STORY OF A PRISONER OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 22 May 1916, Page 6

STORY OF A PRISONER OF WAR

TOLD BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER

(Concluded.) VII. 1 DELIVERANCE AT LAST.

Dui/ing October the English put the dainj/er oil one German . who was in char, jo of tho bath-house. He use to hit the/ .men about something shameful. A chap, named Jones, with a disabled arm, got i, nasty couple o£ smacks olf him, so off he went ana Been the Commandant; and,' as it happened, the same morning a mate had beeu sent to the prisons that English were to be more civily treated, ana that a German was 011 no account to strike a Englishman. The Commandant gave out to all Germans that an Englishman would not be struck by any man in the world without retaliating, and it' a German was to strike again, the Commo would not bo responsible for it. Well, this German got sent to the •'Russian frontier, and I hope he catches it.

Just previous to this our Doctor, Capt. —— R.A.JI.C., was in Fifth' Coy, with a Civie talking. A German Sgt.-Major was rushing about mad, chasing every one he could see. Thero was a scamper. Perhaps not knowing who it was, the Sgt.-Jlajor kicked tho Captain and then struck him with his sword. Tho Captain there and then asked him for an apology. The German would not give it, so the Capt. seen the German General, lodged his complaint, and made out a certificate for tho German Government. Then the General asked the Capt. if he would accept the apology. Tho Capt. said "yes," on conditions that the Englishmen in the camp were not hit about by. the Germans. So tho apoligy was accepted, and off to the frontier went the Sgt.-Major, besides being reprimanded. The Capt. was a trump! Some poor devils had no parcels from home, so he use to make them up a packet. Parcels from Home. Two weeks after Mr. Gerald came round there was one day such a bustlo in the lines; and another American had. come on the 'hopp. So they started dishing out Great Coats, but tho Yank noticed it, and the men also told him. Well, any caso thu cam)/ altered altogether. We had two or three issues of packets a day. During the month of November I received 30 parcels. I uso to get i>ne from home each week, well, I had six come in five days, so you can guess how they were hung about, But they ' were in pretty good condition, and very little missing. Every morning tho Coy. Officer would be in, tho Coy. for about two hours, and Marly all the time lie would be in the Englishman's room, just because it was cleaner. We would have our windows opened all the morning and floors brusfred up. The Germans use to come and watch you undo your parcels. We use to have our meala iii our own time. We were easy now—no one would touch us, or worry us much. We would muck in, ,in parties of four or five. One would get the, water and make tea, and then sit dowio. to a good feed'of tho best. We uso to have three good feeds a day, and wonder who these ladies were who wero sending the food out. About the middle of Nov. it was bitter cold, plenty of snow; it was hitter, and we were glad and thankful for the underclothing we had sent out for us from pur friends in England. Ordered Home. On the 26th a: yam was in Camp that thero were ninu men going home, and some names were on a paper. Jfy name was not there, so Major Priestley, R.A.M.C., sent a special application in for me to bo exchanged. Well, the an-/ 6wer came tack for ham to mind Ms own business, or words to that effect. On the 28th the nine men were told they were going to London soon. It was in the .paper tho exchange would take place on the 6th December. I little thought I was going to be ono of them. On the morning of the 29th November, 1915, one of the luckiest days of my life, I was up at the hospital, when all at onto up comes a o'liap and says: "Quick, pack up! You are for home. Train goes at nine o'clock!" I could hardly believe him. I said: "I'm not going to, get excited. I've been had before." Well, up comes a German nn-der-offtcer. • He says, "Nom?" "Black," I says. He says, "Black Arteur?" I says "Yah." He says, "Scurrcy! Go London." Well, I did nip. There was two or three packing up; I don't know what I had or what I left. A few minutes after we weio paraded, 'having roll call, and we 1 were moved off, from tho Coy. The last we heard was "Are we downhearted? No! We shan't be long behind • you mates." Well, off we went. We were given about a Jib. of sausage eaoh as we left tho camp. It was as cold as it could be, but wo never took much notice of it. We never had time to wishi anyone good-bye.