STORY. OF A PRISONER OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2768, 11 May 1916, Page 6

STORY. OF A PRISONER OF WAR

SOLDIER r: ; IN FRANCE .'.-.•. TThe ."Morning, Post" recently published a remarkable'- series-' of letters from a .. British private soldier-who ;was a ,prisoner !.. »f : war : in Germany.' "The story," says the : . ;'Eost,"-'"is -written in good sound idioms '■■'■ .tic-soldier's English; The author began to :. .Write-fit;,.in.:'hospital, sotting down his ; ..troubled memories, just as he would reiv:,late:them in 'speech. - He kept no journal ■'■ during 'his /imprisonment: indeed, how |- .could', he, for he was lucky if he was i- followed -to send' Home. forty-eight words .•■'.'. on a: postcard, toyice. a month? : It is po'si sable, therefore, that there mav. be a ', trifling "inaccuracy here and there. But I. : . for the very reason that his chronicle was ! v;.written;from..memory its veracity is be- ; ;.Ppnd question; for memory indelibly rer ; fJsters:hia;ny.:thiilg3 which -would not occur inventor.;, precisely those things, i'n ; '<fact,-,which. .the 1 soldier records. More-;•--over, memory .registers, the'. essential and ;. : . lets,.fade.;the inessential; andhere ive have ; ' the -essential alone. He was wounded in ;, the leg, whereupon he crawled under a ; -. hedge, through which the buHets were sings . tag, and there lay until the Germans took '. ■' him away. Through many aching hours he was carried by train with other pris- '. oners; wounded and unwounded, amid reV. .(Tilings :and insults, to the camp at WiV . tenberg, -where he arrived ■ early in De.cember, 1914. , Then began the twelve .-.months of imprisonment, suffering, mal- ;;.; treatment, starvation, and sickness, -whose ,: horrors were not mitigated until'towards -■ - Jh«'? n .d./.The-wretched men were exposed -.. to;,. conditions : odmpared > .with which the' '■- v J< ?t of. an English convicted, criminal is :t, comfort, and tho life, of the German pris- ; pners or war. in' this country prodigal . li-xury.' The. prisoners wero stripped of : o every article in their, possession; left .'-without clothing; herded'into dilapidated ' ?"VV- f6d J ont,lli:n and evil K>«P and a . loat divided among six men; .beaten with . Gorman - whips,\ slashed with -German : -' : 'i^'v by G dogs trained to ■'■"•'U^"^r men S shot with Germau bill, i- & t %a ' t Ume - he-says,-will be in his ! kind for ever. ' And what does lis E oys ; JSK" 118 A s oDßmiw-what of aU their ;. wanton and brutorcruelty? Very little |-..-. I-wonder,' he says, Quaintly, 'if I could :... now... i • don t think .And he add* li!m , the, gentleman he : fs: ISfi S ' ' J.™ i 5 "S* *$? to) -'. * s to somo'of the . : cruelties to. the Belgiums.' Tho German is ■ ita »'-* he of recToiSng ; And S *° ""Press the British soldier. L l,ioi-f J i ]lf l'l Unng tM-JWuV It was •' ml ' ft 3 ™'? bß , takoll P"soner, so I hope > . my friends .who reau , this -will ■ excuse f ;u* .any mistakes-1 make in spe in' Uf J.- course'. I'm not an!-Author; » ifit does 1 '-SoifTl-' T mterestil 'ff- ' Pl*«.- ; close the ; Dooi, but I can.swear on my oath, that '■■■. •": is-.written is Gospel--truth. " *. '.-■ V'- Oh, Friday, August .'2l, ■ 1914, - we W ra 1* London ' : ' Sth a r S; aS right half ~...leaving London.'7 p.m., arriving at Havre ;... Jn'.m-aiice, at twelve midnigiit. Marched ' :-Ji to/gunp about seven inilestrest all , ■ During ihe evemng. the Colonel read to r - ? - Km s*™s?3Z to his.troops, also .- \ U ?-i b , e , fucm S thß enemy. We I /-cheered the : Km> and- country, 'and the ■! h^ 6 I ™,. l " aci «:'./nghteied the Colonel's i .■ .-but ha.was..soon all right. Wo had or- i '■' \SL ViT& , Bpme " p <» u ntry .that night.' ( excited, as we thought wo ! : §?iS t0 ,™«s about a. 1 ; . ;; bit; .Aearly all ■ the men were, anxious ■ ' --f.'Jr au men had broio ] returned, and nve aU' i .-.'. tho-ught-of disgrace so soon; out i'mglad ;... to say they turned up just as we:were inoviug ii-om camp. ,' ■ •',- '■■ ; ra 22nd^rd ? Mh d i* the lelt i,e Havre at 2 a.m., boinuI:, told wo.should ride "lor sixteen ? hours ~r ,Wo:. were-packed- in trucks; thirtv-five '-• ; not seem fnuch . j-.to.oni, but we .soon got settled to it. UVll ir f el ¥ espcctiiig an-■Mjthei-2,,when'-.the order camo jve were to v get ouwiext. stop. That, happened to be U Toak aLout ' « vo bouiv; to .'Unload; then we started marching, it V ux o'clock. Well, > a kept on and . had an : abow. half-past nine We werp. like mice, dead-beat, as :.. .wo had _beon -on two nights. then. You ;■ could not hear'a.ivord from anyone We jogging through- the country lane in ;<- ; w-hen Billy Care, niy food chum/ 7 i^H" " Ull a vo "» like a ;■' bull, ; shouted: "Are we, downhearted?" :;;r.-,i\ot -a word trom the. company except: ,; - bhut up!" -Shove a boot in it ?• ;■; thuber-ow, '.Shut your •mouth; there's a ; Zeppelin coming.' ;-..'■

