Diary and algebra notebook, Joseph Stripounsky, 1940 (in a book enclosure)

Left page hand drawn map of Gratentour

Tuesday August 20 1940 I go to Toulouse. Pick up Nelly on my bike. Hitch hike to barrière de Paris. In the morning, they’re distributing women’s bikes. I have to come back at 2pm. I go to Francazal and there are no German planes there but some do fly over the city. I receive my bike and go back home. They’re crushing grapes at Sicard’s house → impossible to listen to the news because of the feast. 7,985 km. Wednesday August 21 1940 I go to Bruguières. Receive a German book. I go back there in the afternoon. Kite trials with Jeannot. There’s nothing to buy at Mrs. Rault’s store. The English say they will attack in France. Somalia has been abandoned by the English. Italy bombarded again! Mom does the laundry. Distance from Gratentour to: Radio, grocer, milk, town hall 900 m Pol. milk 1,100 m Coustella 2,900 m Pechbonnieu 3,200 m Bruguières 3,400 m Cépet and Castelginest 4,400 m St Sauveur 5,200 m Toulouse and Fronton 15,500 m

Right page Spambock and Sugler leave tomorrow at 8. Alexandre is the chauffeur. I send letters to Luchon, Kaminsky, R&G. 7,995 km. Thursday August 22 1940 Mrs. Mech goes to Fronton. It’s raining and I go to Bruguières. We receive a letter from M. Masine, they’re back. I buy slippers then put soles in them. We go to the village. Bobby comes over and brings corned beef. Tomorrow’s visit is postponed until Saturday. 8,010 km. Friday August 23 1940 I go to Toulouse. I see Germans there. I go to the library then look for second-hand bookstores but can’t find any. Bike brakes are too expensive. 8,050 km. Saturday August 24 1940 I go to the village butcher. Once again I can’t go to Saint-Sauveur. Maybe we’ll go to Saint Rustice tomorrow. I go to Castel but find nothing at all. We go to Aucamville for bike brakes. 8,070 km. Sunday August 25 1940 We go to St Rustice and all is well there. We hear Mrs. Neumarkt’s father passed away. Lona’s sons are in Antwerp along with Jacques and Sabine. Nothing new except Norbert’s wife is coming back tomorrow. 8,100 km. Monday August 26 1940 There are bombing raids in London and Berlin. I go to Castel. I find nothing there. I go to Saint-Sauveur in the afternoon and receive some cooking fat. Asry hurts himself above the eye with his bike. 8,115 km. Tuesday August 27 1940 I go to Toulouse. Buy a grammar book. I go see Nudelman. He says Salman is coming back to Toulouse. I go visit Talfert, Berman and then to the library. I’m back home around 7pm and it’s raining. The outside of Nudelman’s house is disgusting. 8,150 km.

Left page Thursday December 26 1940 I meet Pringuet in the morning. He’s just back from Paris. Everything is normal there, resupply etc. Relations with the Germans are cold but they behave correctly. The English attack every day and do a lot of damage. The city of Beauvais is completely destroyed. In the afternoon, there’s a wonderful surprise. Two guys were sent by Sabine to come get us. The Flemish guy who is married to a Jew is much more forthright than the other. He agrees that going back to Belgium would be sticking one’s head in the lion’s mouth. The English bombarded continuously in August and September, up to three times a day. The damage in town is insignificant but the docks are in a deplorable state. In their attempt to land, the Germans lost 150,000 men! The English threw thousands of incendiary bombs at them, setting the Scheldt on fire. The situation was paradoxical: the more water they poured over, the more the fire got violent! There is also a considerable amount of espionage going on. The amount of lost equipment seems quite important. They are confident of the final victory and are very well informed by the B.B.C. despite all the efforts of the Germans. Food supplies are better than here: they lack nothing, so to speak. Business is doing okay. Herzog also looks after us. In Paris, about fifty students have been imprisoned - no one knows where - and the faculty is closed. Reflections on the film session of December 24, 1940 Here children are allowed to watch every movie. However, the one I just saw is not at all healthy for ten year olds. You had to see those kids of all ages who came there and wonder why some people are shocked by the mentality and morals of some parts of the French youth! Movies glorifying crooks, night clubs etc. are allowed for children!

Right page Rationing starting January 1 1940 Ticket 1 0-3 years old 100 g bread 3-6 200 g 6-60 300 g per day, including flour, pastries, cookies 60+ 100 g Workers 400 g Ticket 2 0-3 years old 1 kg sugar, replaceable by saccharin 3-∞ 0.5 kg Ticket 3 0-3 years old nothing 3-∞ 250 g coffee (60 g coffee + 190 g ersatz) Ticket 4 0.5 kg pasta or wheat semolina Ticket 5 0-3 years old 200g rice or pearl barley 3-∞ 100g Ticket 6 Cheese: 50 g per week Potatoes: 750 g for 10 days Ticket 7 Meat: 360 g per week. Closed three times. (rare) Ticket 8 Fat: 100 g per week (butter is rare) Ticket 9 Soap: 100 g per month for personal hygiene (or 75 g Marseille soap) + 75 g Marseille soap (or 250 g powder or 1 kg detergent) + 50 g shaving stick for 3 months. Ticket 10 Milk: 0-6 years old: 3/4 l 6-10 1/2 l 10-14 1/4 l + sick people. Skimmed milk for all the others (inexistent!) 60+ 1/4 l Chocolate: 125 g per month and household. Tea: rare – cocoa: inexistent –baby food: inexistent – coal: 50 kg per month – preserves: rare – charcuterie: same. In general, non-taxed products (e.g. fruits) are nowhere to be found. Eggs: rare (1.50 to 2 francs each) Gasoline for some wholesalers and public authorities (lots of fake vouchers).

Left page Sunday January 5 1941 – A few words about our comfort in Nîmes The apartment is in a two story house with stairs outside. There are 3 rooms, about 140 square feet in total. No electricity but there is gas lighting, incidentally very poor due to the low pressure. Hot running water if you filled the stove. For cold running water, you need to take the first street on the right then first on the left and there’s a pump (about 200 m away). There’s a disgusting toilet in the yard. 800 meters away there is an “English” toilet with seat which costs 0.50 franc to use, the toilet without seat is free! 400 meters away there is a bath house. 4 francs per bath + 0.50 for heating. There are no cellars and water evacuation pipes are gutters in the hallway. With the snow, we are almost besieged. We must put shoes and a coat on to go to the toilet, go get water or coal, which is becoming scarce. The stairs are a ski slope… …A lady from Paris said that all Jewish shops bear the inscription "Judisches Geshäft" and the French expressly go there to anger the Germans.

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