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[Page 50]
Work was pushed through so quickly than in the 12 months between February 1916-17 more progress had been made than in the previous 5 years. Early in 1917 the average traffic was 8 trains per day carrying munitions to the different fighting fronts. This 12 miles of narrow gage in the mts. has been changed to the broad gauge about six weeks before the Armistice was signed.
Gerneally speaking for the 1st six months Feb.-July of this work say up to time of my first attempted escape Augt. 1916 the German Company treated the prisoners fairly well, because food was cheap and the supply adequate. But when the number of prisoners increased, food became scarce and the sick became more numerous. Then conditions altered, and we suffered accordingly, being animals of burden only. The works on the narrow gage were very self-contained and complete cement works; a power station with four machines; large air drills etc. When Bulgaria came in against us vast quantities of material were easily obtained from Germany through Bulgaria.
As the different batches of Prisoners came to Belededik they were given jobs according to their previous occupation as far as possible, wood-getting, loading the wagons, navvying, wheeling heavy loads of stone, tunnelling etc. The work was very hard; the hours long. 10 per day: pay 1/4 to 2/-, huts only were supplied. Food had to be purchased out of the pay received.
When things got going properly the prisoners were shifted divided into 3 shifts so that the work never stopped. Their chief duties being making the light gauge, handling munitions etc., during the day time and during the night making preparations to alter the Railway to the broad gage. Many prisoners especially the weak and wounded preferred the night shift in the tunnels because there were no fleas and they escaped the intense heat
[Side note says: leave this in.]
During my first stay here some British prisoners refused to work in the tunnels. They were sent to Bazanti (Bazardjik?) 5 miles away to "hard labour" on the military road there. It was a punishment camp where the work was extremely hard and hours alarming. They had very little sleep and were forced to live with Turks who made life so wretched that quite a number died. One of my ship-mates "Williams" a stoker on AE 2 succumbed to this refined cruelty.
I omitted to mention that at Belemadjik the Commandant was a Turkish Naval officer transferred from Apion Kauisshira. He had received his naval training under British Admirals and we no doubt profitted by this, for he treated us much better than many others. whilst we were hewers of wood and drawers of water in a foreign land.