Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 286
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[Page 286]
The rain has been pouring down for the last three days but as our billets are dry it does not trouble us much. We are now in a nice little house which is surrounded by ruins but has remained intact. The floor is all tiled and makes a rather hard & cold couch with only one blanket underneath one. I have got over that difficulty by lifting one of the doors off the hinges and despite a couple of ridges it makes a fairly comfortable bed. I think I should lie awake all night if I had a soft mattress underneath me.
Two batches of German prisoners passed here yesterday. I suppose I had better not tell you how many. The majority of the first lot were mere youngsters most of them only eighteen or nineteen years of age. They looked pretty well fagged out and no wonder.
The second batch were much older men and looked as if they had been having a very rough time of it. There was one officer amongst them. He was rather a refined looking
individual and seemed to feel his position very keenly. He was shedding tears at one
portion of the journey. I think that once they get behind our lines and see the large numbers of men, all well-equipped and looking contented and well-fed, they begin to realise that the "fadder land" isn't having everything its own way, as their own papers would have them believe.
These prisoners are very fortunate for they will be well housed and fed and are now safe till the end of the war no matter what its duration may be. A few seemed to regard it in this light and were chatting and laughing amongst themselves. But the majority were looking very sorry for themselves.
Trusting all at home & next door are well
Your loving son
Eugene.