The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-08
Howl Was Treated In
= German Prison Camps
BY Private Ivan S. Rossiter

of these state forests that can be
founaSin almost any part OF Han
novefS Province here and there an
opensspot of moor, covered with
purpie heather 1t was most
dreaM place.
OnSone side of the road leading to
the camp were the ruins Of some old
buildalgs with low canvas roofs that
had h8en formerly the barracks. un
til .t4e more modern ones mad beer
constructed. Near the gate were the
adm 6stration buildings. Across the
roadSMere the officers quarters.
TheSas were neatly built, and looked
veryEeomfortable with lheir' vine
covered walls and verandas. Facing
the Sste, but about a hundred yards
fronlSit, was the parcel office. For
this ruilding we acquired an i'm
mense liking in very shcrt time.
TIe camp was a large wire-encir-
cled enclosure about two hundred
yards wide and four hundred long.
The wire was eight feet high, turned
in atatfe top, Of very fine mesh and
inteiaaced with barbed wire 1t was
also Asuried in the earth SO that the
prisoners would be prevented from
diggiAg their way out and escaping
In otAer camps the wires are charged.
AsSintervalS of twenty-five feet
were&fhe sentry boxes. They were
builSSon raised platforms. six feet off
the Eround, so that sentry is able
to n9I1nt the platform and have a
spleIl1d view OF the camp. AT every
box,aH also between, were placed
highSpowered electric arclights, so
thatsat night the camp is brilliantly
lighKd In addition to the electric
arc, each box is equipped with acetyr
lenegas lamps.
AHthe gate, inside and out, are
two &entry boxes. These are painted
in the usual German style with black
and white stripes. The gates are
double wired and padlocked, and
two 4entries march up and down on
eithfr side of them.
The camp was divided into two
paris by a road. In the centre of
the Toad were covered stands hold
ing sfre-fighting apparatus and lad
ders{ On each side were the bar
rac8 built in rows of ten in depth
and i've across, each fifty constitut-
ing Regiment They are low, un-
panied structures, forty feet wide
by Al Hundred long, with brick foun
dati6ns. Outside the wire, scatter
ed about, were the different barracks
of tie troops that were guarding the
can56 The guards are mostly old
meneand those unfit for duty at the
froIt.
Upon arrival we were taken to the
ADMINISTRATION buildings. Here our
pasI history was inquired into, and
theIEWe were turned over to Field
weIa6 an under-officer of the Ger
-.4 aorresn nnnding to a top
sergeant in the American army. This
fellow had to count us over. 1t takes
a German to count. Although there
were only seven in our party, he had
to count us three times. When this
had been done to his satisfaction, he
led US to the gates. After the SEN
try had counted US, the gates were
opened and We passed through into
the camp.
The Feldwebel conducted us first
to the storeroom. He took our clo-
thing, and issued us a prisoners out
fit.
Il wonder what this is for?" ask
ed Blaxland. This" was a large
sack filled with leaves.
Don't know" 1 replied, but per
haps it is mattress" And that is
what it proved TO be.
We were given another sack made
of blue and white gingham and filled
with newspapers. We were at loss
to understand this, but another pris-
oner informed us that it was supops-
ed to be blanket. Then we each
received a towel spoon, and bowl.
Recently in the United States l
was caught in a blizzard, and we
were stalled for eighteen hours. Dur
ing this time the heat was shut off
and also the water, so that we were
unable TO wash. Fortunately we had
a diner and had sufficient to eat. Dur
ing the breakfast member of the
party washed his face in the finger
bowl. This brought back the old
days in prison camp when we had to
use our bowl for the very same pur
pose, although it was also our soup
bowl
The Feldwebel then turned us ov-
er to the Chef de Company" to be
assigned to a barrack. There was
only one barrack of English in Celle.
In the camps the different nationali
ties are kept entirely by themselves.
all up, but this brought confusion, so
that the practice had been diScon-
tinued.
Come here, fellows. Here are
some new chaps" someone yelled.
Soon we were surrounded by num-
Der of English and Canadian prison
ers, among whom were some of our
old friends from Hanover.
battalion do you belong to? Where
were you captured? Been here long?
How's everything in Blighty? VIII
the war soon be over?" These and
many other questions were fired at
us as they crowded around
The German who is fortunate
enough to be captured by the Allies
has really a pleasant time. He is
sure of good, clean barracks, with
bed to sleep upon and sufficient blan-
kets and food. But it is different
in the German camps. There are no
beds for US. We have to sleep on
partitioned-o spaces on the floor.
Each barrack is divided into four
rooms-two small ones at each end
for those in charge, and two large
rooms, forty by fifty. They are kept
as clean as possible, but that is not
saying much. The ground at Celle
was all sand, which used to get into
everything A twig broom had been
issued, but it was impossible to keep
the place clean with this. There are
no tables or chairs other than what
the prisoners have made themselves.
Shelves adorn the walls. These are
filled with the boys parcels.
1t was Saturday afternoon, and
none of the fellows were working.
Some were reading, writing and 9TH
ers were playing cards.
l made the acquaintance of an
Englishman who was known to his
friends as Boxer Haws." He became
one of my best friends.
Where were you taken?" he
asked.
'.At the battle of Sanctuary
Woods" | answered.
Was that at Ypres?" he ques-
toned.
1 I