HUN CAMP HORROR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 219, 5 June 1918, Page 5

HUN CAMP HORROR

PRISONERS BURNT, ALIVE

Tho evidence of eye-witnesses who saw the Germans at. Brandenburg Camp stand callously by while seven prisoners ivcro_ burned' alive nnd while a German sentry bayoneted a British seaman who ivas\ trying to escape through a window of the blazing hut was recently, published 'by tlio British Government. The seaman was John Flayer ,Genow;r, of H.M.S. Nestor, taken prisoner at th» Battlo of Jutland. Tho story ivas first told by eight Spanish seamch, who, after being, captured by a 11-bnat and taken to Brandenburg Camp, wero released and arrived at Barcelona. Among the new evidence is that of two British prisoners of war who wero at ,the time interned at Brandenburg, 37 miles from Berlin.' Tho first eye-witness says:— "Ho (Gonower) was confined in cells. The reason was this, as far as I can certify: When .the bargo left Maser with tho men. and arrivod at tho Brandenburg jott.v, men are told off .to mako tho barge secure. Unhappily, Genower jumped 'off tho barge before it stopped. Tho consequenco was a German Jilt Genower in the face with tho muzzle .of his rifle, and cut it. Genower went to the doctor and had his faco dressed. A few days after they came and put him in cells without any trial whatever, and there ho remained till his death. The cell barrack is all built of Vood, . something like match-boarding.. They had a stovo in the passage of the cells. Well, ono forenoon in winter, say alxiut 11.45 a.m., just before dinner, wo saw smoke rising from the cells. At the time we thought ' it was the parcel offico on fire, which is to the cells, and took no notice, till one |of tho men shouted, 'The cells are. on fire!' With that wo all mnde our way, to the cells as fast as possible. "One man by tho name of Bates had a large hatchet, which with a few strong blows would have smashed the sides in, but ho was not allowed to use it, and' It ivas taken awgy by a German, and not one of'tho naval ratings was allowed to go near the cells. I myself was there on the spot. They placed n cordon of German soldiers at a, distance of sixty yards around tho cells, with Tides loaded and fixed bayonets, so as we could not get near. _ During-the meantime nothing 'was being done to get the prisonout or. put the fire out. "I happened to make inquiries of the interpreter of the cells, who was a Russian. I nske'd him what was the reason the cell door was not opened when tho fire was first noticed, and he told me that the sentry, who was a private soldier, dared not open any of tho. doors till the under-officer came and gave him orders to do so, consequently tho door leading to .the cells was never 'opened, and we could hear the poor fellows inside screaming. It was heartrending, and all us chaps standing there helpless. Afterwards, I hoard that tho kev of tho cells Was lost, also I heard that Genower tried to get out through the small square inndow, but was run through with (he sentry's bayonet. Five Russians, one French, and one Englishman were burnt to death."

The second 'eye-witness says: "I 'do not remember tho date when tho cells were burnt do,wn. Being, an eye-witness, I claim to ba an authority. The cause of the fire was ijot known, but, what is known is a British bluejacket (Genower), a French soldier, and five Russians wero burnt alive without aiiy attempt being mado to release them. I went down with some men whoso intention it was to save life. What I saw was Genower forcing the upper part of his body through the small 'window he had broken.' The sentry seeing him, drove his bayonet through the man's chest and sent him reeling back into the lire. A rush forward was made to break the place open, but we were driven off by othor armed Germans who had arrived on the scene."

Captain C. V. Fox, D.5.0., of the Scots Guards, a prisoner who has since escaped, arrived at the camp soon after the fire. He has mhdp a statement of what he was ttfld, and this confirms the others.

Mr. Balfour has. been trying to get the facts since April last year, through tlie Butch officials in Berlin charged with the inspection of prison camps. The Germans first said that Genowcr was burned to death, and when pressed they quoted an article in a German paper as representing the full facts, and said that everything was done to savo the pris. oners.

Mr. Balfour's final letter to the Dutch' Minister to be brought under the notice of ( the German Government ends: ' All comment upon action which results in tho burning alive of helpless prisoners of, war seems, superfluous; but His Majesty's Government note that whereas, according to the evidence of one of the eye-witnesses, it was considered impossible to save human life without orders from a superior, no hesitatipn whatever was shown in destroying life when the victim endeavoured to escape, superior official approbation being taken for granted.''.