IN NAZI PRISON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 124, 2 July 1941, Page 6

IN NAZI PRISON

LIFE IN POLICE CELLS ENGLISH WOMAN INTERNED Confined in a police cell in the city of Hanover when she was interned in Germany jnst after the outbreak of war, Mrs Richard Brett, wife of Signaller R. Brett, of Mataura, South Island, who at present is staying with Mrs 1 Cyril Sutcliffe in Hamilton, had many interesting to recount of her staj' in pre-war and post-war Germany. She went to Germany to learn the language but had a longer time at her disposal to do so than for which she had bargained. After the outbreak of hostilities the German authorities did not intern her at once but she was not allowed to leave Hanover. However, in December. she was interned and sent to a police establishment where prisoners of various descriptions were lodged. Here, she said, she received reasonably good treatment because the superintendent of the prison was inclined to be a little friendly toward Britain possibly because of the fact that his sons; had been educated in England. For the first period of her internment the only other people she saw Avas Avhen food AA r as brought to her three times a day. However. Mrs Brett said that conditions Avere subsequently relaxed. Exercise Avas more or less restricted to short AA'alks in tlie confines of the prison and often they had to shoA'el a v." ay snow to permit CA'on of this. HoAvever, she had quite enjoyed this experience . Pleasant Memories. Mrs Brett has pleasant memories of some of her fellow prisoners. One. man, Avho Avas confined' to another part of the building and Avho did several k'indly tilings for her, she afteinvards learned was serving a life sentence for robbery Avith Arlol-

cnee. Although she hart no great complaint to make of her life ir thof Hanover prison, she; was told, thai probably the food would have been better in one of the large pris.ons ['or internees. In March of the following year she irvas allowed to return to England under the International Red Gross exchange system.- She thought it fortunate for her that with the, exchange operating, there were ictually more German women inarned in Britain than British wolien interned in Germany. Relatives n Rotterdam made it easier for her o arrange heir passport from Gernany to England. Home in England, ihe found not onl3 r relief from her afe return from Nazi Germany but 'omance, too, for she was later marielil to a member of the 2nd Eclieon of the Second New Zealand Ex>editionary Force. Because of her internment, she ictually saw little of Germany at rar. Rationing of all things, includng clothes, was put into force imnediately alter' war came, whereas ationing of clothes had been introluced in England only recently. Mrs Jrett had vivid memories of endeavouring to obtain sufficient material or a new skirt under Germany's trict rationing scheme*. Just before he left Germany she was allowed in a shopping expedition but only mder strict escort.

The amazing recuperate poAvers of the British people under the continuous Nazi air raids impressed Mrs Brett more than anything else when she returned io England. The damage to buildings, she said, had not been exaggerated, but not enough stress had been laid on the speed of the reconstruction Avork. It AA r as almost incredible lioav quickly things returned to normal after the big blitzes. Visitors to London expressed surprise that there Avas not more damage, but they Avcre merely deceived by the speed oT the reconstruction Avork. Their surprise Avas a tribute to the cifTorts of the London Avorkers in their task of rebuilding.