BACK FROM GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

BACK FROM GERMANY.

BRITISH WAR PRISONERS. ■ STORIES OF BRUTALITY. MAN WITH 58 WOUNDS. The Zeeland Company's ateamer Prinses Juliana arrived at London on August 25 with the 258 wounded British officers and men whom the Germans have released because they consider them unfit for further military service. There wore also 27 unbounded army medical men. The released prisoners were brought to Flushing in German ambulance trains, the German authorities allowing this to be done in order to save the badly wounded—there were about 70 stretcher cases—the discomfort of transference from one train to another. These trains were thoroughly well appointed, and gave satisfaction to the wounded. But that, says the Times, was about all that was good the prisoners could say of their treatment in (Je-rman hands. Two special trains were drawn up alongside, one for the wounded who could move about by themselves or with assistance, and the other—a South-West-cm ambulance train —fitted with beds for the conveyance of the severely wounded. About toe first and larger class, belonging to many regiments, the most noticeable feature was their high spirits. Numbers of them had been prisoners for 12 long months, since Mono and Landrecies; they were elad in a combination of very tattered khaki and raiment that is unknown to the British Army, some wearing black corduroy trousers arid clogs or German side-laced boots. Many bore on their faces the strain of the sufferings they had en-, dured, but they were one and all delighted with a word of kindly welcome and many were quite jubilant. This seemed the more wonderful when one heard the stories of cowardice and pure brutality which they had to tell during the short time while the special trains were being loaded up.

SUPPLY OF FOOD IN GERMAN!'. A number of the men were anxious that their countrymen should know that only the parcels sent from soldiers' friends and relatives in England have kept the prisoners alive, and they expressed the hope that people at home would continue to do even more than they have been doing in this way. They recognise that during the last three months the general treatment of the prisoners had been greatly improved, but they characterise the food as "beastly." A non-commissioned officer of the Highland Light Infantry stated that when he complained about the food he got the grim reply:—"You can blame your fleet for that." On the. other hand they were greatly amused at the too transparent attempt to put a bright face on things in camp just before the visit of the representatives of the American Embassy, and they were ready to believe that the representatives saw through it too.

INSTANCES OP ATROCITIES. Private Massy, K.A.M.C., Cth Field Ambulance, said to the Times representative "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what I have seen." Being invited to state what precisely he had in his mind, he continued:— "An officer shot in one arm asked a Orman on the field for a drink of water. The German replied that he would take good care that the wounded officer didn't light for England again, and forthwith ahot him and bayoneted him on the other arm. That man has no arms at all now. He is on this train. "We had in Wahn a man with 58 wounds, apart from bullet wounds, all of them caused by jabs from a bayonet. This man was told:—'JTou are an Engender, a d d Englander. All right, we will make a picture of you.' And they did in the manner indicated."