ENGLISH BRIDE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 173, 24 July 1941, Page 8

ENGLISH BRIDE

GERMAN ADVEN^

LIFE IN PRISON g*

(0.C.) NEW PLYMOUTH,- ! An interesting New Plymouth has been* the marriage in England <?s*>J R. Brett, of MataunLHk s?** merly Miss Thomason ofr3 fe recently arrived in MatofrS mg with her some ing stories of her esmeS,*!** Germany on the outbre*!* * In 1939 Mrs. Brett extensive hike throiujhtiyy 1 * ent, when she had nsny*£»fii ties of observing the jffiS* life and customs of «???< nationalities. Her tottrJSu Yugoslavia. Hungary,FranS** and Germany. ' Bfe Mrs. Brett was visitine fe»J at the Time of th e war. Restrictions were inH< imposed on foreigners necessary for her to teStl* police once a week. Althourii u not originally the GtennanTMl!!' 1 to restrict the libertv of f<*2J? it was learned by 'the anSS? that an exchange of interneßs«*r be arranged with EnglaniLaiwr sl result she was immediatSyvSilii to what actually was order that the 'maximum errSi might be carried out Life was then spent in a en k. she was told that she wasii* regard herself as a prisoner ft!!' consisted of a fixed weekly which barley constituted a mSt! part of the ingredients. MrtK: does not wish to be remindedrfS barley. There was also malt «*? butter on one morning ana ia? the other. No sugar exoattv might be contained in thearuWJ food was allowed. l Concealed in her Ceß For the first part of her w ment the door was not alloiratftsk opened, but this restriction was «| sequently lifted and she wa ». mitted to walk about Aa£ official visited her cell to ask gZ had anv complaints to nub, n Mrs. Brett asked if she the use of certain personal anfe When permission was granted eb rather amazed the official fcy» ducing them from conceatoati her cell.

During her internment Mtvßst made the acquaintance of i q whom she subsequently food* connected with criminal aeßiifc, for which he was serving tis sentence. However, he muffed 1i find a way of performißi.ißß kindly actions on her behal£4«| the internees were a natter .i gipsies. These nomadic people h: paid the penalty of war when buffities commenced, and also from the she received many demonstratetf kindness. They were accustomed a receiving from outside small <job;ties of cakes and when these fc were passed to Mrs. Brett she ftmai that they contained cigarettes si matches. . -, g Mrs. Brett is a fluent spates German and was able to secure! number of small privileges iMii would otherwise have been doM her. *■ . So far as religious was concerned her experienced ft Nazi Gestapo system coincided iri reports from British sources. Kb latitude was allowed a clergysani introducing political aspects** ft could pray for peace but w&e any sinister background. First R.A.F. Leaflets Although not in Germany ita the R.A.F. launched the full vtp of its attacks, Mrs. Brett was in ft country when the first leaflet nits were made. The propaganda, fe thought, could have been aqseari in more subtle language and beads good German was not always used.

A period of 14 weeks was spenttF Mrs. Brett in the German prisonaac then, through the instrumentality d friends in Rotterdam, she was life to leave for that city, a train tkte having been forwarded on to her i Hanover. Eventually she ttawDa by plane across to England. Mrs. Brett has in her possession bomb splinter which nearly, tafflfc about her death in a London ste She also has a walking stick to I*4 her pack was secured during te hike through the Continent Ite crook to ferrule it is covered lift small metal plaques bearing fc stamp of cities through whlttSK passed.

One of the trying aspects of Jfc Brett's journey to New Zealand *£ the lack of news of her hustaa However, advice has now en* t> hand that he is safe and weflate taking part in the Greece andCttS campaigns. Signaller Brett is fis son of Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Brett e Mataura. Mr. Brett, a brother* Mrs. Street and Mr. George Bnft New Plymouth, spent his early* in New Plymouth. Nbrmanltf , *» Stratford, and is a son of the las Captain and Mrs. Frank Brett e Xoi-manby. . ;