THE MYSTERY CAMP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19986, 29 June 1920, Page 2

THE MYSTERY CAMP.

BONIN, CTON HALL GERMANS.

SOME NOTORIOUS “ QUESTS.” -

The secrets of England's, most famous prisoners -dt-war camp, Bonington fin 11, were jealously preserved during the war—and even since hare obtained little publicity. *Licu-lenaiit-Coloiiel Nunneley. who was comfn-rmdant of that camp during the latter part of the war. and who is ou tour in Australia, has written specially for the ‘' Sydney Sim the following intimate account of itt “ guest ;U’

To most colonials who passed through London in 1916. the mention of “ Doningtpu Mall brings puzzled memories of Vaudeville patter, of newspaper articles, and of bouse agents' monologues. According to t!is rosy-nosed comedian, appearing in a miniature straw hat and plaid trousers at the end oi the second act, Dongington Hall was a secluded retreat, peopled by over-fed gourmets and stocked with the, choicest fare which famine-struck England could provide. It was an abode of milk and honey in a starring land—a place where rationing was miunown. and food coupons curiosities. The house agent had larger ideas and rated it as another Buckingnam Palace, reserved from the clutch of homo loss thousands fur a. tow desiratoe tenants, on more than gratuitousterms. The newspapers denounced it in sulphurous leaders, and muttered darkly of reprisals. And to the nun: in the. street it was a mysterious! institution, somewhere in lesser-known England, which was always being mentioned and never discussed. A MODEL CAMP. Those who ruled at DoningtOn took considerable care that it was not discussed. Publicity was never the army's strong point, ■ and whore- publicity meant possibly the escape, of German prisoners and certainly a revival of espionage methods, it was Uiscmintonniiced so long as the war continued. For Donington Hail was a concentration centre for German prisoners of war. Behind its encircling barbed-wire entanglements were hundreds of enemy officers, waiting stolidly for either the end of the war or a chance of escape. They were a very genteel let, all ot them cultured in the Prussian fashion, most of them of means, of birth, and political consequence, and tome few of even international importance. For this reason, there Was. practically none of the class friction experienced at Australian concentration camps. Blackmail and bullying, such os existed at Liverpool, was unknown —simply because it was exclusively a, camp of officers, who, if sometimes of criminal tendencies, at any rate had enough politeness to preserve a pivil front to each other. I came to Doningtun towards the cud of 101S.. and remained iifitil ft was closed at the end of 1919. A year's stay at the Hall, under military conditions, provided me with many incidents quite taboo during the years of war. Those in charge kept a kind of cata-. logue of their flock, and this at parts’ reads like an extract from the Index to Gotha. There were many prisoners Who had exciting memories of their war careers up till the time of capture to brood upon, and from which to draw morals if tbev felt so inclined; and a record of their history was kept in the same index, so that altogether it forms on enthralling memoir.

SCO IE OF THE GUESTS

Hans Jungliug, the captain of the' Greif, which was sunk in the North Sea by H.M.S. Alcantara, was there, and Gunther Piuschow, who later escaped to Germany, and wrote a. favourable report ot liis experiences at Donington, also spent some time behind the barbed-wire. Piuschow was an old hand at escaping. He evaded the Japanese at Kiauchow by aeroplane, but, was later taken by the British at Gibraltar-. Then there was John Boss, who commanded the Blu dier until sho decided to explore the bottom of the North Sea, and Franz Hidtcnlen, a, most important individual, who was tho Kaiser s confidential agent m America, and was actively engaged in fomenting trouble in that country and in Mexico, until captured at Falmouth when returning to Germany on a forged passport. He was supposed to be enormously wealthy in his own conntrv. and was reckoned one of tho Kaiser 3 most intimate advisors. Edgar con Spiegel, whoso full name it about two line? long, and who was a. U-boat officer, also put in, s-nne time here. If further proof of his high birth, besides the length of his name, is required, it is said that lie was a relative of practically every noble in Germane. On his capture, by a, "mystery ” ship, be haughtily announced himself as the commander of the sunmarino which took Sir Roger Casement on his historic little jaunt over to Ireland. Karl Spindler, who was captured zi Queenstown Bay. whilst running guns to that same country, was another prisoner who escaped. However, he was less lucky than Hie practised Plui-chow. Bud was recaptured later. He was t . great exponent of courage (in (he other fellow) and heroically blew hi? ship up, whom about to be captured, bavuig previously taken elaborate, precautions as to his own speedy transference /to the comparative comforts of an internment camp. Other guests included Admiral von Reuter, who was responsible for the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Friedrich von Bulow. n brother of the German Ohaucelitir, and Krupp’s English agent, and Joachim Breithaupt, commander'of the Zeppelin Elo, which crashed in flames at the. mouth of tho Thames in 1910.

