DASH FOR LIBERTY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 138, 28 January 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

DASH FOR LIBERTY.

WAR PRISONER'S STORY.

ESCAPE AXD RECAPTURE

Th following narrative is taken from the letters of a British officer prisoner of war in Germany, who, in company with two French officers, attempted unsuccessfully to escape a little while ago. The letters were written from the fortress in which, after recapture, this officer was awaiting his trial: We got past both lines of wire fences and the sentries on the afternoon of Sunday, August 2'J, and concealed ourselves in the reeds on the banks of the Weser until nightfall. We then marched till 1 a.m. the next day, halted till 4 a.m., and moved on again till 7 am., when we hid in a forest. This was continued throughout 2 5 days, marching during the hours of darkness by compass, and concealing ourselves during daylight in forests and woods

The weather for the first five days was terribly wet, and we were never dry. The last three nights were frosty, and as we had only one blanket between the three of us we felt the cold much. In spite of cold and rain I had only fever once, but one of my comrades was delirious one night. We carried all our food with us, so you may imagine it was not much—a little sugar, a small piece of chocolate, and a soup tablet divided between us was our dailv ration, and every second day we divided a tin of meat or chicken Unfortunately the rain of tho first five days destroyed a lot of our chocolate and sugar, and all ray biscuits.

We were rather weak after two weeks of it, and towards the end marching was a real trial. Water was also a di.-iculty, and on two davs we had none. On the night of September 22 there was a bright moon but we could not delay our attempt to rass the frontier, as we only had one tin of food, a small piece of chocolate, and about &lb. of .sugar remaining. We avoided all villages and houses, and when we used roads at night we hid on the approach of people or vehicles. This continual hiding from all human beings was a prreat mental strain. During the last march we avoided every road and track and dwelling, but In spite of this we were surprised by a patrol out on a moorland and recaptured on September 22. We thought when recaptured that we were four kilometres from the frontier, but the guard told us we were only about 200 yards! Our mistake was due to our man, which was practically useless, being of so small a scale. The distance between our starting place and the frontier in a straight line was about 220 kilometres, but with detours, etc., we must have covered well over ,100 kilometres. Sometimes we only moved at the rate of less than one kilometre an hour. This was especially the case during our march on the night of September 21. when we only covered seven kilometres in eight hours, the march being in deep sand, swamp and forest- ° The. frontier guard treated us with every consideration, as also the governor of the civil prison at the frontier town, where we spent 24 hours. Wo were allowed into the restaurant at the railway staton at Benthem on our return, and I don't think I have ever been so ravenously hungry. It is impossible to sit down here and do nothing when one's country is fighting for existence. We made our effort—tho utmost possible—:uid failed.