tVj ..-.■ -'■'• , 'Finding the Enemy. ".'■."Well,, w started off again, and asked E.;:-,. the .captain :,sVheu; we 'should' .arrive in. Uo.-could-see a,light in the dis- '-■-. & n <*-_ Mo said'ho think that' that was We marched-on lor lour and hall. ;.-. When, we came, to, ,the. light "it was a U^P,lf the,'window! of a cottage.. Downwe arrived in a v ™'ag?- about twelve : midnight Si'th-ftth. ci.Uo dona nothing, but. drink'water. We .v beard we were going to bivouac in the '-■■ y v '-^"-&!SHiPany-' ; -sta'y«l .in. a; barn. Orders were, resf trom I'a.m. to 5.30 am ~ any other.orders, Wo wero reused : at A a.m., nad a swifl.m a pond, and a,"drink . ...or tea and biscuit, marched about two ■■ miles, moved off across some . grounds, . ..opened out, and were soon stuck in at it . - witn:. oui- 'entrenching:"-tools' digging ; -trenches. My section "was in a carrot :.- ground, so we had a good munch, I can :■:■ tell you If they'd &eenour photos at ! home then, they'd have: called us tho ■i. awedo bashers. We remained in OU r ■■; trench till two o'clock,■'. then: retired 300 :'. yards and dug some, more, and it'rained ';-, cats and dogs. OurMiien and the French S'. were, retiring nil. .that-' day through our '/.- lines. At dusk-the enemies' shells were :■- bursting -in-front of us We ;-.- were doing ,support;,lo.the Wilts,'who ■i: -tt'ere in. lrou't.,-..--; .:.-.-

V ■~".} t 7 P'-ni.the WUts fell back on-us. ;■■/:' H Company of- ours, who wero in front of ;~ my company,-. opened fire at. 1100 yai-da '••:'■ range, at lurantry, m volleys. Just, then ■■:\ a man could-be seen coming toward the right Hank. It turned .*, put to-,,he 4 :,a youngster of the Wilts, who -:; had covered-hanself up with hay and •;» went to -sleep, not;.being, awako when his !£ conipany..rtlired.; It's a wonder lie was •:■: Hot .shot.; .••'Hp/said: 'Didn't: I have tho •:■ wind up. whenl -woke and found them all ~. S.OM? \) ell, ho •joined B oCmpany, and - r.Miiamed. with them.; I never seen him '-;'< iiu more. About'J.3o orders Ciime for us ''.-to retire. The enemy was on us IOUII ;-.; yards away Ihey -outnumbered us about :■-• lo.tO T one. Well, we marched and march- ;■?• ed till about! a.m., 26th. Men were fall- ■: fng'asleep on the, march. It was hard •';■ life, people'in a'village gave us water U and bread and -fruit'and. wine. My com- :-". ''ha left halt, battalion. • . -

