The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-25

tenLeQ anu muIlnOuS SOluleFS Y
Pirthshire, Scotland.
I have always known the German
officer as bully. and suspected him
as being a coward, but it was not I'M
til that October night in the Mum
ster camp that I had convincing
proof of what I suspected. Then I
saw the Hun officers come to US with
tears in their eyes and fear in their
hearts to beg US to help them to mas
ter the flames and save them from
the vengeance of their own men.
After I was captured east of Ypres,
1 was taken with some wounded Ger
man, French and Belgian soldiers,
and after about four days travelling
by slow train we arrived at Munster
camp. There I spent over four
ago.
There was one officer in particular
who did his best to make our lives
unbearable. He was in the habit of
walking around to watch the men at
work, and if he was not satisfied with
the way a particular man was work.
! ing he had him taken away for pun
ishment. I have seen this particular
officer strike him with the flat of his
sword because they ventured to dis
pute his assertion that they were not
working. This officer was the direct
cause of the fire.
Huns Plead for Help
It was on the night of October 9Th
and It'll that the conflagration took
place. Lights had been put out, and
all was quiet Suddenly we were dis
turbed by rumbling sound as of dis
tant thunder. Then all was still for
a few seconds. Later came the sound
of hurrying feet outside, and the ham
mering of fists on the door of our
hut. I flung the door open, and
there fell in a heap on the floor
the Prussian officer of whom I have
spoken. Behind him came two others.
All three were white as sheets and
looked terrified. They started to beg
US to help them, and the bullys ap-
peals were he loudest of all.
He was almost sobbing while he
was begging the brave Highlanders to
come to the assistance of the German
officers. I told him to ull himself
together and tell us what was the
mater before we did anything. He
pointed outside, and when we got
there we saw a great red glare rising
up to the sky in the direction of the
huts where the French prisoners were
stationed. We could see that the
buildings were well alight, and that
the flames were travelling quickly
upwards toward US. In the light OF
the burning huts we could see dark
figures moving about, and we could
hear thes harp rattle of musketry
Then we knew that we were not only
in the presence of a serious fire, but
of a mutiny.
| 1 asked the German officer what
had happened. He refused to tell me
but repeated his appeal to us for as.
sistance. He offered to find us arms
and lead us over to where the fire
was. I asked him why we needed
arms and then he admitted that the
men in charge of the camp had mu
tinted, shot some of their officers, ant
set part of the buildings on fire.
Fighting the Flames
We set to work fighting the flames
and after about four hours of stead!
going we checked the fire and en-
abled all the prisoners to get clear. II
the camp at that time there were
about 500 British prisoners. The!
were mainly drawn from Scotch anC
Lancashire regiments.
When we were hard at work ;
number of the German soldiers cam,
on the scene. They were mad drunk
and shooting right and left. w
thought they meant to murder us, blu
they stopped shooting when they go
up to US. They told us they didn'
want to harm US, but they meant tt
have 1t out with their own officers
They particularly wanted the bullyin!
chap have spoken of, and they go
him. He came running to beg us t,
protect him from his men, but it wa
/, no affair of ours. We went on will
the work of getting our men clear o
the burning buildings, and left tn
German officers to look after them
: selves. The one they wanted so badl
! was shot dead, and his body was flun
into the flames. The other two wer
taken under escort to be held as host
ages.
MutineerS Shot Down
F Just then very heavy firing brok
out in the part of the camp where W
had first seen the fire, and shortl
/ afterwards a number of German sol
: diers came running across the pa
rade ground, followed by other troop:
: who appeared to be well discipline
r and acting under the orders of offic
r ers. They were firing steadily, an
3 we could see some of the fugitive
D fall at every volley.
: 1t appeared that the alarm ha
been given. and that the troops wer
. now marching on the camp from dit
B ferent directions. No mercy was be
: ing shown to the mutineers. The
3 were being shot down wherever the
D appeared with arms in their hand
: The mutineers put up a good figh
but they were hopelessly outnumbeI
i ed Four of them sought shelter, wit
: u.s. They were promptly dragged on
q and shot on the parade ground. Al
|. ter that the mutineers threw dow
J, their arms and fled in different d
Q rections. They were pressed hard b
q the loyal troops, and shortly after
wards the whole of the trouble we
o over.
Il The men taking part in the muffin
lbelonged to the 143d BaYarian Infa1