TEN NIGHTS' TRAMP IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 54, 27 November 1917, Page 6

TEN NIGHTS' TRAMP IN GERMANY

STORY OF BRITISH AIRMAN'S ESCAPE

PERSISTENCE WINS

Lieutenant G. l'\ Knight, of the British Flying Corps, was on a bombing raid near ]3apaunie when his wore shot away, and he had t-o land well behind the enemy's front line. He was conveyed to Cambrai Citadel* "I had not been there long," he told a friend, "before I set about to escape. Opportunity came sooner than I cxpectcd. I got through the German lines at night in a suit of tlio Belgian peasant sort and swam the Cambrai Canal. When I was almost over I spotted a Boche sentry on tlio opposite bank. Ho heard me in tlio water and looked hard in my direction. It flashed through my mind that he might imagine the noise was inado by a dog. I gave colour to this impression by paddling round in the manner of a retriever, and whining nicely, making, meantime, for the bank from which I had plunged in. Caught in Straw Stack. "I scrambled out again, cold andsomewhat disappointed, and made for the railway bridge with the idea of getting into our lines. I was making m.y course by the flashes of our own guns, which were plainly visible ahead. I found, however, I was out of my reckoning, and stumbled once more into the Bosche's quarters. I hid when J coujd, posing as a workman. I came across a small straw stack, well behind a Hun cauip, and lay 'doggo' fortho night. Unfortunately my luck was dead out; a Bosche transport man camo to my nesting place for an armful of straw and collared my head in tlio armful. He was quilo surprised. I knew it was 110 good trying to blu/f him, so I surrendered once more with as good a grace as possible. "I was sent back to Cambrai. Afterwards they moved me by train—a very uncomfortable journey—under close escort 1o Osnalirnck and Klausthal (Hare), and then to Strohen. Our food was obtained chiefly from the parcels from home. They invariably arrived safely, and more often than not untouched by pilfering fingers. Everyone German about the place 6eemed 'fed up' with the war. The guards were tired of doing guard duty on little food, but the country folk did not seem so badly off. Vegetables and milk seemed more plentiful, and tins, people looked better fed and happier."' The lieutenant, after getting away undetected from the Strohen _ camp with emergency rations of biscuits and chocolato (sent from his Devonshire home), hid by day and travelled 1)V ■ night successfully eluding in a ten-, night tramp all the hunting for him. "Ono early morning" 110 said "I went into _ a cornfield, after walking nearlv all night, to prepare a,' snug for myself among! the stooks. An aged farm labourersaw me arranging tho sheaves_ and: called out: 'Here, what are y° u doing?' I replied in German: 'Can't you sen what I'm doing?' He evidently could not, for he ambled quickly towards me. I thought it was time to leave, so I left via a big ditch and dodged behind a- haystack and so got away. I found another hiding-place that day, andtho next night I milked a. Hun cow in a field."

The lieutenant made liis remarkable dash for liberty uuaccomnanied, but later joined Lieutenant Insall. V.C., and another officer in a neutral country. They came to England together-