The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-20

rather have been fighting for America
than against her.
] found that most Of the prisoners
remained at Courtrai only two or
three days. From there they. were In
variably taken to prisons in the inte-
rior of Germany.
Whether 1t was because I was an
American or because Twas a flyer, I
don't know. but this rule was not fol-
lowed in my case. I remained there
two weeks.
During this period Courtrai was con-
stantly bombed by our airmen. Not a
single day or night passed without one
or more air raids. In the two weeks
I was there counted p of them. The
town suffered a great deal Of damage.
Evidently our people were aware that
the Germans lad lot of troops con-
centrated in this town and besides the
headquarters sta was stationed there.
The kaiser hims,'f visited CourtraI
while was In the -ison, was told bN
one OF the interpre .ers. but he didn't
call on me, and for obvious reasons I
couldn't call on him.
The courtyard was not a very popu-
lar place during air raids. Several
times when our airmen raided that
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 high
in the sky as possible, and shells were
~ - Cell H.. = 1rfo u
moment. OF course I watched these
battles at my own risk. Many nights
from my prison window watched
with peculiar interest the air raids
carried on, and 1t was a wonderful
sight with the German searchlights
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 realized
that perhaps the very next minute a
bomb might be dropped on the building
in which was prisoner. But per-
haps all of this was better than no
excitement at all, for prison life soon
became very monotonous.
One Of the hardest things had to
endure throughout the two weeks I
spent there was the sight of the Hun
machines flying over Courtrai, know
ing that perhaps ] 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
I 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, for
my special discomfort and benefit, it
seemed, as If he knew an airman i'm
prisoned there was vainly longing to
try his wings again over their lines.
But used to console myself by say
ing: "Never mind, old boy, there was
never a bird whose wings could not
be clipped If 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 num-
Der of German officers came into my
room, and they all seemed very much
frightened. I jokingly. remarked that
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. They
didn't seem to appreciate the joke.
however. and, indeed, they were ap-
parently too much alarmed at what
was going on overhead to laugh even
at their own jokes. Although these
night raids seem to take all the starch
out Of the Germans while they are
going on. the officers were usually as
brave. as lions the next day and spoke
contemptuously Of the raid Of the
night before.
saw. thousands Of soldiers In Cour-
trai, and although they did not Inn
press me as having very good or abun-
dant food, they were fairly well
clothed. I do not mean to imply that
conditions pointed to an early end Of
the war. On the contrary. from what
I, was able to observe on that point,
unless the Huns have an absolute crop