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
The next day some German flying officers visited me, and I must say
they treated me with great consideration. They told me of the man I had
brought down. They said he was a Bavarian and a fairly good pilot. They
gave me his hat as a souvenir and complimented me on the fight I had put
up.
My helmet, which was of soft leather, was split from front to back by
a bullet from a machine-gun and they examined it with great interest.
When they brought me my uniform I found that the star of my rank which
had been on my right shoulder-strap had been shot off clean. The one on
my left shoulder-strap they asked me for as a souvenir, as also my R.
F. C. badges, which I gave them. They allowed me to keep my "wings,"
which I wore on my left breast, because they were aware that that is the
proudest possession of a British flying officer.
I think I am right in saying that the only chivalry in this war on the
German side of the trenches has been displayed by the officers of the
German Flying Corps, which comprises the pick of Germany. They pointed
out to me that I and my comrades were fighting purely for the love of
it, whereas they were fighting in defense of their country, but still,
they said, they admired us for our sportsmanship. I had a notion to ask
them if dropping bombs on London and killing so many innocent people was
in defense of their country, but I was in no position or condition to
pick a quarrel at that time.
That same day a German officer was brought into the hospital and put in
the bunk next to mine. Of course, I casually looked at him, but did not
pay any particular attention to him at that time. He lay there for three
or four hours before I did take a real good look at him. I was positive
that he could not speak English, and naturally I did not say anything to
him.
Once when I looked over in his direction his eyes were on me and to my
surprise he said, very sarcastically, "What the hell are you looking
at?" and then smiled. At this time I was just beginning to say a few
words, my wound having made talking difficult, but I said enough to
let him know what I was doing there and how I happened to be there.
Evidently he had heard my story from some of the others, though, because
he said it was too bad I had not broken my neck; that he did not have
much sympathy with the Flying Corps, anyway. He asked me what part of
America I came from, and I told him "California."
After a few more questions he learned that I hailed from San Francisco,
and then added to my distress by saying, "How would you like to have a
good juicy steak right out of the Hofbräu?" Naturally, I told him it
would "hit the spot," but I hardly thought my mouth was in shape just
then to eat it. I immediately asked, of course, what he knew about the
Hofbräu, and he replied, "I was connected with the place a good many
years, and I ought to know all about it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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