Further, there must be many who are already feeling war-weary and despondent, and who consequently may be ready to embrace any opportunity of making peace, even on the basis of the status quo. If the revelations disclosed herein bring home to these a knowledge of the infamous, relentless, and savage character of the Hun, deliberately dehumanised by the State for the purposes of the State, the writer will feel that his labour has not been in vain.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| CAPTURED BY THE BOCHES | [15] |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| BY CATTLE-TRUCK TO MUNDEN | [32] |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| THE DREARINESS OF CAMP LIFE | [47] |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| OUR REMOVAL TO BISCHOFSWERDA | [63] |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| MY JOURNEY TO CLAUSTHAL | [78] |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| COURT-MARTIALLED AND INSULTED | [108] |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| IN HOSPITAL AT DRESDEN | [122] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
| THE HELL-HOLE OF INGOLSTADT | [142] |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
| A “BLOND BEAST” COMMANDANT | [161] |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
| BOUND FOR CREFELD | [171] |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
| WE JUMP FROM THE TRAIN | [190] |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
| ESCAPES BY NIGHT AND DAY | [213] |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
| WE HIDE IN A DRAIN | [234] |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
| MAKING FOR THE FRONTIER | [251] |
| [CHAPTER XV] | |
| ELUDING THE SENTRIES | [272] |
| [CHAPTER XVI] | |
| LIBERTY AND BLIGHTY! | [302] |
CHAPTER I
CAPTURED BY THE BOCHES
A rough sketch of the circumstances which led up to my being taken a prisoner of war are more or less indispensable. We were called up at a moment’s notice from another part of the line, where our division was in reserve, to a position in front of a line of our trenches lost to the enemy a few hours previously in their attempted advance on Calais. These trenches had been held by Indian regiments, and small blame to them for losing them. Judging from what we saw, they must have had a pretty rough time.
It was in retaking these three lines of trenches that I became a prisoner. I think the position was known as La Bassée Canal position. Our brigade formed up in the dusk about 4.30 p.m. opposite the trenches we were about to attack. Here we were under desultory shell fire, but casualties from this were very few. As far as we could make out and from information received, we were within about eighty yards of the Boches. Whilst we were waiting the order to advance, the rain, which had begun to fall, developed into a downpour, accompanied by terrific bursts of thunder. Before the storm abated the expected order arrived. Immediately I rushed up to inform my company commander, but what with the darkness, the crashing thunder, and the roar of both our own artillery and that of the Boche, accompanied by the villainous tat-tat of the enemy machine guns, I failed to find him.