Gilpin observer., 1918-07-25

section in the day time I 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
likely to fall in the prison yard any
moment. OF course 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 wonderful
sight with the German searchlights
playing on the sky, the Flaming on
ions" fred high and the burst of the
antiaircraft guns, but rather an un-
comfortable sensation when realized
that perhaps the very next minute a
bomb might be dropped on the building
In which was a 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 I had to
endure throughout the two weeks
spent there was the sight of the Hun
machines flying over Courtrai, know
ing that perhaps I 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
1 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 l 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. 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.
l saw thousands of soldiers in Cour-
trai, and although they did not i'm
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
was able to observe on that point,
unless the Huns have an absolute crop
failure they can, in my opinion, go on
for yearsl The idea Of our being able
to win the war by starving them out
strikes me as ridiculous. This is q
war that must be won by fighting, and
the sooner we realize that fact the
sooner 1t will be over.
Rising hour in the prison was seven
o'clock. Breakfast came at eight. This
consisted of cup of coffee and moth
ing else. If the prisoner had the fore
sight to save some bread from the pre-
vious day, he had bread for breakfast
also. but that never happened in my
case. Sometimes we had two cups of
coffee. that is, nearcoffee.
For lunch they gave US boiled sugar
beets or some other vegetable, and
once in a while some kind Of picked
meat, but that happened very seldom.
We also received third Of loaf Of
bread-war bread. This war bread
was as heavy as brick, black and
sour. 1t was supposed to last us from
noon one day to noon the next. Ex-
cept for some soup, this was the whole
lunch menu.
Dinner came at 8 80 p. M, when we
sometimes had a little jam made out
Of sugar beets, and a preparation
called tea, which you had to shake Wig
orously or 1t settled In the bottom of
the cup, and then about all you had
was hot water. This "tea" was a sad
blow to the Englishmen. If it hadn't
been called tea they wouldn't have felt
so badly about 1t, perhaps, but 1t was
adding insult to injury to call that
stun "tea," which with them is almost
q national institution.
Sometimes with this meal they gave
us butter Instead Of jam. and once in
a while we had some kind of canned
meat.
This comprised the usual run Of eat.