DOCTORS MADE PRISONERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1915, Page 2

DOCTORS MADE PRISONERS.

ROBBED AND STARVED BT THE GERMANS. FIVE MONTHS' CAPTIVITY. PRIVATE SOLDIER'S THREAT OF MURDER. "They simply escorted us to the frontier and kicked us out," was the casual way in which five British army doctors,, who have "enjoyed" the hospitality of the War Lord for the past five months, described their release from captivity ill Germany to a "Daily Chronicle" representative. "The five officers are: — Captain C. T. Edmunds, R.A.M.C.j attached to the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Captain E. B. B. Hamilton, R.A.M.C., of the 7th Field Ambulance Corps. Lieut. W. S. Danks, R.A.M.C, of the 14th Field Ambulance Corps. Dr. L. J. Austin and Dr. A. R. Elliott, of the Ist .Belgian Unit, British Red Cross Society. They reached Flushing late 01 Monday, having been released from Magdeburg (Prussian SaxonyKon Sunday. The two first-named officers were left behind attending to the British wounded when our army retired from Mons on August 23. Captain Edmunds was himself struck in the shoulder by a piece of shrapnel and lay on the field the whole of the night of the 23rd. Next morning he H-as taken prisoner. Captain Hamilton told a very 'ntevesting narrative of his adventures: "For about a fortnight after being taUan prisoner," he said, "I was engaged in atter.ding the wounded, British and Belgians, and afterwards the Germans. When my work was done I fully expected to be sent back to the British lines, never thinking that the Germans would keep British army doctors as prisoners of war." SO FOOD FOR THREE DAYS. This expectation of Captain Hamilton, however, wns not realised, for, without warning, ho was told to take his place in a train, together with other doctors, and then began his journey into captivity. "We occupied four days in reaching Torgau, where we were first interned," said the captain, "and for three of the four days we had nothing to eat or drink. At several stations where the people were plying the German troops on their way to the front with food and coffee I asked for water and food, but the only reply I ever Vsc'eU i ed \Vas that there was nothing for the English swiHe." • "■•"■ - • ■ XrTorgau they in the Tcrmpfjiriy of 200 r British, and 800 French ■officers,. There they reamined about three months, having a very dull time. Forced to be up at eight o'clock each morning, they spent the whole day long In idleness, for nothing was provided for them to do. Their food consisted chiefly of sausages and pork, black bread, and margarine, but [even of that there was onlr a limited supply. THEIR PARCELS OPENED. Questioned as to communication with friends at home, the captain replied that after about the first montli they began to receive letters, and occasionally parcels, from friends and relative*. Many of the parcels, however, never reached them, and usually those that did were found when opened by the recipients to have had the tobacco and chocolate they should have contained missing. After three months' confinement at Torgau the party were removed to Burg, but their stay at that fortress was not of long duration, and at the end of another week—on December 4—they found themselves at Magdeburg, where, for the last month of their captivity, "Wagon Room i No. 9" became their temporary abode— and all were unanimous that it was not a very comfortable one either. Here they were treated like schoolchildren, and on no fewer than three occasions were paraded and searched. All rings—other than wedding rings—gold watches and chains, and other jejwellery were taken from them. It was on January 8 that the first intimation was made to the doctors, who numbered ten, that they were to be r,eleased. On that day "the commandant paraded them and stated that half their number were to be sent back to England. He stipulated that two of the five to be released were, according to special instructions from Berlin ,Jhe. two Red Cross doctors—Drs. Au&ia , arfd' Elliott. The question then arose as to who were to be the other three. After discussion Captain Hamilton, as the only married officer, was given the third place. The commandant himself settled the question of the two final places. Taking seven matches, he broke two off short, and, holding them out, the seven doctors each drew. The lucky ones in the draw proved to be Captain Edmunds and Lieut. Danks, both of whom avowed their solemn determination to have those fateful bite of wood gold-mounted, to he ever cherished as eouvenirs of their great adventure. Drs. Austin and Elliott were among the first to go out under the auspices of the British Red Cross Society, and they had only been on Belgian soil two days when they fell into the hands of the Germans. They were motoring with the Commissioner for the South-Eastern Division of Belgium, and when some fifteen miles from Namur, where they were to have established a hospital, they found themselves in the very thick of the German army. TRIED AS SPIES. Escape was impossible, and they found themselves under grave suspicion as spies. The place of their capture was Havelange, and almost immediately they were tried as spies. They escaped shooting, but were sent along to Cologne, where they had a very uncomfortable time. "I was only prevented from falling into the hands of the furious crowd of that city through the protection of mounted police," exclaimed Dr. Austin. Dr. Elliott and myself were then given fifteen days' solitary confinement, not even being allowed a book to read. Then came a series of re-trials on the charge of espionage, but an examination in medicine and surgery gave them sufficient we were both doctors, and we were finally sent to Torgau." Lijut. Danks, who was taken prisoner on September 9, at Soissons, related a story which he described with a smile as being "somewhat personal." After being captured I was kept by the Germans attending their own wounded," he said, "and during that time I was repeatedly being told that I was liable to be shot. "Things came to a head, however, one day as I was riding out on a gun carriage to the German lines. A detestable little private, who had often spoken of my being liable to be shot, came up and whispered in roy ear:' 'If I get a chance of loosing off my rifle ttf-day , I'll reserve my first ballet for you.' . "I kept my eye on him- the whole of that day, and apparently be must have missed his opportunity," concluded Lieut. Danks, with another little grimace. ■