The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-09-28

section in the day time went out and
watched the machines and the shrap-
mel bursting all around; but the Ger
mans did not crowd out there, for their
own antiaircraft guns were hammer
ing away to keep our planes as hlgn
in the sky as possible, and shells were
likely to fall in the prison yard any
moment. OF course l watched these
battles at my own risk. Many nights
from my prison window l watched
with peculiar interest the air raids
carried on, and 1t was a wonderful
sight with the German searchights
playing on the sky, the flaming on
ions" fired high and the burst OF the
antiaircraft guns, but rather an I'M
comfortable sensation when l realized
that perhaps the very next minute
bomb might be dropped on the building
in which I was a prisoner. But per-
hans all of this was better than no
excitement at all, for prison lie soon
became very mOnotonouS.
One of the hardest things l mad TO
endure throughout the two weeks L
spent there was the sight of the Hun
machines flying over COurtrai, know
ing that perhaps l never would have
another chance to fly, and used TO SIT
| by the hour watching the German ma
| chimes maneuvering over the prison.
| as they had an airdrome not far away
and every afternoon the students-or
| l took them for students because their
flying was very pOor-appeared over
the town. One certain Hun seemed to
| find particular satisfaction In flying
right down over the prison nightly, TOT
my special discomfort and benefit, II
seemed, as If he knew an airman I'M
| prisoned there was vainly longing TO
| try his wings again over their lines
But I used to console myself by say
ing: "Never mind, old boy, there was
never a bird whose wings could not
be clipped II they get him just right
and your turn will come some day.
One night there was an exception
ally heavy air raid going on. A mum
Der of German officers came Into my
room. and they all seemed very much
frightened. jokingly remarked thai
1t would be fine If our airmen hit the
old prison-the percentage would be
very satisfactory-one English Officer
and about ten German ones. The!
didn't seem to appreciate the joke
however. and, indeed, they were ap
parently too much alarmed at wha
was going on overhead to laugh ever
at their own jokes. Although thes'
night raids seem to take all the starci
out Of the Germans while they ar
going on, the officers were usually a
brave as lions the next day and spok
i. contemporary Of the raid Of tn
night before.
saw thousands Of soldiers In COul
trai, and although they did not i'm
press me as having very good or abur
,, dant food, they were fairly we
: clothed. I do not mean to imply tina
conditions pointed to an early end G
= the war. On the contrary, from wha
I was able to observe on that poin
= unless the Huns have an absolute Gro
failure they can, In my opinion, go
= for years! The idea Of our being abb
to win the war by starving them OF
strikes me as ridiculous. This Ia
. war that must be won by fighting, an
the sooner we realize that fact Il
sooner it will be over.
. Rising hour In the prison was seve
D o'clock. Breakfast came at eight. TIL
consisted of a cup of coffee and not
&c ing else. II the prisoner had the for
Il sight to save some bread from the pr
j vious day, he had bread for breakfa
: also, but that never happened In n
:. case. Sometimes we had two cups
~ coffee. that Is, near-coffee.
. For lunch they gave US boiled sug
beets or some other vegetable. al
once in a while some kind Of pickl
meat, but that happened very seldol
We also received a third Of Loaf
~ bread-war bread. This war bre'
y was as heavy as a brick, black al
:, sour. It was supposed to last US fre
= noon one day to noon the next. /
. cept for some soup, this was the who
Il
e. Dinner came at 5 80 p. m, when
~ sometimes had a little jam made Q
of sugar beets, and preparati
" called tea, which you had to shake v
orously or it settled in the bottom
- the cup, and then about all you d
ne was hot water. This ''tea" was a
Oh blow to the Englishmen. If. 1t had
IL been called tea they wouldn't have +
~ so badly about it, perhaps, but 1t
adding insult to injury to call Il
no stuff "tea," which with them is aim
OF a national institution.
en- Sometimes with this meal they gs
ad us butter instead Of jam, and once
til a while we had some kind Of cant
ed meat.
en- This comprised the usual run Of G
ms ables for the day. can eat more IL
If that for breakfast! In the days t
ch were to come I learned that was
lea fare considerably worse.
We were allowed to send out
ers buy q few things, but as most of
or prisoners were without funds this
In but an empty privilege. Once / t
te- advantage Of the privilege to send
shoes to a Belgian shoemaker to
III Oh