New-York tribune., 1919-02-17
FIotsysgi1as ty'gi1 e a Briton
Four Germans Job,
Boasts Ex-Captive
Soldier Writes a Graphic
Story of Life in Prison
Camp to New York Girl
Who Sent Food to Him

One of the most graphic stories of
the experiences of a British soldier in
the prison camps of Germany that have
reached this city came yesterday in
letter to Miss Marguerite Leslie, of 10
West Ninety y-seventh Street. It is the
story of Private George Shadbolt, of
Brush Hill Park, Enfield, Middlesex,
England, who was captured by the Ger
mans at the battle of Mons, and who
was released following the signing of
the armistce
Private Shadbolts story starts with
his capture along with a little handful
of comrades, all that were left of his
company.
Sixty Hours Without Food
eve were put in a wire inclosurc,
with guards at each corner" he saws.
and were kept there for two days and
three nights without food. Every man
Of us had to give up his coat and cap.
We were dressed only in shirt and
trousers and were exhausted from
hunger when we were put on a train
bound for Germany We were captured
on Sunday and it was Wednesday when
we were entrained.
ut was wo,days' journey Al
every station the doors were tnnp onon
for the waiting crowds to look at us
Come look at the proud British army.
the guards would shout as the doors
were flung open. The crowds ieered
at us and laughed at our misery
Women spat at rs: the children
brought bricks, old bottles and stones
and threw them at the open doors of
the cars
AT ono station, when the doors OF
the cars were opened saw German
hed Cross nurse and some hospital or
derlles in the crowd | went to Tho
nurse and asked her if she would ret
me some water, as there were wounded
men in the car who had had no watc,.
SINCE they were put on board. She
spoke English. but she first spat in nv
face. then said: 4 give no water to
English pigs
Five Die from Exhaustion
eve reached the prjson camn at
Sennelagec (Paderborn) on Friday,
There VIC received food for the first
time since we were made prisoners. We
were given acorn coffee and black
bread, BY this time, five of the ten
wounded in the car | rode in were dead
from exhaustion"
Shadbolt soon discovered he had =
talent for. languages, as he had been
able to pick uD a lot Of French ma
was quickly able to understand also
"hat the German prison guards were
talking about. SO he volunteered to 90
into the interpreters school.
inns had some disadvantages as
well ms advantages,' he says, "as after
g, little while was blamed for everv
thlng that happened which the guards
Gldnt like. and thc penalty was a
Hogglng. However. have the conso-
latloh of knowing it always took four
Germans to fog one Englishman. even
when they used the butt of rifle to
knock the Englishman out
Transferred to Russia
However, Shadbolt was agroeablv
surprised, as nothing more was said
TO ,., nm about the mines. Instead,
little later he was transferred. with
some other prisoners, to Russia. The
postotfce address given him was
tricdrlchsfeld. but he really was al
Llbau on the Baltic. He had charrc Of
a working party on the docks. and tho
cold was terrific, especially for men
not properly clothed During a part
! VI t"c winter tncN never got the par
cells of food sent them. However. the
party OF which shadbolt was the head
managed to do very we'll. When the
guards were looking tho other way
they would pry open a box Of canned
food, puncture a can and suck the
juice out. Then they would return the
can to the box. nail it up, and the
guards were none the wiser
Ut was the only way we could get
sufficient food to keep us alive" he
says. Even when our packages came
they were forfeited, on the slightest
pretext. for anywhere from one to four
/ weeks"
Shadbolt tells Of similar experiences
in various camps, but apparently he
was so overjoyed when he learned Of
the nrmistice that he does not mention
where he was whom the news came
One German Hold-Up Foiled
"The announcement said we were to
take with us only the clothes we were
wearing Mt the time and leave our ex-
AtyR underwear. that had baen aent ua