Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 147
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[Page 147]
One fellow in particular attracted my attention on account of his size. He must have been about six feet six inches in height and broad in proportion, and he strutted about with his legs stiff in the true goose-step style and whenever he stopped he clicked his heels together; with the click being distinctly audible to us at twenty paces distance. He had his hands in his pockets and was only mooching along but evidently could not get out of this step which I suppose had been drummed into him for years. He wore top boots and a Captain Kettle beard whereas the other Germans wore putties and had their chins shaven. This led me to suppose that he was one of the true Prussians, probably belonging to the Prussian Guard. Most of the prisoners were clad in loose grey clothes with a large blue circular patch in the middle of the back of their coats.
Fifty men out of our Battalion were posted as a Zepp picket every night and in case of Zepplins being reported in the neighbourhood it is their business to surround the German concentration camp and pour lead into the Germans on the first sign of hostilities on their part, either by signalling to the Zepps or otherwise. As they are each issued with 20 rounds of ball cartridge there would be some havoc done. I think a similar picket comes from each of the other three Battalions in the Brigade.