Outwitting the Hun: My Escape from a German Prison CampO'Brien, Pat
History
Outwitting the Hun: My Escape from a German Prison Camp
O'Brien, Pat
Prisoner-of-war escapes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
What I reported was taken down by a stenographer and made part of the
official records, but I did not give them my story in narrative form.
The information I was able to give was naturally of interest to various
branches of the service, and experts in every line of government work
took it in turns to question me. One morning would be devoted, for
instance, to answering questions of a military nature--German methods
behind the front-line trenches, tactics, morale of troops, and similar
matters. Then the aviation experts would take a whack at me and discuss
with me all I had observed of German flying-corps methods and equipment.
Then, again, the food experts would interrogate me as to what I had
learned of food conditions in Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium, and as
I had lived pretty close to the ground for the best part of seventy-two
days I was able to give them some fairly accurate reports as to actual
agricultural conditions, many of the things I told them probably having
more significance to them than they had to me.
There were many things I had observed which I have not referred to
in these pages because their value to us might be diminished if the
Germans knew we were aware of them, but they were all reported to the
authorities, and it was very gratifying to me to hear that the experts
considered some of them of the greatest value.
One of the most amusing incidents of my return occurred when I called at
my banker's in London to get my personal effects.
The practice in the Royal Flying Corps when a pilot is reported missing
is to have two of his comrades assigned to go through his belongings,
check them over, destroy anything that it might not be to his interest
to preserve, and send the whole business to his banker or his home,
as the case may be. Every letter is read through, but its contents is
never afterward discussed nor revealed in any way. If the pilot is
finally reported dead, his effects are forwarded to his next of kin,
but while he is officially only "missing" or is known to be a prisoner
of war they are kept either at the squadron headquarters or sent to his
banker's.
In my case, as soon as it was learned that I had fallen from the sky it
was assumed that I had been killed, and my chum, Paid Raney, and another
officer were detailed to check over my effects. The list they made and
to which they affixed their signatures, as I have previously mentioned,
is now in my possession and is one of the most treasured souvenirs of my
adventure.
My trunk was sent to Cox & Co. in due course, and now that I was in
London I thought I would go and claim it.
When I arrived in the bank I applied at the proper window for my mail
and trunk.
"Who are you?" I was asked, rather sharply.
"Well, I guess no one has any greater right to Pat O'Brien's effects
than I have," I replied, "and I would be obliged to you if you would
look them up for me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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