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[Page 15]
was Mortague, a village not far from St Amand, and on our arrival we were taken to a building right in the centre of the village, the front portion was one time used as a shop, and we passed through a passage to the rear of the building and entered a very large room, which, by the posters decorating the wall, was apparently once used by the French for amusements. This compartment was to be our barracks, and on going to the further end of the room, I came on a staircase leading to a large room, and off this room was a smaller one, with a door in front of the stairs leading into a small yard about 30 feet long, 15 feet wide.
Some of us were asked to go with the guard about 5five minutes walk to an old pottery and collect a few bales of shavings; another party was sent to another house to get a copper to cook our soups in, and the people occupying this house turned out to be the Mayor and his wife and children. One of the girls who was very much interested in us, brought us a biscuit each and the Mayor's wife gave me a drink of milk just when my guard was busy. Anarrangement argument ensued between the Mayor and the guard, who apparently had no right to come and demand a copper; the Mayor seemed to be very excited, and in the end I saw he did not mind the Englishmen having the use of it, because when the Germans got hold of anything they never returned it again.
On our arrival at the barrack we were allowed to rest one day, but the day following had to go out to walkwork from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and at night had to lie down on our bit of shavings to sleep without blankets, and for weeks no proper covering was given, except what