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[Page 22]
regards their interest in us, nothing was done, so that our conversation had to be carried on in whispers.
It would be impossible to describe our joy and feelings at being entertained in a comfortable drawing-room, and to enjoy women's company after the life of isolation and discomfort we had led for some months.
We had some trouble in making ourselves understood at first, but later on our "Platt Deutches" became more easy, but we were never "stuck" for when we did get a trifle mixed we always had the interpreter, who spoke the language like a native, to help us out of difficulties.
Before leaving we were given supper consisting of biscuits and fruit, though the supply was somewhat limited.
The kindness of these women touched us deeply. In conversation they told us of the hard conditions as regards living that they had to contend with, how very often meat supplies were unobtainable even with the Government coupon tickets, the high prices that had to be paid for such luxuries as tea, coffee, cocoa and butter which used to be smuggled in through Holland. The lot of the women, children and old people was very hard during the blockade, and it is said that had the German doctors had their way peace would have come much earlier.
Saying "good-bye" to our friends at about half past four in the morning we would reluctantly make our way back to the barrack, getting back the way we got out, and we would manage to get in about an hour's sleep before being called.
One of our biggest troubles in the way of our escape was the getting ready of our civilian clothes for the journey. These had to be made out of our prison clothes and it was only during a few hours of night that we could do the work without fear of being disturbed*
Our visits to "yonder flat" were now more frequent being two or three nights a week, and our progress in the "romancing direction" was by no means backward. The ladies were particularly fond of our English cigarettes and had cultivated a taste before the war for "tea". Occasionally a bottle of choice wine would be awaiting us and we now always had tea with fresh goat's milk served with our supper. The fresh milk was a rare treat to us as it was the only xpilk, other than condensed, I had tasted in my sixteen months "sojourn" in Germany,
Thanks to our friends we were given instructions as