Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-11-14
The Most Amazing
Story of the War


T5r several days I had noticed that
someone else answered for two men
who had disappeared :. at least had
not seen them for some time. I did
not think much about 1t, or ask any
questions, and did not hear anyone
else talk about it, but was pretty
sure the two men, Russian and a
Britisher, had escaped. But they were
marked present at roll call and all
accounted for. Everything went along
very well until one day when the name
"Fontaine" got by without being an
swered. Fontaine, was a French fire
man from the Cambrian Range and
that was the first time he had not been
present. We saw what was coming
and we. began to get pretty sore at
Fontaine for not telling US. so we could
answer for him and keep the escape
covered.
The minute they found our count
enc short they blew the whistles and
a squad of sentries came up as an
extra guard. They counted us again,
But by sneaking back of the line and
closing up again we made the count
all right except for one man-Fon-
taine. We would have tried to cover
up for him, except that they had al
ready discovered his absence. Now;
we thought, they will nab Fontaine
Bat will not discover the escape of the
others.
But evidently they suspected some
thing, for soon they brought over a
petty officer from III. M. S. Nomad
who had not been with us before, and
forced him to call the roll from the
mastering papers, while they watched
the menAas they answered. Then they
discovered that two more besides Fon.
Saine were missing and began to search
for them. s
The other two spoke German and
had been: missing for at least three
days and; I@think, had escaped By this
ttsnse.~: They were not returned while
u wasat Brandenburg.
{ This.was about a. m. They drilled
lus4 down to- the little lake, where the
!35eofd was much greater, and kept US
There until 5 p. m, without food or
drink. At about eight that morning
they. found Fontaine in a French bar
racks and kicked him all the way to
the lake where we were.
All day long we stood there, falling
Sne by one and getting kicked or beat
en- each time until we dragged our
selves up. again. Two or three died
j do not know the exact number. But
we had enough strength, when ordered
Beck to the barracks, to kick Fon-
tHiAe' ahead Of US all the way. We
&tf not get anything to eat until seven
the next morning -twenty-fOur hours
without food and water, ten of which
were spent In the snow without any
pF0tection from the cold and wind.
no wonder we kicked Fontaine for
Infringing this punishment on us and en-
aangering the two who had escaped
Ge had simply strolled over to the
French barracks and forgot to return.
Now, the food received was just
ahout enough to keep us alive. sup
pose, with true kultur, the Huns had
figured out just how much 1t would
tnke to keep a man on this side of
the starvation line and gave us that
nuch and no more. So we were always
xhmlshed-7always hungrier than you
probably ever have been. But some.
times when we were ravenously hum
kTy and could not hold out any longer
we would trade rations.
One man would trade his whole "a
kfpRffDr the next day for half ration
kodag. eg-;;..a++s1s, II you were so hungry
Mat you thought you could not last
put the day on your regular share. you
would tell someone else that If he gave
hpu half his share today you would
A6Ee him all of yours tomorrow. IL he
was q gambler he would take you up.
That is, he would gamble on his being
alive tomorrow, not on your keeping
yDar word He knew you would come
aeress with your ration the next day,
hndanke as not, If you tried to keep 1t
Gronu him, he would kill you, and no
body would blame him. q
Uncertainty was hard, when the next
Hay came, to give up your whole ration
And 20 without that day. But never
haw a man hedge or even speak Of 1t.
hndywe did not have any food pirates
Among.us either: we were not captains
Ief. industry by any means. -.-.s
There were times when some Of us
xould not eat certain of our rations
1or instance, many and many a time
Iwas as hungry as anybody could be
andsT wanted to eat my bread, but II
seemed as IL I could not get 1t into
my mouth. Then would trade 1t witt
semeone else for his shadow soup" o.
LIS barley coffee.
We were aging every day in Bran