Went to dance but couldn’t join in with their jigging. Everyone must be jigged. Two Russians in village ex P.O.W. Mongolian type. People very religious. Services in every farmhouse. Crucifixes and holy pictures in every room in house and people cross themselves at mealtimes holy after every doodie has passed. Mary is so good generous to a degree and so helpful and unselfish.
German mistreatment of Russian POWs is well documented. It happened across the Western front. When I visited Jersey a few years ago, I learned about it happening there. I wonder if the Russians Grandad met had had similar experiences. It’s good to know that he met two who were free by this point and able to attend dances in the village if they wished.
I think I haven’t quite got all of the words corerct towards the end of this entry as the passage doesn’t make its normal sense. I wonder if by referring to Mary Grandad was thinking about the contrast between his Christian faith (Church of England) and the Christians he met in Belgium who would have been predominantly Catholic.