Five Months on a German Raider: Being the Adventures of an Englishman Captured by the 'Wolf'Trayes, Frederic George
History
Five Months on a German Raider: Being the Adventures of an Englishman Captured by the 'Wolf'
Trayes, Frederic George
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
Once on dry land, and escorted by the villagers, we walked over the
sandhills to the lighthouse, about half a mile away. There we were
received with open arms. The kindly Danes could not do enough for us. We
had only what we stood up in; we dried our clothes, other dry garments
were offered us, hot drinks and food were supplied liberally, and we
were generally made much of. We had come back to life and warmth once
more. The lighthouse staff and villagers vied with each other in their
efforts to make us feel at home and comfortable. Some of the sailors and
fishermen even offered us part of their own breakfasts and dinners,
which were wrapped up in handkerchiefs, ready to take to their work. The
bonny rosy-cheeked Danish girls aired all the English they knew, and
wanted to hear all about it; the jolly children danced round with joy
when they heard the wonderful story of our deliverance. Every one, from
the charming and dignified head of police who heard our story and
examined our passports, to the humblest village child, rejoiced at our
escape. The good motherly folk at the lighthouse fairly bubbled over
with joy as they chattered and poured out sympathy and busied themselves
with attending to our creature comforts.
After interviews with some Danish Government officials we were taken to
hotels in Skagen, the nearest town, a small summer bathing resort, just
to the south of the Skaw. It was a gloriously clear, bright, and sunny
day, though very windy and cold, and the condition of the fields showed
that "February fill dyke" had been living up to its reputation. Some of
us walked into Skagen, and on the way heard the most enchanting sounds
we had heard for months--the songs of skylarks--music which we certainly
had never expected to hear again. Our spirits were as bright as the
larks' on that day, and the birds seemed to be putting into music for us
the joy and gratitude we felt in our hearts. The ladies were, of course,
too exhausted to walk, and my wife got a lift in a cart in which a
Danish girl and a man were proceeding to Skagen. They asked her endless
questions, and she expressed her opinions very strongly on the German
treatment of their prisoners, and of the endless lies they had told us.
On arrival at Skagen we discovered that the man was the German Consul at
that town! So, for once in his life, he heard the truth about his
countrymen!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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