The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-07-30

lllcli IlleIe were Oh Cne worcester
shire regiment who had the good
fortune to return to their homes,
when rehabilitation was begun, with
out hearing with them wounds in
fiicted by gas attack, bayonet, bullet
or shrapnel. Capt. Hanter quite for
tunately went through two years of
"cloSe up" war without a wound, al
though the sufferings he underwent
| while prisoner of the Huns for the
better part of year were much
greater perhaps, than would have
| been those resulting from the pene-
tration of machine gun bullet, shrap-
mel 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
weekly addition of one loaf of
bread, and a small loat at that, made
of the poorest grade of rye and bar
ley, horse chestnuts and other substi-
tutes for real wholesome wheat flour
Such was the ration issued to all
Allied prisoners of the Germans and
many poor fellow, both officers and
enlisted men, died in these prison
camps because his live and vigorous
manhood demanded much more than
this slim ration. The unfortunate
men experienced the terrible pangs of
hunger that were not satisfied until
late in the month Of August, 1917,
when through the aid OF the British
Red Cross, which finally was enabled
to get in communication with pris-
oners, the ration was increased at
!! least sufficiently to more than pre-
serve life.
Was Captured April 10, 1918.
Captured along with number of
other British officers and men in the
fighting at Messines Ridge in Belgium
on April 10, 1918, at time when his
battalion was practically wiped out
and while he was engaged in minis
tering to the wounded, Capt. Hunter
with other prisoners was taken to
the German concentration camp at
Rastadt in the Rhine valley. He was
kept there until June I, when he was
moved TO q great German prison
camp at Gradeng in East Prussia,
some forty miles from the Russian
border and relatively near the city
OF DanZlg. There were some 600
Allied officers and mer IN this camp
and the life they led was one of
suffering, privation and worry. Not
allowed to do any kind of work, ex-
cept occasionally the medicos in the
number took turn about acting as
orderlies to the GerEnan doctors, with
little to eat and with little exercise.
1t was indeed life acute hardship
they led. So far as their treatment
by the Germans was concerned except
IN the matter Of nourlshmcnt, they
had little or no complaint to make
That is the officers did not, although
the enlisted men Jared not so well.
TO German soldier an officer is an
officer no matter his country, and
trained from their childhood to re-
spcct the rank Of an officer, they
naturally treated their prisoner of
ficers with considerable consideration.
ENLISTED men who were prisoners"
according to Capt. Hunter, fared not
so well"
Tells of His Experiences.
Seen yesterday morning at his home
here, Capt. Hunter talked most inter
cstingly 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 ser
vice 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 stecrage
| along with several hundred other Of
fcers, unable to get first class accom-
modations because of the crowded
capacity Of the vessel. Upon arrival
he went to Camp Dix, where he was
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