Leslie Harold Barry 'Memoirs of my experiences in Germany', November 1916-January 1918 - Page 36

[Page 36]

morning and then we laid down in a ditch amongst some winter- stricken trees. We slept for a few hours in the snow and then, as cigarettes had run out, took turns at the " one and only pipe in our possession.     At about 3 o'clock some old civilian, gathering firewood, walked on top of us and got into conversation with us, he was well on in years and complained about the hard times ~ what with the scarcity of food and having to pay the equivalent to 18/for a cotton shirt, 10/- for a pair of thin socks, 30/- for a pair of wooden soled boots etc.
We gave him our sympathy, said good-day to him, and walked off out of sight where we concealed ourselves in another hole amongst some bare trees.
          Being open country all around us we were unable to "beat it" as we would be seen no matter in what direction we made off - so we were compelled to lie where we were on the offchance that if an alarm was given and an armed party came looking for us, they could only find us by walking on top of us.
          An hour passed without interruption and we were beginning to think that our position was safe, when two armed soldiers charged in on our position - taking us in the front and rear, and were prisoners again after some twenty hours of liberty.