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[Page 31]
27.11.18
Met 2 privates who returned yesterday after being prisnors of war at Constantinople for 3 years since the Dardanelles campaigne. They said 600 prisnors were housed in a small 3 story building with a court yard only 200 feet square just standing room. The food was awful & had it not been for the foodstuffs from friends & the British government Distributed they would have all starved. 300 out of the 600 died during the 1st 12 months, they had to break stones from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily & during their 1st twelve months they were treated shamefully. Some were flogged brutally & struck with canes on their feet until the skin came off & the worst time was when & after the Turks or Huns had a fair success at the various fronts, clothed in rags during the best part of their imprisonment. Did not receive any letters from their relatives for the whole term. The Turkish officials told them some horrible lies re the Allied forces. Such as the Allied Navy had been wiped out & that no merchant ships sailed on any seas. Some times they were forced to believe in their despair.
28.11.18
General Allanby is going to visit Alexandria next Monday & Tuesday & a great display & reception will be held. Conformed news today re the Allied Navy through the Dardanelles & Bosphoros & into the Black Sea. The Forts in Turkey are all practically taken over by the Allies & of the British warships approaching Kiel Cannel. Alexandria harbor full of Allied destroyers & sloops ready at a minute's notice