic ointment *Four tubes of sulphur ointment (for treatment of skin diseases) *One box containing 100 Band-Aids *Two rolls of adhesive tape *Two packages of absorbent cotton *Safety pins, forceps, soap, disinfectants and scissors. Other kits issued to some POWs through the American Red Cross contained a few differences in contents, but were generally similar to the above.

British

The British Red Cross also supplied Medical Parcels to Allied PoWs during the war. Prior to 15 June 1942, these kits generally consisted of: *A general parcel containing cotton wool, safety pins, soap, aspirin tablets and ointment *A disinfectant parcel *Special parcels containing thermometers and dressing scissors. After 15 June 1942, the British kits' contents changed. The new kits contained: *An invalid food unit consisting of two parcels – milk and food *A medical stores unit consisting of four parcels: ::"Medical 1" contained soap and disinfectant ::"Medical 2" contained sodium bicarbonate,

Dover's powder Dover's powder was a traditional medicine against cold and fever developed by Thomas Dover. It is no longer in use in modern medicine, but may have been in use at least through the 1960s. A 1958 source describes Dover's Powder as follows: "Powder ...

, lung balsam, ferric subsulfate solution, zinc ointment, cascara, zinc oxide powder,

formalin Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...

throat tablets, ammoniated mercury ointment, flexoplast, lint, cotton wool, gauze, vitamin-C tablets, pile ointment, sulphapyridine tablets, magnesium trisilicate, and oxide plaster ::"Medical 3 and 4" contained additional quantities of the supplies found in "Medical 2", adding to them kaoline poultice,

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably ...

and

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (c ...

tablets, TCP (antiseptic), aspirin, Bemax, sulphanilamide and toilet paper.British Red Cross Medical Supplies
Retrieved 2010-09-26. In addition, German and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

authorities sometimes permitted British prisoner hospitals to procure equipment from England via the Red Cross, including

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisi ...

s, sterilisers, material for manufacturing

artificial limb In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

s, medical instruments,

vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.

s, drugs and even games and other recreational materials.

Release parcels

The American Red Cross provided a special "release parcel" to some Allied POWs upon their initial release from enemy captivity. These parcels included: *Razor *Razor blades *Shaving cream *Toothbrush *Toothpaste *Pencil *Comb *Socks *Cigarettes *Handkerchiefs *Playing cards *Stationery *Book *Hard candy *Chewing gum *Face cloth *Cigarette case with the American Red Cross emblem imprinted on it. These kits were distributed as follows: 71,400 to France; 10,000 to the Soviet Union; 9,500 to Italy; 5,000 to Egypt; and 4,000 to the Philippines.

Modern Red Cross parcels

Following the collapse of the former

in 1991, many pensioners in the newly independent nation of

were left destitute by the resulting collapse of the Georgian economy and the inability of their meager pensions to keep up with

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...

. The Red Cross, with the financial support of the German government, assisted approximately 500,000 of these mostly elderly people with food parcels over a seven-year period during the 1990s. As of 2001, more than 12,000 were still dependent upon Red Cross food assistance. Food parcels were also distributed by the Red Cross of

during Red Shirt Movement disturbances in 2006 in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, and to British victims of flooding in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

in 2007. The British package contained: *Five tins of canned fruit *One loaf of longlife bread *Two packets of rye crackers *Three cartons of long-life milk *One jar of savoury spread *Three packets of plain biscuits *Three tins of fish *Three tins of meat *Five tins of potatoes *Two jars of sandwich spread *Two packs of cereal bars *One flashlight, batteries, toilet paper, and one tube of sanitiser hand gel.

References

books

External links

Final Report on the Canadian Red Cross Food Parcels for Prisoners of War
Contains detailed information on particular "likes" and "dislikes" expressed by a group of Canadian World War II ex-PoWs with regard to the contents of Red Cross parcels. {{DEFAULTSORT:Red Cross Parcel International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Economic aid during World War II World War I Humanitarian aid Prisons Emergency management Humanitarian military operations

World War I

New Zealand

American

World War II

British food parcels

American food parcels

Canadian food parcels

New Zealand food parcels

Indian food parcels

Argentinian bulk parcel

South African parcels

Invalid Food Parcels

Food parcels in the Pacific theater

Food parcels in the German Concentration Camps

German POWs after World War II

Postwar study on Red Cross parcels and Canadian POWs

Parcels from Red Cross organisations in occupied countries

Red Cross medical kits

American

British

Release parcels

Modern Red Cross parcels

See also

References

books

External links