Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-25

commission. Volunteering for military
service in October, 1917 and signifying
his willingness to go into the British
military service whose losses in doctors
up to that time and afterward were
simply terrific, and in proportion equal
to that of enlisted men, Capt. Hunter,
although the property of the United
States army, was attached to the
British forces throughout the war, be-
ing assigned to the 10th Worcester
British division. Both the regiment
and the division were in the hottest
Of the fighting in Belgium and France
throughout the war and the casualties
were enormous, the regiment having
been practically wiped out before the
signing Of the armistice and the ces-
sation of hostilities on November II.
Few Englishmen there were Of the
Worcestershire regiment who had the
good fortune to return to their homes
when demobilization was begun with
out bearing with them wounds inflicted d
by gas attack, bayonet, bullet or shrap-
mel. Capt. Hunter quite fortunately
went through two years of "close up
war without wound, although the
sufferings he underwent while a pris-
oner Of the Huns for the better part of
a year were much greater perhaps.
than would have been those resulting
from penetration of machine gun bull
let, shrapnel or other implement of
modern warfare.
Imagine yourself living for eight
long months on nothing save two
plates Of very thin soup per day with
a weekly addition Of one loaf Of bread
and small loaf at that, made Of the
poorest grade Of rye and barley, horse
chestnuts and other substitutes for real
wholesome wheat flour. Such was the
ration issued to all Allied prisoners of
the Germans and many q poor fellow;
both officer and enlisted man, died In
these prison camps because his live
and vigorous manhood demanded
much more than this slim ration, so
scarce that the unfortunate men were
ever reminded Of the terrible pangs of
a hunger that were never satisfied un-
til late in the month of August, 1918
when through the aid Of the British
Red Cross, which finally was enabled
to get in communication with prison
ers, the ration was increased at least
sufficiently to more than preserve life.
Captured in Belgium.
Captured along with a number of
other British officers and men in the
fighting at Messines Ridge in Belgium
on April 10, 1918, at a time when his
battalion was practically wiped out
and while he was engaged in minister
ing to the wounded, Capt. Hunter with
other prisoners was taken to the Ger
man concentration camp at Rastadt,
in the Rhine valley. He was kept
there until June 1, when he was moved
to a great German prison camp at
GraudenZ in East Prussia, some forty
miles from the Russian border, and
relatively near the city Of Danzig.
There were some 900 Allied officers
and men in this camp and the life they
and worry. Not allowed to do any
medicos in the number taking turn
about acting as orderlies to the Ger.
man doctors. with little . to eat and
with little exercise, it was indeed a
tortuous life they led. So far as their
treatment by the Germans was con-
cerned except in the matter OF nour-
ishment, they had little or no COM
plant to make. That is the officers
did not, although the enlisted men
Jared not so well. To German SOL
dier an officer is an officer, no mat
ter his country, and trained from their
childhood up to respect the rank Of an
officer, they naturally treated their
prisoner officers with much considera-
ton. ENLISTED men who were pris-
oners," according to Capt. Hunter,
Jared not so we'll"
Nothing but Soup.
Seen yesterday morning at his home
here, Capt. Hunter talked most In
terestingly Of his experiences. He was
frank to say that he had plenty OF war
experience and he thought the next
time he was in the military service
would be when his own country was
being invaded. He arrived in the
States only last Friday, coming over
from Brest, France, on the Northern
Pacific and travelling in the steerage
along with some several hundred other
officers, unable to get first class ac,
commodations because Of the crowded
conditions of the vessel. Upon arrival
he went to Camp Dix, where ne was
given a fifteen day furlough to Visit
his home here with the understanding
that at the expiration Of that time he
go to Camp Gordon, Atlanta, where ne
will receive his discharge from the ser.
vice. Possessing healthy color ana
apparently quite heavy in weight, one
could hardly conceive from his pre-
sent appearance that the returned SOL
dier weighed hardly ninety pounds this
time a year ago, thanks to two plates
of near soup a day and one hunK Oh
black bread a week.
German doctors with whom we
cams in contact more or less IN tne
two German prison camps we 1ouno
TO be a pretty decent lot" said Captain
Hunter. However, they would not let
us work with them except as assistants
or orderlies, and they did nothing TO-
ward feeding us any more than the
rules allowed.
No Chance to Escape.
"Escape was impossible. Located as
we were in the poorest part OF Ger
many, and enemies on every side, there
was no chance for a getaway. Had
we managed to escape from our cap
tors, it would only have been to be re-
taken because to get out OF the country
we would either have had to go
through entire Germany on the one
side or Russia on the other side ana
escape through Russia would nave
been lust as impossible as through
Germany. Several Allied prisoners did
get away temporarily only to be re-
Captured and sentenced to eight days
of solitary confinement. There was
nothing for us to do except make the
hest of it and await for the day OF
liberation through the end OF the war
which the Germans saw as well as we.
was inevitable. You may imagine tnat
November 26, was one glad day with
me when 1 was given my release ana
returned to the British forces. l was
not sent back to my old regiment
there was little Of it left to go PACK
too: but was assigned to hospital work
in which was engaged until my re-
turn to the States. ,,,..or
"The Germans were very, very pltler
toward the Allies after the inaugura,,
tion of the complete blockade, salu
Captain Hunter. 1T was easy for US
to distinguish when it really began "
pinch even though we were prisoners
closely confined
Fruitless Appeal.
"A number Of us realizing that deatn
nv starvation was inevitable sooner
or later because OF our scanty rations'
appealed to the Germans lot IhoIe