STORY OF A PRISONER OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 6

STORY OF A PRISONER OF WAR

.. TOLD BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER (Continued.) " A r l, LAST DAYS OF DURANCE. On the Ist of June our bread was out "down again, ten men in a loaf; then we were luckey to have 6 or Sons. The English use to cut them in ten, and draw numbers for each piece; but it was amusing to seo the Russkies. They had scales made out of wire; they would weigh each piece, aud I bet thero' were not a crumb diffcrance in each piece. In June we had another of our mess go to hospital. We let him stop as _ long as we could. Wo know he was dying with consumption, but he got so bad that we had him sent to hospital. Ho died about 10 days after. Ho was the lirßt man in tho camp that had a party to follow him, the Germans would not allow it beforo. By now thero was a decent bath built, and fumigntor, so the men use to be able to get a bath oftener, and their beas done, and rooms cleaned, so wo got rid of the lice about June. It seemed much better thoni The men would go down to the bath, get their hair clipped, then a douch. Our hospital now was -much brighter, thanks'to our English doctor. Ho got a barrack for English only. Ton woukl be surprised to see the difference between the nations. We had ' 3 E.A.M.C. men and .') others who were orderlies; they scrubbed the floor, done the stoves, cleaned windows, kept beds in. line, everything up to date. Tho boys use to make a rag ball and play footer on a little piece of ground. Tho Ruskies used to laugh to see them bump into ono another and fall' down." Also wo had cricket matches 'with three pieces of sticks for wickets, and a piece of a box cut out for a bat. 1 passed the time making doininoos. It feot mo a' w-eek to make a set; but wo had.somo with them', also draughts; aud I made a ring board. I use "to get plenty of visicome to my room to piay. Brutality Avenged. Thero was a German Sergeant in tho Camp, who was what they call. Provost Sgt. He would go anywhere. He. always had a big stick, anit he was always hitting tho prisoners about, for nothing. 110 put a good few in Hospital. AVell, he was in the cemetery ono night, and tho sontry thought it vrnu a prisoner trying to escape; so ho fired, and, with luck, killed lnm. Wo never knew anything about it for three months after, but we wero pleased, I can tell you. If thero happened' to bo a decent German, just as you got use to him they would pack him off to the front. During July nothing particular happened, except the Doctor got some boxing gloves out from England, we had a ring fixed up, anil some good fights. It was through these figths tlmt tho English got the run. of t'*e, wtmjKv ■ '.I'lio U.uakies could not, mako it ..out, to see blood Tun from a man, and then, go on with the fighting Sometimes a Russian would ask if lie could fight. Our chaps would always say "yes,* and any Englishman would put the gloves on with any, Rusk—didn't marter what his weight was—and af*or lie played with liim-a minuto or two, pnt him-out; but you .had to watch he did not hit you.

About the 17th of August, at'R.3o p m. we were on the square exorcising, whon about i'lirco kilimetors away there was a big explosion. I was at the other end of tho square, asljrhoy called it, with my bad: to some boards. All at once a light illuminated tho sky. At first T thought it was" lightning; then nil at ouco a bans I It was tho loudest report I've ever heard in my life;- the battlefield was. nothing to it.- Then I thought it was ah'shius blowing up tho ratnp; then. 1 really thought it was the end of the world. . Everyone had vanished, except the ones on tho ground. I got- upon my old crutch and stick, nnd_tho way I raced over ..to my barrack—well, I jipvat .mpved,;so;,.niiiclcJißfyre.ioft.since... There were clogs., hats, washing. bowls, where they , had .■been, washing, all left, on the" 'prbViiid." ".T" wfw glad,'to "get in barrack, and it took me ovn- two hours to let over it. . Nearly all tho windows that, happened to bo opened were blown to nieces; some men wire thrown in their backs. It proper shook th-3 place, t don't think there was a man in the wholo anxn'o. or German outside, that was not frightened. There were a lot of.prisoners that was working near the. Arsenal . get wounded, and were brought in, in (.lib night. It woved to be n big ammunitions works had blown up. killing, they say. 301 women and- girls. !__We seen a lot. of wagons a cmiplo of. "(lays . after, loaded un" with coffins. ■ On the Suntloy ,Sftor, all. 'thi n°nnle that were near the camp were in' black. ' . Hope Deferred, On tho 19th of August 23 of us, who had paosul tho German medical officer for exchange, had orders-to pack lip at 2 o'clock, Wo were told we wero (joins homo next day. - Well, at 2 tho men, in my Coy came up to my room, earned me shoulder high down to tho gate, oua chap playing' tho fife, and one-beating a biscuit tin for a drum. I wished them good-bye; then wo were taken to til* bath house, shaved all over, had ouv clothes i'limagated,. and then taken to a spare room in the hospital. _ No one was allowed- to come near us. Wo had to tear up all our correspoudants and papers. We wero told wo were going to London next dav, so we had a fanvell, sing sing with the' men in the hospital at nigst. We turned in at. 8, being thankful it was the. last night. Well, I had a strange dream. -1 dreamt that. they, took us by train to another camp, kfcpi- us there for a time,"then took us just in see the boat sail off, leaving us behind. Wo were sent back to. the Camp again, then told we should bo served like it again some day, sis the Germans had altered their mind, and would no" lot any from W'ittenbersr E" homo. ■ Well, when I woke; up. I said, Boys, jvfc'ro not going." This was at 5 u clock. I said. "I've had a dream, and something seems to toll me its going to come true." So when I told them they said, "Chuck it," and were going lo down me with boots. "Well, this is what did happen. At 7 o'clock as we were having breakfast, talking over what we wore, going to do when we got to .Blighty, m comes a German under-officer and shouts. "Louse. Barrack. scurry." We looked at him. Then in comes, an interpreter and says we were not going; we were to go to our companies. We. could have dropped: Back we went, feeling sadder than when we left the day before. The chaps could not make it out.. There was not many smiles that day, and to capp tho lot we got done for our bread that day. We all. said then tint- we would never take any notice again, before we were on the boat. I use to say that wo's'd bo. in England by Boxing Day, but the' others would say. "Never." Anyhow, I was right in the finish, day after we had another to go in Dock—Darkio Burgess. That left our mess with 8 men, out of 20. The Biter Bit. In September wo had a general cleanup of; the camp. The Germans were coming back aeain. Well, they came, anrl we know it. They chased the prisoners about like sheep. They would rush in tho rooms, draw their swords, and cut any ono with it if they were in the way. They would not let you liavo a minute's rest, t remember 1 drew a big picture of Baden-Powell series on the wall, and in big letters I wrote "'Roll on England!" Then I drew a big picture of the English, French, Russian, American, .Tapaneso flags, and coloured them with red brick dust, and blue led. The men were a bit windy about, it, but, I use to laugh. "Let cm seo it," C use to say. Well, when the. Coy. Officer came, he seen it and asked who drew it, so of course that made me shake a bit, but. up I goes on the old crutch and stick. Of course I put it on a bit. I was expecting a dully "up. but he said to mo 'Ungland goot.' 1 says, "Yah. yah. Sir." Ho points to the flags with his slick, especially the American and .Taps, and laughs and shakes his head. The other chans said, "I. thought yon wero for it that time." ■ On« mVht in 1) Hut Hie Bully as wo called him was drunk. He rushes in the barrack at uino o'clock, n't tho same time '■shouting- "Louse, louse," with his belt in his hand. Our chaps would not shiftBack ho came, lashing out with his belt.

