GERMAN TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16210, 13 May 1918, Page 8

GERMAN TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

ESCAPEES' STORY. 'V ' LON3X>N, May 3. : Private R. Ruschpler. of Sydney, ana • Corporal C. Lano* of TVcst Austroliß*. who were captured at Dcrnancourt, «aenped from the Germans in oscituig circumstances. After ten days in the German linfiij during- which time they wero first eiy. gaged in picking up tho woundod on ta< t battloficld, burying the dead and stretcher-bearing from the station W ; the hospital at Peronno, and later w levelling ground for a now aerodrome a» V Bray, they wero confined in th o prison- '■ ers'. "clink" at Peronne. - - Earlv each morning they wero marcn« ed to Bray for work on the aerodrome.. This is contrary to The Hague Convention, as Bray is within tho shellfire' area. v i • Throughout their trials thov hodrno blankets, and were allowed daily on. 1 ? 4oz of sour black bread and li pints oil , thick soup made from macaroni, barleJV or dry vegetables, and a pint, of coffee for brenkfa'st and tea. _ • ■ ■-■- ■ The food was'quite insufficient for th#-. day's work, which began at_B a.m. an®, ended at 4 p.m. In addition, there -- were the long marches to and front work.. ~ A Lano and Ruschpler broke out of thetf , place of confinement through a' shell- - * hole in the barbed wire, which had not ■ been repaired. Luckily, they found »' 1 scrvico map at Peronno, and Bot;it oj.' If the stars. They were unable to use 1 roads, as tho Germans were very suspicious. They decided to cut across-ta® ploughed fields. Several _ times ."they wore challenged by rationing parties,, and were obligod to lie in sHell-holej' until they had passed. The greatest • danger's wero encountered when the/ had reached tho reservo lines, whereftW Germans wore living in dug-outs hollowed in the high road. ' j. Ituschpler and Lane crawled through the reserve lines, moving whenever .4® opportunity presented itself. Bnttfa high explosives distracted tho fcnemy< attention, and the escapee's crossed tne Ancre by a duckboard bridge. Finally, they reached the German front linejoß* poslte the Australian position. As tbey approached the German trenches to® occupants, hearing sounds, stopped work, and sent up a Verey light. V Again and again the two Australian* crawled towards other (sectors of w front. Another Gorman sentry heard them, but, fearing to fire, as that worn ; revoal the position of his own lines, hethrew bits of earth, to ascertain if.tji® uoiso of crawling was due to animal** This continued for three-quarters of a# hour. Finally, the pair wriggled men - by inch across the trench. , ' • Seeing no wire, they determined " make a ru'sh across No Man's Land to- ; . wards tho supposed Australian ' line. ( Directly the two began to run, the sen* s tries fired at 20 yards ranjje. Another fired a machine-gun delivering explosi*® bullets, but Ruschpler and Lane, no* falling in shell-holes, now over t»e bodies of dead Germans, somelio* dodged tho bullet's, dropping to Jh® . ground* whenever a Verey light flared* and then darting in another direction in the darkness to mystify tho German** Finally, the Australians opened firfl from their position. But luck was the cscapees, who -reached their front line. After a warm exchange ™ . language they persuaded the Australians to admit them. They were then taken to Headqowj ters, established their identity, and as 9 their first square meal in ten days.