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[Page 69]
been for the good work of the American Ambassador, none would have reached us. The few they were forced to disgorge made us very suspicious as to the fate of others we didn't get. When we were allowed into the town to buy a few things we naturally kept our eyes opned and one of our chaps saw a packet of smokes sent from his Mother, up for sale in a shop. It was little use reporting the matter to the Turkish Commandant. It only initiated him and he "got one back on us" by enforcing the strictest discipline.
Conditions became very bad. Floggings for the most trivial offences were daily happenings and many men suffered even to unconscieuosness to satisfy his his revenge for our complaints. He and other senior Turkish officers would send for the youngest prisoners to have secret and private interviews with him on the excuse of cross questioning them for some trivial cause and when alone and quite at his mercy his conduct and morality was so bestial and unnatural that at length a revolt throughout the camp seemed imminent. The evils of Sodom and Gomorrah found very apt pupils amongst these Turkish officers and especially the O.C. The English Officers tried to get complaints to the American Ambassador at Constantinople but for a long while this rotter was successful in defeating all such efforts. The climax was reached when he had suspicions,only; no actual proof that three of our officers were planning to escape. Lieut. Haggard of the AE 2 was one he suspected. He never questioned the officers themselves to give them a chance of proving his suspicions true or false but without trial he sentenced them to nine months close confinement in a building which was very strictly guarded and cut them off from all outside communication. During this harsh treatment they were allowed 1 hours exercise per 24 hours under guard, also their one English orderly. Finally news of his conduct did leak out and a Board of Enquiry consisting of only Turkish Officers took place and he was quietly removed from this area but whether he was punished or not we could not find out. The new Commandant was more humane and British in his treatment of us. I have since heard that he was hanged at Constantinople.
Bore On the 21st March 1917 the 1st batch of 100 prisoners- Russians, French, English, was dispatched to "haven of rest". This camp was 3 9 miles from Nigdeh which is the nearest big town and the military centre of that district. Bore is on the main military Road to Sivas (on the Russian Front). This Road was built by Germans for conveyance of munitions v. the Russians. Position on plain- 2000feet up. Population, 7,800 chiefly Greeks & Armenians Industry (see photo) - farming, and also a lot of wine made, fruit growing etc. The conditions here were very good whilst there for six months I was quartered in a Greek College quite free from vermin and we enjoyed the luxury of plenty of baths, and had good water from a creek near by for washing