Someone flung a pillow at the lamp, outing it, and one of tho boys gave him sueli a kick. You could hear liim swearing all over camp after. He was near them all day next day chasing them.. Well, on the next night they waited for him. When ho was in tho next barrack thoy put a biff form about four' yards from the door, and" blew out tho light. In lie rushed, shouting "Louse, louse!" Then there was a smash; over ho goes. Ho had suspicions on the English. Then our chaps goes up and report Him; he was in trouble all tho time after.

On tho first of October all tho English were put together in one company. It was a nice job moving. The men had tn carry their bed. and all belongings in one journey. We were outside for an hour, and it rained all tho time.... Our beds were wet through, but wo soon got settled down. Some had some nice things in the way of cublioards, and tables, what they made their selves. We use to have somo nice sing songs at nights. One morning we all had to parade. The Gorman officer asked if anyone had any gold on them;,if so, they were to hand it over;, for wlidn the war was over every man would bo searched, and if any whs found they would have to remain in, Germany. They got nothing off the English. It was now that they use to chose us with their dogs. They would come in the rooms, and set the dog on men, for nothing. Some got bit. If you had an overcoat, even if it was one from England, they would tako it off you and givo it to a man who was going to work.' Several men had their boots taken off 'them. Clothes sent out were painted all up the sides and back. Tho men going to work were issued with a thin suit and .clogs— that was the first lot issued sinco ithe war started. ; American Ambassador Intervenes. ,Mr. Gerald, the American Ambassador, came round about the 7th. This was'the first that had ever came. Wo lodged every complaint we could think of, especially the parcels, as they would not issue them out fo us. There were thousands in the Censor's cffico. The French use to get 2 and 3 issues a day, but ours use to stay and rot .or get ate with rats. Tho morning Mr. Gerald came ho happened to be in our room when the soup came up. He lmd a look at it, and said lie did not think it was too bad. "Oh," said one of the men, "you want to come round to-morrow. That's a. bit of special sent up because you are here, sir. You should come on the hop, sir, especially about half-past five'in the morning! If you had a smell at the tub then, sir, you'd not want much to eat all day. Wo never hardly eat it now; we give it to the 'Huskies; they see it off." Tho Germans knew win did not eat it, so they gave out a order, that what was not ate was to be collected for the poor children of Wittenberg. Wo also told Mr. Gerald about our overcoats, as wo had 'none, so he gave the German orders to givo us one each. We were pleased one day when, the order" came that we could writt' letters—two a month. It was a Godsend—4B' lines. You could tell something then of your reyiiirenients. But we use to worry for 10 days after we wrote, because you might get it sent back. You were not allowed to write in ink, only lead. We started a little service on Sundays; had permission off'the Germans to use a spare room. We asked a civilian if he would conduct it, as he was a Oxford man, so lie consented. So we use to meet Sundays at 10 and have prayers and sing four hymns. Me and a cluip of tl,® Leirjcrs use to write them out. Wo had only about 15 turn up the first Sunday, but after, wo use to be about 150, .and we used to give tho hymns socks—sing to the top of our voices. The Germans use to come outside to listen. AVe had a cornet and flute, for our music. Someone sent to-England for books, and we'had them 'come out "in November; it was better then. I should like to have had a photo of us at church —I meaii the sight wo looked in, our rags, crutches, and heads shaved. AVe looked a funny lot. \ (To he continued.)