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[Page 7]
7. Conditions improved after our late Commanders death, as we were taken over by a Turkish Captain who gave us much more freedom in return for the work we did. He used to allow us to bathe in the sea every night, and also to play football on Saturday's. One day he arranged a picnic and took us about four miles from the village by train to a very beautiful spot in the country; he had arranged sports including races, tugs-o-war, and a boxing tournament; he gave a small present to each of the winners. He provided us with a three course dinner at mid-day; the meal consisted of rice, and meat boiled together after which followed stewed cherries and more rice, and then some salad to finish with. We all had a certain amount of money each, and he allowed us to buy two bottles of beer each from a shop in the vicinity; he proved to be a very good Commander to us, but in return he nearly worked us to death. He had a great opinion of an Englishman's honor, and would never believe any tales that were told him by the sentries: but life under him was too good to last, and one morning we went on the parade grounds and found a new commander-Count Von Bennermann- this new Commander was also very good to us until his brother was killed fighting against British Troops in France; he then turned on us and every time he passed us he used to call us swinehunds "schweinhunds", dogs of Englanders, and other choice names.
At Christmas 1917 an English lady named Miss Whittaker provided all the prisoners with a Christmas Dinner; she came to see us herself on Christmas Eve and was smuggled in by Father Peter. Father Peter cooked the dinner for us, and invited two or three Turkish Officers, so that nothing would be said to the German Commander. The Commander went on leave to Germany early in the new year, and at that time Father Peter arranged a concert in the church and invited all the leading lights of the village. The Turkish Commander was, of course, invited, so he did not mind.
On the return of Count Von Bennermann our lives became a perfect misery; he used to put us in prison for