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[Page 28]
so we got behind this and hid and shivered until 4.30 a.m. What with the cold and the constant barking of a dog who had heard us, and most of all the adventure for freedom we had undertaken, was enough to keep nerves and imagination at very high tension.
We then got up and found to our dismay that we had lain in some white stuff that would not brush off, but this we did not trouble about, and told one another that it would give us the proper appearance of workmen. That trouble dispersed, we retraced our steps to the station, passing numerous solders and police. On arriving we found we had again missed the first train, but nothing daunted, my two cobbers waited outside the station, while I went in and procured the tickets. Of course I did not know which pigeon hole to go to, so went in behind an old chap and asked for my tickets, but the girl was quite affable to a seeming stranger, and directed me to the correct window where I purchased three 3rd class tickets to Munchengladback, a town about 30 miles across the River. I then went out and gave my cobbers their tickets and we walked through the turnstiles and presented our tickets to the guard to be punched, and strolled up on to our platform where we had another hour's wait. Whilst sitting there an officer came to me and asked what time the next train went. I told him I did not know, and referred him to a "Timetable" standing close by. I do not think it was the time of the train he wanted, but rather to know for himself who and what I might be.
At length a train pulled in and we got into it, although it did not go anywhere near the place for which we had booked, and in handing in our tickets, we did so by showing the date instead of the town. We were in a compartment to ourselves until the train pushed off, and then two others got in and passed the "time of day". We were not quite sure that we were in the correct train, especially when it took a turn northward, but that was done to get onto the bridge. It is impossible for me to try to explain the relief to our feelings, when looking through the carriage window we saw an iron structure rising on either side, and then on looking down saw the water of the River flowing beneath us. We could not help noticing how swiftly it was flowing, and the thought came that one could not stand much of a chance of swimming in the strong current. On reaching the other side of the bridge our hearts were again normal, in spite of having missed the two trains. It was now daylight, and people were gathering in large numbers, and oh!, irony of all ironies, who should get in at the next station but a sentry in charge of four Russian prisoners, with their "kessel" of soup for dinner with them. I think that they must have been taking food out to a larger party of which they formed a part. We had to appear as much at home as possible, but the thought "Oh", if only we had been working on the other side of this great barrier, the Rhine, as were the Russians, we should have been gone months before.
At the next stop our unfortunate fellow prisoners alighted and went to their work, without knowing who the three tired looking "civies" were who had travelled with them. We went on further and left our train at a small country station, [indecipherable] after 2 1/2 hours travelling, and passing the ticket collector safely, set out on our way to find a clump of timber in which to hide. There seemed to be no such hiding place in sight so walked on & on hoping that on reaching the summit of each rise, a sheltered wood would reveal itself to our ever anxious eyes.