Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image

A correspondent in London, writing to a relative in the Dominion, says: “The losses of the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian troops have been terribly heavy in this war, but they say the Germans have a holy respect for them. I have already been examining many men returned through Switzerland (British prisoners in Germany). One man seemed to me particularly intelligent and reliable, so I asked him whether the Germans were really having such a bad time on the Somme, and whether their losses were commensurate with ours. His answer was: “Well, sir, I've seen the German second and third line trenches literally packed with dead Germans. I've seen them nine deep.” He himself was twelve hours, wounded, in a German dug-out, because the awful lire of our own artillery prevented them getting him to the rear. I am bound to say that all the men I have examined speak very well of the Germans. Latterly the food has been getting very bad, and later prisoners speak of bad medical attendance owing to the appalling way the Gorman doctors are overworked. But I have not heard a single complaint of any personal unkindness or insult, and many instances quite the reverse. Of course, these are wounded. Amongst unwounded there are ugly stories hero and there, but on the whole they too seem to have been treated much better than our press make out. I tell you this in case you know anyone in New Zealand who has a relative missing. It may cheer some parent to know that captivity in Germany, except for the food, is not so bad as supposed.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PGAMA19170529.2.43

Bibliographic details

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 8

Word Count
271

Untitled Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 8

Untitled Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 8

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert