Richardson war narrative, 1916-1918 / Leslie Duncan Richardson - Page 5

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[Page 5]

journey in six & a half hours. Leaving Pozanti that night we arrived at Afion Kara Hissar. This was a hugh [huge] concentration camp and before being admitted we were isolated in a house for 15 days, here I had the misfortune to contract Maleria Fever, owing chiefly to our house being ten feet from the ground, and having a stream of dirty water running underneath it. This is a common occurence in Turkish Towns, most of the lads contracted fever and one died.

Leaving this Hospital ten days later I found payment of money from Constantinople stopped, the Commandant of the Camp, appropriated it for his own use. However after bargaining he condescended to allow us 50 piastres (8/4) out of the pound sent. This commandant proved himself a theif and a scoundrel to the highest degree, parcels and money sent to prisoners were never allowed to pass him, and he frequently disposed of the contents in the town.

We frequently found articles with the soldiers names on in the town, we knew this was going on, but could do nothing to prevent it, several of the Prisoners were severely thrashed for drawing attention to this fact.

On October 1st 1916 one hundred prisoners including myself were removed to Angora, two days journey, were [where] we were accomodated in a filthy house, after being shaven from head to foot, and given a bath. However we were not allowed to stay here long, and were taken 20 miles out to lay a Railway line. Here my trouble began again, suffering from Maleria fever I was allowed to live in a tent four days before being removed to a Hospital from which Hospital I was discharged after fourteen days, suffering with Dysentry, but soon found myself back with both Maleria & dysentery. Christmas 1916 & New Year were bitterly cold, snow falling heavily, and here we suffered many hardships, we were billeted in small mud houses, no wood provided for

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