The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards FellowshipPicton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
History
The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship
Picton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals, charities, etc.; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
From the same paper of April 11, 1918, I take the story told by a naval
prisoner exchanged through Switzerland:
The sailor had one eye blown out and the other temporarily
damaged by a shell in a concentrated fire which sank his
destroyer in the battle of Jutland. He was picked up by an
already overcrowded British boat after swimming about for an
hour almost blind. Then a German destroyer ran alongside and
took aboard the whole boatload.
The voice of an officer hailed from the deck: “Don’t forget the
British way, lads, wounded first.” “He spoke such good English
that I took him for a Scottie,” said my informant, “and I
thought it was a British destroyer that had picked us up. I was
hauled aboard, and I saw him look at my face and turn away.
‘What’s the matter, Jock?’ I said. ‘I’m not a Jock,’ says he,
‘I’m one of the Huns.’ ‘What, ain’t this a British ship?’ says
I. ‘Throw me back into the sea, and let me take the chance of
being picked up by one of ours.’ ‘It can’t be done, sonny,’ he
says. ‘You’ve got to go to Germany. But you’ll be exchanged all
right. You’re disabled.’ It seems he had a relative in London,
and knew England well. All the time British ships were chasing
us and shelling us; and he hung a lifebelt near me, and said:
‘If the British Fleet sink us that will give you a bit of a
chance yet.’”
The following is from _Lloyd’s News_, May 12, 1918, under the heading of
“Back from the dead”:
Three years ago a Twickenham resident, Mrs. Maunders, received
official news from the War Office that her husband, one of “The
Old Contemptibles,” had been killed in action.
Thrown on her own resources, and having a small family to keep,
she struggled on, and a very good offer of marriage came along
and was accepted. A few days before the wedding a letter came
from the supposed dead husband, stating that he was badly
wounded and left for dead on the battlefield, but was found by
the enemy and nursed back to health.
The following is from a private letter: “I am happy to be able to tell
you that through the German Flying Corps dropping a message, we heard of
[my son’s] safety early in July. He writes to us and appears to be well
and comfortable.... He was shot through the neck. He has happily quite
recovered after being about four weeks in hospital. He has spoken only
of kindness and attention from doctors and nurses.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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