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[Page 68]
It was truly pathetic to see brave chaps, in this and other places, where typhus raged, hand over their keepsakes to pals when they felt themselves "going off a bit", before they were left to the tender mercies of their guards whom they knew had no bonds bowels of compassion for helpless men. In no case did any prisoner hear of any Court of Enquiry or investigations being made by the medical authorities as to the fate of those who thus became separated from the protection of their fellow prisoners. They simply "passed out". In ordinary cases of typhus injections was customary but when the patient became delirious he naturally was quite helpless and didn't know what was being done to him.
The health and safety of the British- and in fact all prisoners- became more secure about the end of 1916, with the advent of a few British Doctors from general Townsend's force. They were stationed along the line where ever the English prisoners were and in spite of much opposition from the authorities, scarcity of material, medicines etc., they saved many lives and restored the courage and hope of the prisoners.
At Afion-Kara-hissar about 300 of General Townsends men were quartered in this area in an Armenian Church and School. Their officers had houses to live in. The owners of these houses had been taken away "somewhere", murdered, driven into the desert, and were numbered amongst the victims of the Armenian Atrocities, which have made the Turks infamously famous. These officers had to provide themselves with everything they needed except the houses to live in and it was a wonder they were not charged rent for these.
The men received two meals per diem of crushed wheat, mixed with olive oil, and one small loaf of bread.
The American ambassador gave the Officers all £12:0:0 per month and the men £2:0:0. This was very helpful but didn't go very far because the cost of living was as high as the Turks could make it, viz. butter £2:0:0 a lb., sugar 25/- eggs 6d each, scraggy meat 3/6 per lb. Tea couldn't be purchased, vegetables rather cheap except in Winter. However the allowance allowed the men to have one fair meal a day.
About this time some of the men were the thankful recipients of a few Red Cross parcels. This was the 1st occasion we had received any such articles about since the end of 1916 (nearly 2 years). No doubt many other parcels were sent regularly but the "infidels" profited thereby. The Turkish Commandant was the chief offender and gainer. I believe, had it not