World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, English; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, Turkish
On the top of the hill, we could just make out the big square of the
Turkish barracks lying down in the valley, a building which we had
passed almost every day during the last year on our way to the football
ground or on walks. Sweet wanted to give it a much wider berth than I
had intended, and in consequence we were longer in getting down to the
Ineboli road which had to be crossed. What was our horror when we did
approach it to hear the creaking of country carts coming up towards the
town. They seemed to be nearly opposite to us and, as there was little
cover and the moon bright, the only thing to do was to lie down in the
ditch where we were and hope the carts would pass. We waited some time,
but yet more carts seemed to be approaching and the drivers of others
had halted almost opposite to us. There was nothing for it but to turn
back and try again lower down the road. After creeping back a little way
on all fours, we made a circle and came out into an open field, heading
once more for the road. Here we were dismayed to hear yet another cart
coming. There was no cover this time, not even a ditch, so we had to
make a dash for it. This succeeded, and we were across the road and some
little distance into a field of high crops on the far side before the
carts passed. These carts were evidently coming into the town for the
following day's market, but we had not counted on meeting any at all.
We were now in the centre of the valley, and after crossing the stream
made our way over some more fields to the Sinope road which we crossed
without further adventure.
We had now reached open country, and after another half-mile rested
again. We were all feeling a bit done up and thought we had taken too
much kit. On starting again, we found that so far we were on the right
track, but from now onwards we were going on a line we had not been on
before even by day, and we regretted afterwards we had not for this
first night kept straight on down the main Sinope road, along which we
could have made good going, although it did not lead due east, which was
the direction we had planned. There were guard houses at intervals on
this road, but I knew it for the first ten miles, having driven out with
my colonel once when he was allowed a carriage to go fishing, this being
a special favour which ceased to be granted as soon as the commandant of
the town got to hear about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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