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[Page 71]
tattered and torn. Obviously many have not washed for months. It is awful to watch these unfortunate men. They eat anything they can manage to get hold of. I watched one man take 2 lbs of tinned meat; 1 tin of jam; a loaf of bread and several packets of biscuits; he ate every morsel ravenously without stopping for a moment. "God! it is cruel and awful! The poor unfortunate fellows have been starved and ill-treated for months. They alone can realise the tortures they have had to endure. The Huns increase their miseries by making perpetual straffing raids. The slightest breach of discipline involves punishment in the straffe barracks, which means hard labour on black bread and water. Many men, I knew in my battalion, have arrived recently. They have recognised me, but I could not see any resemblance in them to the strong healthy men I knew in France. Towards the end of the month additional numbers arrived; others were despatched to commandos, although unfit for any kind of work. The Huns consider each prisoner an asset. Each prisoner is registered in a specified camps which is attached to a Hun divison and employed accordingly. For all money changed here the Hun camp money is substituted. This is valueless? It merely consists of tin tamped 'Kriegs-Gefangenen-Laager,Altdamn' and the amount ranging from 1 pfennig to 50 pfennig. We have the use of a Hun canteen, but food and drink of any sort are unprocurable. Cigars, cigarettes and ironmongery are purchaseable at exhorbitant prices. Eating utensils are not issued, consequently it is essential to purchase spoons, knives etc. from the Huns. The rate of pay varies according to the work, but never exceeds 1 mark daily and seldom more than 4d. Unemployed do not receive pay. Thousands are employed in chemical fabric manufactories. The work is very strenuous and extremely injurious to the health. The only means of escaping from these hellish places is to contract illness or to strike a civilian or postern. The defaulter is promptly returned to the laager to await court-martial. Many men have punched civilians and posterns to escape from the chemical fabric works. Several Tommies are here now, awaiting trial, but they are prepared to be straffed, in preference to working in these places.