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[Page 52]
we had jumped the train, so I decided to stick to them until we saw them safely at the hospital. On arrival at Aachen the Belgian had to go with the wounded in company of one guard, while I went with the other guard to arrange the rooms at the hotel. Here I waited for him to come until 2 a.m. and came to the conclusion that he had failed me at the last moment. At 7 a.m. a runner came from the hospital to the hotel with a note to the guard in charge of me to bring me straight back to the hospital.
I was taken before the head doctor, who said, I was forbidden to remain in the town of Aachen, and I must stay in the hospital until it was time for me to go back to the camp, and then ordered me to go to my room on the top floor. On the staircase I met the Belgian who informed me it was impossible to join me at the hotel as they would not hear of it. I then told him we must try and get out of this place. It looked almost impossible as there were guards on every landing, at the front door of the hospital and in the yard in the rear. Hearing there were some English officers waiting to pass the Commission I thought I might get some news from them about the frontier, and after listening to what I intended doing, they wished me luck, being unable to give me the information I wanted. I decided to try and bribe the corporal of the guard by offering him a tin of dripping and a packet of biscuits, if he would allow the Belgian and myself out into the town for a few hours to visit some Belgian friends, and he agreed to let us out about 8 p.m. but just as it was nearing the time for us to go two German Sanitators