STUCK IN THE CHANNEL.

Finally, there -was Otto Thelen, another adopt at escaping, who got out of every camp lie was interned in, including Bonington Ball, and Ohelmsford Gaol- However, ns lie was invariably recaptured, it, became more of a hobby with him than anything else. Escapes, considering the' number of prisoners, were remarkably few—but they were in all cases cleverly planned and well executed. Perhaps' the most adroit was that whereby about twoutymne prisoners managed t-o got from Kegswcrfli, a. town si* miles from Bonington, by means of a tunnel. .Among them was our old friend Captain von .Mulier, of the lancten. who hud the misfortune to stick in tho tunnel in a most undignified position, until excavated by his disgusted comrades. His liberty was short-lived, as lie was recaptured within eight hours of the. escape. Uu another ocasiou a, youthful oflicer was found escaping through the wire entanglements; he later explained that the attempt was, the result of a- bet. It was certainly a hazard. Pluschow’s escape was never properly fathomed, und ho is one of the lucky tow wuo got back to Germany. }!o disappeared with a companion named Treffts, during a thunderstorm in 1915. and although Treffts was-discov-ered at Milhvall Bocks the next day, Pluscbow vanished into thin’ air, ami was later said t-o have turned up in the laud of his birth. There were many unsuccessful attempts to break through the wire, nearly all of them impromptu affairs, but a more ambitious scheme was tried when a bridge of eiga r-bot:°s was th rown across the entanglements. The

attempt, was a rain one., owing to the vigilance of the guards. These numbered about 190, as against o>ct -100 prisoners. The bartied-wiro *' ° f bs, on which much reliance was placed in most camps, «s a means ot keeping the prisoners iu„ was-from 13fi to "Oft in depth, and breast-high, with, a. 9ft barbed-wire fence on either side. At night there was always a zone of electric' light around this eutauglsmcnv •area;

''COURT OF' HONOUR

The officers liaii si. court of honour of their own, in which they tried any persona! disputes or ciuarrels: and there were cases. wh«.n two * officers, having quarrelled, issued challenges to duels', cc he fought after they were liberated. pome of them, of course, were oppressed with a sense of their own importance, but litis is normal in a Prussian officer. Olio day a senior officer came to my room and. saluting must said that, although the. doctor had examined him and had found him fit, (be fact was ho was ill. and hence, by tlio Geneva Convention, was entitled to more food. He suggested, among other things, that he should be allowed Jib of fresh meat, four new-laid eggs, and jib of better daily a s a. start. Needless to coy, there was nothing doing," and lam afraid be must have left the office with bis faith in the Genera Convention badly shattered. Still; it may merely have been a phase of Teutonic humour. Thcro was another semi-dinnc person, a abort, elderly, and very stout battalion commander, who informed me, on_ being released, that he conk! not manage the two-mile walk to the railway station, with bin hand luggage, unless ho had a conveyance. 1 1 old him sympathetically that, ns no ‘‘conveyance' 1 was available, ho would have to delay his departure to Germany ; and it was wonderful how quickly he changed his mind. A few hours later I arrived at ilio station, to sec a very hot and very subdued little man, climb intcf his. compartment . ‘'MY HOME.” The one Turk in the comp, however, Mas a very quiet meek man. His name was Hakki Bey, and for special reasons he whs allowed by the War Office to go up to London on his parole to return by a certain hour. Coming homo, his railway catriage was verv crowded, and he was unable to get out ut the right station. He alighted at ibo next in a terrible state, and walked; hurriedly to Bonington, arriving laW uowever, and finding the® gates closed,’ he called out to the sentry in a. grout, panic, and possibly with visions of a bring party traversing his mind; but jhe guard, not recognising him, reI used to lot him enter. Almost in tears, he cried, "But von must lot mo in—it is my home. It‘is my home!” It was not until the Turk was on the verge of collapse that the sentry rang up the office and learnt that Boniimton was indeed his home. ° Bonington has been, closed, for some timo nor', and its prisoners have (over since returned, goodness knows where ; jet there arc many Gorman officers who will not easily forget the big grew building, and the long da vs thev spent there. _ They may feel lucky that their moraoncs are not as bitter a s those of Allied prisoners in Ruhlcbcn.