CANADIANS' DASH PROM GERMANY.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 January 1918, Page 6

CANADIANS' DASH PROM GERMANY.

CORPOBL HELD UP BY BLOOD

HOUKD.

STORIES OF BRUTALITY,

Ten Canadian soldiers who escaped from captivity in Germany have reached London during the past few days. Several of them belong to the Canadian Mounted Rifles, and were taken prisoners near Ypres on the same day —June 2, 1916" that Major-General Mercer was killed and Brigadier-Gen-eral Williams was captured. One of these —Lance-Corporal McMullen was recaptured on his first attempt to escape. He broke away from a camp known as Kommando 47, near Munster, in Westphalia, and was making his way towards the frontier when he was tracked down and seized "by one of the bloodhounds used by the Germans for capturing men who escape. The bloodhound seized him by the lef F shoulder, and, holding ' on, howled until a patrol heard him and hurried to the spot. Lance-Corporal MeMullen was taken back to his prison camp and sentenced to 21 days' close confinement.

A story of German brutality is told by Private Watts, a lad of about 19, who came over with the first Canadian Contingent (his home is at Port Arthur, Ontario) and was captured two and a half years ago, during the second battle of Ypres. He was confined in a camp at Castrop, Westphalia, and with other men was set to work in the local mines and at another time in a cokery, where prisoners had to shovel 20 tons of coke a day, whether it took them all the hours of the day and night, and whether they felt well or 'ill.

On one occasion a man who was ill with fever, and was unable to work was compelled to stand at attention with a guard standing over him. When he fell down from exhaustion ho was kicked until he stood up again. He was eventually [removed to hospftal Private Watts states that no medical treatment was given to men who complained of illness. AH the men say that they would not be alive now but for the food parcels sent to them. Here is the diet of men who were working in mines or digging potato land: Breakfast, cup of bean coffee; dinner, thin soup, and, very rarely a small ' ration potato; supper, soup and ilb of black bread. Occasionally a small piece of cheese, which most men found uneatable.

It will be seen that the 21b. of bread —equal to one-quarter of a small English loaf—was the only solid food regularly served to these men ..who were working like slaves.

The Gefnia'ris called the Canadians "Englanders" and "swine." The men say that after they were .captured and were behind the German lines,.the Belgian women and children offered them food and cigarettes, but the Uhlans drove them back and rode them down.