Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-10-11
CHAPTER XXI.
A Visit From Mr.. Gerard.

- Nlbt FFOUT WE SCTdTu.
Late that night we arrived at Dull
men, Westphalla. We were rousted
out of the carriages, mustered on the
platform, counted, then drilled through
the streets. In spite Of the lateness
the streets were pretty well filed VITA
people, and they zig-zngged us through
all the streets they could, so that all
the people would have a chance to see
the crazy men. as they called us. Most
Of the people were women, and as soon
rs they saw us coming. they began
singing the watch on the Rhine" or
some other German song. and II was
funny to see windows opening and fat
fraus. with night-caps on. sticking
their heads out of the windows. They
would give us quick once-over. and
pipe up like a boatswain: "Schwein-
Observation-Disclosures am Rhein''
all kinds of things and all mixed up.
SO we gave them "Tipperary" and
"Pack Up Your Troubles" and
showed them how to sing. Our guards
had no ear for music and tried to stop
us, but though they knocked several
men down, we did not stop until we
had finished the song. Then, after we
had admitted to each other that we
were not downhearted. we shut up.
We would have done so, anyway, be-
cause by this time we were on the out
skirts Of the town. and we needed all
the breath we had. The road we were
on was Just one long sheet of ice, and
we could hardly walk more than four
steps without slipping and falling. My
shoes had wooden soles, and II was
just one bang after another. with the
Ice and myself trying to see which
could hit the hardest. Every time we
fell-smash came rifle over the
back.
was getting pretty tired. so said
to some of the fellows that was 60
Ing to sit down and rest, and they said
they would also. So we dropped out
and waited until the guards behind
had just about caught up with us. and
then We would 90 on. We did this
several times until they got on to us
and we could not do 1t any more.
Up the road piece fell again, and
this time i did not care what hap
pened, SO just sat there In the
middle Of the road until Fritz came up
Instead Of giving me the bayonet, he
made me take Off my shoes-that Is
he took them off Of me with knife
through the strings-and had to wall
the rest of the way In my bare feet
II was about four miles altogether
from the station to the camp.
When we got near the camp. all the
boys came out of the barracks ant
lined up along the barbed wire. ant
yelled us welcome. We asked then
II they were downhearted, and they
said no. and we said we were not eth
er. We could hardly see them, but
they began yelling again when We got
nearer, and asked us. us there anyone
there from Queenstown and theI
Hull, and Portsmouth, and Dover. ant
Toronto and lot Of other places.
did not pay much attention until
/ heard. ANY Americans there7" ant
/ yelled back. "Yes. where are your
Barracks 6-B. Grippe g."
where from?" yelled.
Boston. Where're you from"
1.-The U. S. A. and Atlantic ports
See you later"
So. the next morning. went over e
his barracks and asked for the Yank
They pointed him out to me. where hs
was lying on the floor. went ovel
and laid down with him. and we had
quite talk. will not give his name
here for certain reasons.
He had received several wounds al
the time he was taken prisoner. He
had been in the Canadian service fol-
two years, We used TO talk about
New York and Boston and the differ
ent places we knew In both towns, anC
we also talked a lot about the rotter
treatment we were receiving, and tried
TO cook up some plan OF escape. Bu
every one we could think of had beer
used by some one else. and either hat
failed, or the Huns had fixed II so the
plan could not be tried again. W.
N'l'NN WI SUNNY ll'AAJ Niih "a
that. Altogether. we became great
pals. and were together as much as
possible at Dulmen. The day / lef
the camp, he gave me a ring made
from shell, and told me TO get 1t safely
back to the States. but some one stol,
II at Rrandenburg.
One day while was In his barracks
an Englishman stepped out of tho door
for some reason or other, and though
he did not say a word to Fritz, in two
minutes he was dead, in cold blood
We never knew why they killed him.
AT Swinemunde and Neustrelitz,
must admit that the Germans had Us
pretty badly bufraloed, but at Dumer
the prisoners were entirely different
Dulmen was the receiving camp fol
the whole western front. and the pris
oners there got TO be pretty tougl
eggs, as far as Fritz was concerned
before they had been in camp man!