Leslie Harold Barry 'Memoirs of my experiences in Germany', November 1916-January 1918 - Page 31

[Page 31]

unsuccessful attempts he had been working in a Salt Mine in Hanover, where floggings were daily occurrences. We were also told by eye witnesses of a certain Englishman who had I been released with a number of other Englishmen from the fortress at Cologne and sent on a working command where he refused to work and was deliberately shot in cold blood. Another hun atrocity was the shooting of an Englishman for refusing to draw the morning's coffee, which, when parcels I were on hand, we Englishmen never touched. This incident occurred at Sene Lager.
      English food used to be smuggled in through a crack in the door whenever a sentry was on duty who wouldn't take a bribe of a bit of soap, a few cigarettes or biscuits. One amusing incident while here was when the hinges of the door to the cellar (which happened to be inwards) were removed and we used to take it in turns to visit the English Barrack for food and cigarettes. We used to be counted when the guard relieved one another and they could never understand how there would be two or three short or extra in our numbers.
      While waiting in this reception room we used to be often rushed out into the passage and our quarters searched for food or cigarettes. One night we were unceremoniously bustled out into the passage about 11,30, at night, for the special benefit of a drunken prussian Sergeant Major, and as we three Colonials and a regular English Army man were not quick enough about it, we were kicked and punched, and the guards were told to use their bayonets on "we swinerein Englanders".
      After four or five days in this reception room we were taken before the camp commandant to be tried. We were asked a ridiculous question "Why did you attempt to escape?", To this question we replied "Because it was our duty" for we had been put "wise" by the other prisoners that any other answer was unsatisfactory, in as much that had be said we were dissatisfied by the German treatment - our sentence would be heavier,
      We found out at the trial - indirectly of course - that Charles and his companions had reached Holland alright. We were sentenced to fourteen days solitary confinement after waiting just on four weeks to be tried.
      Next day we commenced our "stretch in the small cells", mine was 5' by 6' and fitted with a wooden stretcher. You did your time in this manner - the first day- daylight, bread, and soup for two other meals with a mattress and blankets for the night. The three following days - bread and water and complete darkness and just blankets and the hard boards to sleep on. Here again if it hadn't been for the English food that was