BRUTAL TREATMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1916, Page 2

BRUTAL TREATMENT.

PRISONERS OF THE GENTLfI GERMAN. BRITISH OFFICER SEEKS HEALTH AT ROTORUA. Auckland, May 20. A tragic story of the treatment suffered by British officers captured by Ger-n-.ans was told to-day by Captain W. Gordon Barker, of the Connaught Rangers, who arrived by the Remuera from England on sick leave. He is visiting the Dominion in the hope that he will recover his health, which was shattered by his experiences in the prison camps. He was so gravely affected by his terrible experiences that he was nr.able to discuss them, and he supplied a reported with some written notes. He explained that he had Intended not to disclose anything of his experiences, but he was induced by a well-known New Zealander who. returned by the Remuera to tell his story for its: value in stimulating recruiting. Captain Barker was wounded in the retreat from Mons to Le Catteau. He 'vas left, behind'at the latter place with 50 men ■to hold" a bridge. Their ammunition became exhausted, and they went in with tlie bayonet. The little for it were almost wiped' out. '' Captain Br.rker and tlie other wounded men were taken by the Germans, and left in the open rain all night. ''l was put in a filthy horse-truck with thirty wounded French, and travelled three days and rights across Belgium and Germany, For iwo days they absolutely refused to •give us food—we were called 'damned 'English pigs'—awl the Red Cross was as lad. At every station people hooted ?nd spat at me, and at one place they" '..-anted to lynch me. When I arrived in Germany 1 was locked up in a comiion cell in an ordinary prison for a week, and after that was sent to hospital, then to Halle Camp, where I spent six months with 800 Russian, French, Pelgian, and British offiqers, who were nil crowded into a filthy iron foundry. r Jl.e sanitary arrangements were awful, and the food shocking. We were constantly subjected to every indignity, stripped naked and searched. German officers vie with each other in being offensive, and, as the American Ambassador said, treated us more like crim■nals than officers."

Captain Barker finally- became «o ill il.at an exchange was arranged, , though liis release was delayed for. three iriurths. Ho leaves for Rotorna to-dav.