BACK FROM GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 164, 1 April 1918, Page 6

BACK FROM GERMANY

NEW ZEALANDERS WHO WERE PRISONERS THEIR TREATMENT AND FOOD The Minister of Defence has received statements made by New Zealand prisoners of war who have been released from internment in Germany, after being taken prisoners in battle. It appears from the accounts of all of them that tho food allowanco is scanty, but that" their treatment in other respects was better than one might expect from the Germans. Rifleman H. Oxley relates thnt he was takon prisoner at Fleurbaix on February 21, 1917, during a battalion raid. He was hit in both arms, legs, stomach, and back, being rendered unconscious. There were about eighteen other New Zealanders in the hospital to which ho was taken. Included were Doyle, Rasmussen, Kemp, Buim, and Lynch. He was taken to Donai Reserve Lazaretto, where he was kindly treated, and his wounds were well attended to. He bad special food there, and, as far as ho could observe, other New Zealanders received fairly good treatment. After being there eight weeks ho was hurried out when the push began, and taken to Julicb. Faithful, another New Zoalander, who is at present in Switzerland, was transferred with him. Several others were sent to Minister. He was at Julich from April 19 until September, 15. Hβ was not so well treated there. The food was insufficient, and the attendants were sometimes unkind, and inclined to be rough. Tho meals were as follow:—7 a.m.: a slice of black bread (poor in quality and often insufficiently baked) nnd a mug of artificial coffee. 12 noon: a basin of soup, usually sauerkraut, which he describes ns a kind of fermented cabbage; no bread supplied at this meal. 3 p.m.: a slice of bread, no butter, but a little jam, chiefly made from berries. 5 p.m.: a thin soup, more like gruel. The men.able to get up had to rise at f> a.m. and clean tin? rooms and make beds and wash patients. After breakfast they were sent out to work, some to factories, others on the hind After the 5 p.m. meal the men were free to lio down. He never saw any female nurses at the hospitals. He was fairly treated by the guards sit Julich. On one occasion ho was roughly pushed about by the baudager. Ho saw quit?, a- number of cases of surgical noglcct. patients being left unchanged. A number of deaths occurred among the Russians there. At the beginning of August ''wound fever" broke out, which caused paralysis, and he lost full control of all his limbs. He was placed under quarantine for three weeks. At that time he received his first letter from the High Commissioner's office, stating that parcels would be sent and everything possible would bo done for him. Later he received several parcels of food, comprising biscuits, tinned fruits, etc. Ho was helpless, through the paralysis for about threo weeks, during which time* he received very poor attention. He was sent to Aachen on September 15, aijd there received bettor treatment, including electricity, and massage and baths every third day. On November 22 he was informed he was for exchange, and about November 25 was transferred to Cologne, where he remained for ten days. He was then sent to Cobientz, spent the night there, and then entrained for Mannheim. .Ho remained in that camp for three weeks and three days. On December 25 he was taken before a board and searched, and the samo night was taken to Aachen again, aud remained there for about four days. He received good food there. Finally, on January 2, he was put on an amlulance train and taken through Belgium to Amsterdam, and eventually shipped b> , a Dutch boat to Boston. He was about five days on the water. From Boston he was snnt to tlio Tooting Military Hospital, London.

Rifleman F. W. Kemp states:—"l was wounded in a battalion trench raid at Fleurbaix on February 2], 1917, and picked up by the Germans I was evacuated immediately at Douai, to a German field hospital, where my leg. was amputated on February 23. 1 remained there eight weeks. I was then shifted.to Monster Reserve Lazarette, Berkserne, where II remained , four months. After that I went to Munstor Gamp Lazarette, where I remained until December 8, when I was sent to Mannheim, and exchanged through Holland. My treatment- was good for a prisoner of war in German hands. The medical attention which I received was good, hut in the latter days there was a shortage of medical equipment (dressings and bandages). Tho food was short and of poor quality all the time. A typical day's diet was about half a pound of black bread of poor quality, two pints of soup, and two pints of "olFee without milk or sugar. Tho soup at Douai was of fair quality, but in Germany it consisted mainly of vegetables and grain. Near tho front sheets and bandages of cottou were provided, but. further back paper was substituted for bandages, and shores were changed once a , month. Personally I received all parcels sent from home of food and clothing. I do not know of any actual instance where a inan did not receive his stuff if he could be traced. I was never allowed to mix with tho German wounded. My general impression was that the Germane are short of everything and desire pence."

Private Pacey states that he v/as taken prisoner in a raid at AVarneton, near Mcssines, on Juno 22. 1917. Re. was taken to hospital at Menin, and treated well there. He had wounds in the calf of the left lee and right ankle. Amputation of Hμ left letj was performed on June 25. at Menin. He waskept there for ten days, then taken to Courtrai. where ho was kept fnr three weeks. He was treated well, but hp.d to sleep on a coaTse mattress. Then he, went to Cello, in Hanover, Saltan, Mannheim. Aachen, Rotterdam, and Boston. Tlo jrol to tho first London nenoral hospital nn January 7. Tic experienced no unkind treatment in Germany. He wns given soup and: blank bread regularly, wifi fiierkraut and horse flesh occasionally. He was always hungry. H»> received 2s. (id. per wrek from the High Commissioner', , ? office. All parcels arrived intact and regularly at SoJfciii. He was spoken to through- p. Russian interpreter, who could spenk German nml EiHidi. Tho interpreter infowd him there wns a shortepce of food in G"nnnnv. Germ™? who rniild sneak Knp v «li sflmitted that Germany was finished. Their spirits revived throuih tlm Russian Revolution, bitifc t.l'ev }i<tve lost non'fc. O'l the onensinn nf Hinclenliurg's liirthdav large plnrnrcls- l>»nriniT his portrait were posted up in Mnnn]i"im. The ponnlnw tore out the eyes fiom these pictures.