[Illustration: KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GUNTHER PLÜSCHOW] MY ESCAPE FROM DONINGTON HALL MY ESCAPE FROM DONINGTON HALL PRECEDED BY AN ACCOUNT OF THE SIEGE OF KIAO-CHOW IN 1915 BY KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GUNTHER PLÜSCHOW, OF THE GERMAN AIR SERVICE. TRANSLATED BY PAULINE DE CHARY JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD LTD. LONDON MCMXXII PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY MORRISON AND GIBB LTD., EDINBURGH CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF A FLYING-MAN 1 II. BEAUTIFUL DAYS IN KIAO-CHOW 20 III. THREAT OF WAR—MY TAUBE 30 IV. SOME JAPANESE JOKES 56 V. MY WAR RUSE 63 VI. HURRAH! 72 VII. THE LAST DAY 79 VIII. IN THE SLIME OF THE CHINESE RICE-FIELD 91 IX. MR. MACGARVIN’S PTOMAINE POISONING 100 X. CAUGHT! 128 XI. BEHIND WALLS AND BARBED WIRE 142 XII. THE ESCAPE 184 XIII. BLACK NIGHTS ON THE THAMES 193 XIV. STILL AT LARGE 208 XV. THE STOWAWAY 233 XVI. THE WAY TO FREEDOM 236 XVII. BACK IN THE FATHERLAND! 240 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GUNTHER PLÜSCHOW _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE FACSIMILE OF NOTICE IN THE _DAILY CHRONICLE_ AFTER THE ESCAPE 204 FACSIMILE OF NOTICE CIRCULATED IN THE PRESS A WEEK AFTER THE ESCAPE 208 GUNTHER PLÜSCHOW IN THE DISGUISE OF A DOCK-LABOURER, IN WHICH HE ESCAPED 230 MY ESCAPE FROM DONINGTON HALL MY ESCAPE FROM DONINGTON HALL CHAPTER I THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF A FLYING-MAN IT was in the month of August of the year 1913 when I arrived in my native town, Schwerin. I had stayed several weeks in England, where I had devoted days to the visit of museums and the beautiful art collections, as well as to excursions in the vicinity of the capital. At that time I did not foresee how useful the latter would prove to me two years hence.