FROZEN LIKE BLOCKS OF ICE.

Northern Advocate, 30 September 1918, Page 1

FROZEN LIKE BLOCKS OF ICE.

The torture and murder[ of 40 | British .prisoners by : .Qermans is de- | scribed by a member: of the Royal Naval Division who ; was cabtured at tfl% ! and has recently escaped and arrived in England: ' " ' ' >

In February last year,-he says, 200 prisoners, 'of-whom-h'ePwas cine, were marched 22 miles IromXib'atJ to work near the German "firing-line; They were surrounded by a-'-Uhlafn guard, who prodded them forward with, lances, through snowdrifts sometimes waistdeep. They had to go on with, out food or halt. One man—-A. Sawyer, R.N.D. was charged.Aby a Uhlan, whose lance struck his head. Ninety of the prisoners coUapsed, and many other were bleeding' from lance wounds.

. They were told that they had been brought under fire because the English had German prisoners working in their trenches. As retaliation for the alleged murder of 36 German prisoners it had been decided that 36 out .of 500 prisoners there should be killed. '

"Groups of three prisoners were formed, so that for the misdeeds of one of them all three were taken parties at the end of the -day and made to mount brick. ' 'Tney'-wert?' tied to -a pole, v and the brick in&jtheir feet a little waynfrom ground. This position they were kept for 21' hours each night for 14 nights in intense cold*-/ J4O. men di.d under this treatment.-jEojj .jvhen they were released of ice. , v , ' -««». -'; , ' "A man namela/Skit^ v Guards, in the snow, arid the Hun guard, saying,Y'You are no good any logger,"-shot him through the head. : "ItvWas not-until these, 40 menjhad some'riien 1 Vere-""found frozen in their beds." , The c jame man described how at dressed 10 British prisoners" lfke v sailors,''" jjjps- them in a boat, and a wrecked a|a|p 'tft"V-*Germ ! air dcs troyer.- hauled 'on by-the German sailors, given coffee and "cigarettes, and new clothing. picture was photograph appeared in papers headed. "Our Navy's kindness to the enemy sailors when they sink their ships. 'In return they starve.pur "~~7 T ''-' % *^ i 'm^^*^' : ■*-■-."■•- y