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
"So I'm going to be shot in the morning," I ventured, in the hope of
drawing some comment.
"Ach! What? Lie down and keep quiet!" was his stolid retort.
"Look here! I want to write to my wife. Can you get me a pencil and a
sheet of paper?"
"Impossible!"
"But I must write. She does not know where I am, and she will not know
what has become of me!"
[*large gap]
German military prisons hold their secrets tightly.
But the time crept on and no guard appeared as I had been dreading. My
drooping spirits revived because the hour of the day when prisoners were
customarily shot had passed. When I went out into the yard on the
Tuesday morning I chanced to meet the two Hindoos who had been arrested
with me. Then I realised that they were two out of the three remaining
spies. I was the third. They were in high spirits. When the guard was
not looking they told me they had been acquitted of the espionage
charge, and expected soon to be taken as far as the frontier to be
released.
I was the only one left, and I had not been told the result of my trial.
Yet these two Hindoo students who also had been before the Court on the
Wednesday had learned the verdict in their cases. But I had been denied
all communication. I regained my cell in a kind of stupor. To me it
seemed that all was lost, and I fell into the depths of despair. When
the friendly M---- came with my breakfast I pestered him with
questions.
"Has the court been sitting?"
"Yes, all day Monday and all last night."
"Have you heard the result of my trial?"
"No."
"But the two Hindoos have been acquitted. Have I?"
"I cannot say," he replied sullenly.
The manner in which he avoided my eager look served to confirm my worst
fears. I strove hard to draw something further from him, but he briefly
remarked that he was forbidden to speak to prisoners.
I scarcely knew what to think. To me it was extraordinarily strange that
the two Hindoos should have heard of their acquittal and yet no one
seemed to know anything about my case. No! There was only one
construction to be placed upon the situation. The Court had gone against
me. My thoughts throughout that day were most unenviable. I fretted and
fumed, wondering when it would all be over. My nerves started to twitch
and jump, and within a short while I could not keep a limb still. The
fearful suspense was certainly driving me mad.
Later in the day an escort arrived, and to my surprise and intense
relief the officer informed me that I was not going to be shot. I took
this for an acquittal, but I was speedily disillusioned. I was taken to
the office of the Commandant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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