LIKE A TALE FROM FICTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 136, 26 February 1918, Page 7

LIKE A TALE FROM FICTION

ADVENTURES OF TWO AUSTRALIANS

ESCAPEES FROM GERMANY

London, February 24.

Two Australians—Lance-Corporal Pitts and Private Clioato—-escaped from Germany, and airived in Loudon recently, after many thrilling experiences. Tiiey belonged to a working party of forty prisoners near Dusseldorf, which included seven overseas soldiers, six of whom attempted to escape. Five succeeded, and one has since been repatriated. Choate copied a fellow-prisoner's rough map of Dusseldorf to tho Dutch frontier, showing the towns, railways, and waienvays. He studi-ad the stars mghtl) for two months by moans of a stellar map ■which he "had picked up foi guidance in night travelling towards the frontier.

Six of the men escaped simultaneously in, September by climbing down the lightning-rod of the prison. They divided in two parties. They slept in the woods in the daytime. Choate's party vas awakened one aftert.oon by a gunshot and falling leaves. They saw a sportsman who missed the bird over their heads. The bird, if shot, would have fallen into their hiding place, resulting in their discovery.' The party suffered severely from thirst, as the brooks had dried up, it being the end of summer. They were captured on the lliird night within a mile of the frontier. They ran into the sentry's arms, who said he had been awaiting them. Civilians surrounding them necessitated tho abandonment- of ths> idea of overpowering the sentry. The other party crossed the frontier safel'v. Choate's and Pitt's second . attempt was made in December. They tot through an eight-inch aperture in the barred window of the prison, and climbed down forty feet by means of a secreted rops. They saw a married prison sentry making iovo to a girl. Tho sentry, desiring not to be observed, turned his face aivay on hearing footsteps. Choate, in passing, brushed tho sentry's arm. Tho escapees followed the same route as on tho previous attempt. They hid in a I roadside ditch for three hours awaiting the end of the soldier's prolonged good-night to his sweetheart. 'It rained almost inccsaiiutl/ during the three days thoy weie escaping. They were aware they weie Hearing the frontier on the third night by the distant barking of dogs in Holland. There are no dogs'in Germauy, as they have been eaten or killed off owing to the- food shortage. They crossed the frontier at daybreak. It was raining heavily, and the sentries were unable to 6ee more than a few yards.— 4us.N.Z. Cable Assn.