Sixteen Months in Four German Prisons: Wesel, Sennelager, Klingelputz, RuhlebenTalbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
History
Sixteen Months in Four German Prisons: Wesel, Sennelager, Klingelputz, Ruhleben
Talbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons
But if the pro-Germans, now chuckling merrily and rubbing their hands
with childish delight, considered their release to be imminent they
received a very rude awakening. The German authorities are not readily
gulled. To them a pro-German is every whit as dangerous as an avowed
enemy. They merely marched these traitors to another part of the camp
where they were forced to re-establish themselves in their own isolated
barrack quarters. They received no improvement in treatment or food. The
only difference between the two divisions of what is now described as
the "split camp" is that whereas the true Britishers are free to sing
"Rule, Britannia," "God Save the King," and other patriotic songs, the
traitors have to while away their time singing "Die Wacht am Rhein,"
"Deutschland Uber Alles," and other German jingo melodies.
The position of the traitors became aggravated a little later, when they
learned that the German authorities were quite ready to release them
upon one simple condition--that they joined the German Army! I am
ashamed to say that some of them even took advantage of this infamous
avenue of escape. But the majority, after their dropped jaws and long
faces resumed their normal positions, thought they might just as well
change their national coat once more.
Some of these scoundrels, after openly enlisting under the German
banner, did not disavow their pension but coolly continued to draw the
five shillings per week. Moreover, in one instance at least, one of
these scapegoats after declaring his pro-German proclivities was enabled
to return to England as an exchanged prisoner. I could reveal
unpalatable truths concerning the laxity of our authorities in dealing
with the exchange of prisoners, but the moment is not opportune.
One day one of these renegades came to my booth to have some engraving
carried out. He asked me a price and I quoted half a crown. To my
surprise he urged me to make it five shillings. Somewhat astonished I
suggested that the work was not worth five shillings and that my
estimate was perfectly fair.
"Oh, it doesn't matter," he replied, laughing gaily. "I draw five
shillings from the British Prisoners' Relief Fund, which I never spend
because I don't want it, and one week's draw might just as well pay for
this job!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account