;■' '"' "'"■'■'■■..-■.". r■','■":.■',! n Action. , : v . ';■ '"'Wo-, were' just' having l a '-bit o'f bully .; and biscuit wnen tne order came ut were .. going into aotiou. We soon packed away ;• t>ur traps ana were skirnnsuing towarus ii l'jdge.a, milo away, when, bang! -| .tnougnt it was my birthday. A shell '. burst 300 yawls-in ir.on't of us. 1 looked , up an down, the. itns, but-not. man had 5 lalloii'.' yrjiea, there'were, a shower of . bullets hew over- our 'heads. They had . machme-guns on', jis, but wo were goin" ; down an. incline.' Well, all the fatiguo ■■ and tiredness was out ox us.'- Wo could . set'tome men of the Rifle Brigade in iiont falling down now and then. Billy ; Caivj snouted, "Don't you get' poppud over, Jim", or else 1 shan't have any <iiniier," us 1 was carrying two tins ol bully beef and a tin of jam. AVell, that's to* ;: last 1 seen of Billy. "Captain Watson was leading it;. Wo ..'rushed tho first, ridgo. The bullet wecr liko rum. No one seemed to tako much W'tice of who was fulling. .1. hud a look ill iront. .'Nina hundred yards,' roared ■•'• the captain. 1 passed it on, ;is 1 was ;■ next to him., Being, an observer, I had : : to pass all messages. Wo could see tho eiiciny in thousands. Well,-we let them have it hot and holy for a few minutes; then the order cuuio to retire, and just. as' I was getting up I got one through .• liho."hat, hitting it off.. Near shave, I '■: fcbbught. We retired about 100 yards at .ttfrush, seeing nothing, as we were over, 1 u bit of a ridgo. Wo had to rush back ;„»gain- about twenty yards. It was then ran to tho wrong place, as me and '•♦oiinie Ashment ran in the. way of a uiachine-!;un. I got mine in tho thieh. I

thought I'd been kicked by a elephant. It .hit mo sickey, 1 can tell, J. riggled my straps off, drank all my water, tried to get up,. thinking I could run; but I found my leg would ,not let me go. But I managed to get 100 yards'back'Dehind a. hedge. Here i seen the two captains, Captain Jones Mortimer and Captain Watson, in iny_ company, with about thirty, men of different corps. Only two' Somersets were with them Jones Mortimer said: 'Well, .hard luck, Green. Buck up. Keep up courage and iio low. Perhaps you'll get picked up later.' Just then they had to retire from under this hedge across about eighty yards of open grounu;' the Uermans opened tire on them- with' rifles, and I was glad to ecu not a single man fell. ■ I was feeling very uncomfortable at the time,- as the Ger. mans were firing over ana through this bit of i a low hedge 1 was under. Well, 1 laid low enough, I can tell you. That was the last 1 seen of the regiment.; Taken Prisoner.

