ON THE ALTMARCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 44, 21 February 1940, Page 6

ON THE ALTMARCK.

! EXPERIENCES RECOUNTED/ • BROADCAST FROM DAVENTRY. Recounting his experiences on the German prison-«hip Altmarch, Seaman W. J. Wheeler, of Dunedin, broadcasting from Daventry last night, said it was good to be on British soil again and to be a member of the British race. Seaman Wheeler, who was on the Doric Star when it was sunk by the Graf Spee, said that each prisoner was given two cakes of soap, and they had to last the whole voyage. "Sometimes our small allowance of water was so cold we used to place it in the inverted electric light shades, hoping to heat it, if only a little," he said. "We were allowed only a quart of water each a day, and the food rations were very meagre. Sometimes we got sick of talking, so some of us played different games we had made ourselves. Several of the prisoners made really beautiful models of the ships they were sailing on when they were sunk. Playing one of the games we made up, we would deliberately cheat each other to start an argumentit gave us something to do."

Through peep-holes they made in a scuttle land was seen on both sides of the Altmarck. It was marvellous, said Seaman Wheeler. "It made us all long to be ashore again. A day or two later we observed a boat close to us, and we tried to draw attention. We waved an improvised flag we had made from odd bits of stuff, but they did not notice it. The captain of the ARmarck did, though, and we were battened down for three days after that as punishment. None of us was allowed on deck, and the little food we were allowed was passed down to us. At the end of tbe third day we were rescued, thank God."