The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
CRAWL TO FREEDOM
FROM GERMAN CAMP
Two British Prisoners of War
Cat Barbcd Wires and
Flee at Night.
Spcc,al Correspondence 10 Tue srv.

~ ~ ~
LoNpoN, oct, An interesting ac-
count @ the escape from Germany Of
two prisoners OF war, one Il sergeant and
N" other a private OF a British light in
'Antry regiment, has just come To light
through the audience granted by the
Kin ~ buckingham Palace to Sergeant
Birlry and Private Haworth.
kinS George personally questioned the
two soldiers at great le' 9Th regarding
their escape. TIL story told by Ser
Icant l'irley WAS particularly inter-
csting:
ut took US just four days and five
nights TO get free OF German sOi! after
We had once broken out OF our prison at
Nestphalia,' the sergeant said. Il went
to the front with my regiment. the First
Gloucesters, as soon as the war broke
out, and was captured on October ~.
1914, near Yprcs. on the WAY 20 the
prison camp N W~estphal.a Wa were
pretty roughly treated. one night nf,y-
three Of us were locked In a church and
had nothing To eat for more than
t"entN-f"ur hours. Al last they empticd
II basket of mouldy bread onto the floor
and lCft Us a bucket ~ water. During
the train journey tfty-three Of us were
cramined in'n a closed railway van for
Hfty-s!N hours, Only once were We al
lowed 10 get out, and that for "A few
minutes. For food we had some scraps
OF bread.
AT tho camp | made several plans
FOR escaping. but never got a favorable
opportunity. I manage to get myself
transferred TO another camp and there
began TO make my plans which have
succeeded SO well.
vt was not an easy matter. The
camp was, of course. SURROUNDED bv high
harbed wire fencing. on each Of it's
-FOUR fronts "A sentry was posted and
az night four powerful acetylene lamps
lighted NJ the whole OF the camp.
THE great night came. We waited
III one of the scntrivs had his back
turned and then wrigeled on our stom-
achs To the fencing. | then managed
10 sever one strand of the fence and.
To my mind, the tang of il made the
greatest noise I've ever heard. But the
sentry walked Oh, With beating heart
! snapped the second strand. That
made an awful noise. Still the sentry
walked on, Then We crtwicd out. free
men, ! am glad we outwitt,d tina, s,u-
try, as he had caused MS a lot of trouble.
w had to crawl for loo Yards he
for" We could get Any sort Of shelter.
and h We moved away as quickly
as We could In the circumstances Dur
ing the night n compass which had
was a real friend,
THE only food We had was \ few bis
cults and a little chocolate. W-hcn,yrr
We came near a farm the watch dogs
harked In the nights that followed tho
dogs always smclt Us when we were
stealing apples in IN" orchards. Er
three days We lad 10 other 70 4 hut
apples.
"lt wasn't safc to travel by day. Al
though we had plenty ~ tobacco. | had
aid II down that there was TO l., no
smoking day or nigh, until We were
out OF the country The smell of English
tobacco might easily put an inquisitiye
German on our track.
when We actually crossed the from
tier into Holland We were in Il pretty
bad condition, so crampcd with sleep
Ing out In the wet and our feet swollen
and bleeding We could hardly stand.
The first Dutch farmhouse was Q
godsend,"