SIX WEEKS IN ENEMY TRENCHES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 16, 26 February 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

SIX WEEKS IN ENEMY TRENCHES.

STORY OF THREE BRITISH SOLDIERS.

ESCAPE FROM CAPTIVITY

Private Frederick B'irkin, of tho Grenadier Guards.; Lance-Corporal Joseph Russ:ll, of tho Ist South Staffordshire; and

Sergeant Frederick Bawer, of the Ist Bedfordshire.

arrived yesterday in the Naval Hospital at Malo, near Dunkirk, after having escaped from s'x weeks' captivity in German hands, says a London paper of last month.

Bawer, who is a well-known amateur cross-country runner, was wounded in tho hand whilst escaping. Tho other two are suffering from enteric fever, caught through the ha'rd treatment meted out to them.

Theirs is a thrilling story, and is best related in the simple words of Sergeant Baker, whom a correspondent vistedi at the .Malo hospital. ''Six weeks ago," ho said to me, "during a charge the Germans made on the Highland Light Infantry in the woods four m'iles north of Ypres, I was taken prisoner along with 70 others. "The Germans charged us as Ave lay in the trenches, and we were outnumbered by 20 to one. "Wo wiere *then marched along a road in the direction of Roukrs, and halted in a little village on the outskirts of the town. " I and four others were placed in a ruined farmhouse. There the.v searched us. First they searched our knapsacks. took our ammunition, and finally b'roke our rifles in half. "Wo were in a wretched condition. There were five of us, including the two that escaped with me. We had to lie on filthy straw, and the, rain came in nearly every night. At half-past fivo we had to be up, and if any of us were late they gave us no food for 24 hours. ENEMY'S WEAKNESSES. "I observed that the Germans seemed to have overwhelming numbers; troops continually passing through our

yillage on their way to the front. " They appealed, however, to be in a very weak condition, and many of them had fallen victims to enteric fever. "•Meetly they were in a- very bad temper, as if things weren't going very well with them; when they had wine and whisky they became very amiable and even complimentary. Their craving for strong liquor I particularly noticed. "1" had often had talks with the German officers and soldiers. They had ap- , patently given up a'U hope of getting to Calais; but they confidently asserted they would be in London by Christmas. "They hinted at a powerful fleet of submarines to start from the naval base in Zeebrugge to account for tho English Fleet. "As regards the ultimate victory, they said the outcome would be a draw in favour of the Germans. Seven out of ten of them spoke English very well, and they were favourably inclined towards us. The others frequently threatened to bayonet us. FRIENDLY " FOG " OF WAR. " After I had been in this farm for several weeks I determined to escape if a favourable opportunity presented itself. I asked the fellows who were with me if they would come too, an 1 they all said they would. "It had been very foggy all along, and that put the idra of escaping into •my head. I told my friends that I would lead the way when we made our attempt. "Last Friday it. was extremely foggy all day, and I decided to make unhazardous journey through the German lines. When we had finished work I dropped back a little, and my friends followed my example. When I was about 20 yards behind the German Guards I dashed away, and 1 was coon lost in the inky blackness of fog and night. "T had a pre-arranged signal—a whistle wee-whoo-wce-whoo —with my comrades, and we eventually got together. "We all of ns took off our caps and managed to cros s the German trenches without, any difficulty. Frequently we came within five yards of the enemy, but they never even troubled to challenge 11s. In the dark they couldn't tell our khaki from thei'r grey. AH the timo our hearts were in our mouths, for we well knew the penalty was death if we Mere caught. FIRE FROM BOTH SIDES. "We ran hard untiMve came fo the French treacles. Immediately the French sentries heard 11s they opened lire, thinking we were Germans. This attracted the German.-., and they opened fire on us as well. " A\ e v ere thus exposed to two fires, and I f«.r two of my comrades were killed. I 1 ceived a bullet in my hand, j " I lay down flat and shouted out Anglais. The firing pooh ceased. We then crawled on our stomachs to a , Wwod. and found a white thatched ; house. We lay in this house ,-ome time, discussing our position. Eventually we decided to strike due west. Alter travelling two kilometres w P came aeiwr> a detachment of French Tureos. They welcomed us cordially, and gave us some eggs and milk. | "The Tureos were ordered into the ( fil ing line, and we were hen again left to ourselves. "We set. out on our odyssey once more, and finally saw the lights of a town. This was 9 o'clock at- night. We w:n.t to the station and got into a train. We were so tilled and ill we didn't care whore it was going. After two hours' journey we came to Dunkirk. and pas-ed the night 011 a bench in the station. In the morning we were directed to the Naval Hospital at Malo. where Wp aire now under tho charge of H. Keble, chief sick !>orth steward."

Sergeant Baker lives at CTapham. London; Private Birkin and TxineeOorporal Russrll eome from Walsall. All three ar P making a rapid recovery after their terrible experiences.