Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 52]
owner of a large laundry, in which with the help of his wife and six daughters and numerous employees, he was making a comfortable living. The Huns commandeered all his brass and copper utensils at their own price - a mere song- he was [indecipherable] compelled to accept their terms, about one tenth of that for which he had bought the goods. He told us that conditions in Belgium were appalling and said that hundreds were daily dying of malaises brought on by privations. In course of time he and his family became separated, and after trying to find them for six months, he determined to get through to Holland, where at least he could get good and sufficient food. He was cutting timber for his living, the work was blistering his hands terribly, but this was only a minor trouble, his greatest and hourly anxiety was for his people, of which he could get no tidings whatever, not knowing in what country they might be, or whether dead or alive.
As soon as he commenced talking with us his mates formed and audience a ring around us, and[indecipherable] he had to act as Interpreter and translate our news to his mates, who included both of us in every round of drinks – Geneva Wine – and good, which soon had us feeling bright and at home with all the world although there was only one other present Jimmy my mate could hold any conversation at all that did not matter. We were free.
While sitting there, waiting for the Proprietor to bring his friend along, eating our breakfast of white sweet bread and butter, and two fresh boiled eggs, our thoughts flew back to our mates we had left four days ago, and we wondered if they had finished their breakfast or if they had enjoyed it as much as we were doing. Sunday morning breakfast is a great event in a prisoner's life, as he generally reserves his cooking of tasty dishes until then, as he has more time at his disposal to prepare it, and more time to linger over it when it has been cooked. Thanks to our invaluable parcels Sunday breakfast or generally included dinner as well was made delicious to our stomachs that craved meat and sweets.
I then asked our friendly Belgian what was the best course for me to follow. He asked "If I had enough money to reach Rotterdam?" Of course, I had not, he then advised that we should go to the next large town, giving us the address of an hotel owned, and run by an Englishman, where he said we would be given a good time free of cost, and who would advise us further as to what was best for us todo. On reaching the ra ilway our Belgian friend bought us our tickets, as the Railway official would not take German money. He bought them for us with currency money, and I gave him the equivalent in German coin, which he exchanged at a profit, as the values fell. There is great traffic in German money, as the value rises and falls. German paper money when we entered Holland was 50% below pre war rates, but while were there, and after the Russian collapse their money went up to the usual rates. We could not find our English hotel, so we deemed it best to report to Police Superintendent, which we did at dinner time. In the examination room, were a number of German kiddies, who had been caught with a load of goods, trying to get them home over the Frontier in order to celebrate as good a Xmas feast as possible. The Dutch police emptied out their packs in separate heaps on to the floor, soap, cocoa, chocolate and butter. On our entry the admitting Officer asked, "Who are you?" I replied, "Britishers" He then spoke in perfect English, asking what we intended to do, whether to work