The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-01
GERMAN PRISONERS r4f.
ARE TREATED WE'LL
They Work Ten Hours Each Day and
one American Guards Ten
Prisoners

that First Sergt. Tatreau was on duty
with the p. W. E. company 214, he
compiled an interesting account Of the
personnel and duties Of this! company
which gives am ;exeehent' idea OF
the. manner in which Acknowledgements
were treated by the tAmericans. This
account is largely true of all the p.
Nv. e. companies of the u. S. army as
each unit was under the same regulat-
tions. The following information con-
corning this branch of army work has
been taken from the diary kept by
Sergt: Tatreau:--. re.i p
Prisoner of war escort company
PA was organized at st. Gervais,
France on November %, 1918, from
men assigned to the 330th infantry of
the SGD division The strength OF
the company was "a enlisted men and
two officers.
After the organization of the COM
pany, orders came on December A,
1918, to proceed to Bordeaux and re-
lieve p. w. z. company 27. The COM
pany hiked from ST. Gervais to Tel
oche "a distance of four kilometersl
and entrained On December II, the
company arrived at St sSulpice and
relieved at once p w. f. companYl
81. ~ - 'ls-' ti i'eti, 4
The primary duty OF an escort
company is to prevent the escape of,
German war prisoners. This is done
by sending guards with working de-
.I,,tr,
around stockade in which the prisoners
are confined, Guards also lend what
assistance they can to overseers OIL
the particular work in which the pris.
,onerS are engaged. The officers OF
the, escort company inspect all build
ingS barracks, kitchens and rbiIletsl
occupied by both the company and the |
sees that all existing camp orders,
sanitary regulations, etc. are carried |
out, When not otherwise engaged |
the officers visit the detachments at
work and make sure that the prison
ers are being properly guarded
Most of the prisoners in escort
company 214 were captured at st
Mihiel on September IL, 1918. From
there they were taken to Pagney sur
Meuse to collection camp. On the
18th of that month, they were trans
ferred to Tours, France, and later to
st. Sulpice and confined in the stock
ade which is los meters by so meters
and Is surrounded by two barbed wire
fences which are about eight feet six
inches high and five yards apart
Within this enclosure, the buildings
are located, five barracks, kitchen and
mess hall combined, stock roim, guard
house, office, canteen, cooks quarters
infirmary, bath house, wash room and
latrine. No building is closer to the
fence than FIVE yards The buildings
are SO arranged that there is large
court yard in the center where there
is space enough to allow such games.
as football baseball, ETC. @ ~e
1.-THE buildings are all of pine wood
The barracks are supplied with com.
Portable wood hunks, the same as usesi
Ia the U. s. army, and each prisoner
has bed sack and as many blankets
as the weather requires. During
the rainy season, when the stockade
becomes muddy, boards are procured
and board walks constructed which re.
lieves the situation considerably. saH
Prisoners are expected to maintain
tHasaame discipline as our own troops
Ihissis accomplished through their
own nom commissioned officers who
act in their regular capacities.
gisThe rations of the prisoners are
theysame as those of our own men.
afifS prisoners work 10 hours each
day sapd cue American soldier guards
10 sptisonefs!f The work performed is
varied. consisting mostly of loading
AID unloading cars at the ware houses
and highway repairing Prisoners
who, are maehinists are given jobs for
which Stheyaare Fitted. Corporals
anfpngEthe prisoners work by camp or
dery.btit other enen.commissioned Off
GERS act as oyerseers. Each prisoner
is provided with a slicker and a pair
of rubber boots for working in the.
rail-, ia
saThe punishment Of the prisoners
coy,sfsrStof4 solitary confinement on
bread and water for Whatever number
OF ~ NE commander of the escort
company sees fit. Punishments are
comparatively few.
'fCiothing for the prisoners of war
is supplied as needed by the U. D.
quartermaster corps.
''FootbaII, checker boards base
balls and other materials for indoor,
and outdoor sports are supplied to the;
prisoners by the American Y. M. Z.
A. -'-f
"Moving pictures are sometimes
available through the Knights of Col
un,bhs. Prisoners are permitted to
write one letter per week up to Feb
ruary, 1919, after which they may
Wfit@ ID many as they wish. Packages
lfiaygbe 3 reGeNed from their home, but =
niuyta he dirstS censored by one of the
officers of the escort company.
"Nfedical attention is given to the !
officers by the same doctors as care
for men. ~
7 - 5rIef are paid amounts rang. ,yi
ing FfrcSn 20saentiines (foilr cents) per n,
aaw togbne franc (20' conts) per day. he
according to their rank, except the
sanitary corps men who receive the
same as. for, the same grade in our 40
lrmysa TRas Is. IA prisonet who was da
1 sergeant in the sanitary corps of the ch
German army receives s44 per month. pi
It is agSinst regulations to pay the5oD
oh c,1r fIrFs1ss s3ra 'pIyat1