"I suppose I'd. .been there about an hour when l neaid voices coming about forty varus oli wnich J. knew were, toreigu. wen, tney caine^-iour/men. The leader says: 'Spiaken lierniaui" 1 says "j\o,' to as no count speak a bit of broiien lingits'h, ho was asKing me questions, and he got some gooa answers to some, X can tell yon. Wc-n, one oi tue men, who seemed a ruffian, tnreatoned me witn the butt of' a rine, and l Know i aone a foolish thing at the tinie—i laughed at him, so he ups aud takes.about nicy paces on'. J. seen ue was.loading and i only prayed, ■ and prayed out loud saying, Tray' |Uod he may hro,straight.' Well,-.! thought it had come, then, when the corporal who was in charge shouted to him, and made him ;take-.off Jiis equipment and stand aside. ■Tne. corporal asked me then what 1 said ;out loua. He. thought'l said God strike ihini; but in the finish he. and his squad ran round the back of the hedge.- I could hear them talking all the time/but after a while they -went..and left me. -Later 1 ivas' bandaged up by two Germans. I'd -lost a lot of blood by then, this was about 10 a.m. Well/l was not interfered with, then for hours j I remained as I was! then very weak and faint, but never went off.. -I turned on my side and watched ■ the battle all the afternoon. 1 seen some (Sights,. I can assure ,you; but the worst part of' it was the Germans had some guns only about 200 . yards from where .!• ivas 'lying, ■'• and "the banging, -I was nearly deaf with it. I could see'our men.retiring, and- I could see some Germans, too, lying about. They got. all they wanted.- Towards evening ■'another couple, of Germans came along." One of them tied up my leg again, and they brought me .three great coats and covered me up, which I was thankful for, I can tell you, as it was getting .dark, and the cries of the wounded were like going into a zoo when all the animals are angry. Oh, 'it was horrible.

TVell, it rained all night, so I covered my head up, and, what with being worn out and loss of blood, I slept, I suppose,till seven o'clock next morning. I was wet to the skin, and what with mud and blood I bet I looked in tho pink. I could still, see the enemy, and I knew they had drove our people back, as they ought to, considering there wero so many. The cries now were worst than ever. I could see our men lying on top of one'anotner, dead and wounded. It was a very pitiful sight: About 10.30 along com'* aome French country people. They lifted, me up and took me in a cart to a village .called "Beauvois," Fontaine au' Pire, in -(Nerd). Good Quarters.

I was • took to a ■ room used for a gymnasium. They, treated us very good '•there, were, sixteen of. us in this room, but four died the first two days I remarned there/till. September 5, going ™"„'« a civil hospital,, at Canibrai (i\ord). I did not like it there. The bermans were in. the town; it was their base. .'They had most all the food. My wound only took, about fourteen days to heal up. Since then I've had no treatment whatever. 1

I could not get into the French' way of living—such funny' feeds, boiled red cabbage, else -beans, or potatoes. They seem to make a. feed off anything. I remained there until October 5; then I went to an English lady's house for convahsance. Oh! it was. fine there-all English ways; and the ladies use to come, and 'see us and bring us sweets and fruit. It was pleasant. ' It was while there that our airplanes tried to drop-bombs on the railway. A bomb fell about 3000 yards away in the. street. "I. thought, we were lying too easy. I had not'been able to get up yet. "Well, on October 16 they, came—the Germans, I mean—and took us off to the train bound for Germany. I had to sit up on a hard seat,' and I was bad. I'd only been an hour'in the train when a Deuch officer came and took fay overcoat off me, and smacked,mo in the face with my tobacco pouchy Well; we were told we should travel for three days and nights. V At .nine 'o'clock they gave us 1 about' three spoons of black beans and a drop of .coffee. I gave mine a bye. VWe started at twelve midnight, travelling very slow. Next day, through Belgium, the. sights-.we seen were horrible—houses pulled to the ground with shells and fire, and Germans everywhere. Well, we were served very bad going up the line. Every, time we stopped people would come and jeer at.us, hold their fists up, and spit at us. We had a little boiled rice, a piece of, black bread, and raw smoked bacon, hard as a post—could not eat the muck—and drink of coffee or water. We akived at. our destination, Darmstadt," about 6 p.m., October 19. We got out the train. There wero about twenty English. Wo had to sit on'forms on the platform. ' Then the people wo 3 allowed to come and mock 'us. They ; gave us 'sinner.' They kept us there.for three hours, then- packed us in wagons, with all the town foiling us, flinging stuff, and shouting...: Well, after about an hour's ride we arrived at the prison.'. 'First of all they took us to a stone building with separate cells, then later to the camp prison, arriving nbout 10 p.m." (To be Continued.)