Creativity Behind the Wire
Like many British prisoners at Döberitz, Tooke became involved in the intellectual and cultural life that developed within the camp. Prisoners established lectures, concerts, sporting activities and, notably, a camp magazine produced by and for the inmates. This publication covered everything from sporting fixtures and theatre performances to humour, correspondence and practical notices, providing distraction, structure and morale in otherwise difficult circumstances.
Tooke contributed illustrations and cartoons to the camp magazine, providing moments of humour and familiarity for fellow prisoners. Alongside this work, he also produced independent watercolours, including Two Little Bits of Fluff, a piece whose lightness of touch stands in poignant contrast to the realities of captivity. Together, these works were more than simple decoration; they formed part of a wider effort to preserve dignity, morale and a sense of shared community within the camp.