SCHOOL IN GERMANY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 25, 1 February 1943, Page 1

SCHOOL IN GERMANY

BLIND WAR PRISONERS MANY USEFUL SUBJECTS A school for blind prisoners of has been estaolished in Germany. They are taught music, massage, shorthand land typewriting, and hanaicrafts such las basket-ma King. Lieutenant the I Marquis of Normanby is in charge of tne school and the teacher of music is an Invercargill man, Sergeant RutherI lord Brown, son of Dr. and Mrs. Stan- , ley Bown, and a nephew of Mr. W. L. Walton, of the Wanganui Technical College staff. In letters to his parents, published in the Southland Times, Sergeant Brown tells something of his life as a prisoner of war and as a teacher of music to his unfortunate fellow prisoners who have lost their sight in the war. Writing on August 23 Sergeant Brown says: "It is very quiet here, but one alwavs seems to have something | to do. 1 get up at 7.30, have my breaklast and get my pupils cracking on their practice. At 10.30 I have a Braille class, where I am learning the ordinary Braille system with Lieutenant the Marquis of Normanby, and later 1 will De doing the musical Braille system, which Is quite different. After lunch I have lour lessons (there will be more next week) and then a break before a walk at 3.30, arriving back just about dinner time. In the evening 1 usually manage a bit of practice myself, then supper and bed at nine. Sometimes I manage a game of tenniquoits or bridge after dinner, and sometimes am at band practice. Rural District, "The district around here is very pretty and rural and the walks are usually through woods along the sides nt small lakes and through the local village, typical of German villages in all parts of the country. But it gives such wonderful pleasure to get out at all, and do the blind boys enjoy it! As I look out at the window now the village church looms above us, built in stone in 1740 odd. I haven’t been in it yet, but 1 hope to some time." In a later letter Sergeant Brown states that the musical lessons had been interrupted by the arrival of a batch of wounded Canadians and that he had been called on to assist the medical staff (Sergeant Brown was a chemist in civilian life). He writes: “The worst cases were put into one ward and I was put in charge of it. For one week 1 was fiatout with no other medical to help with 16 patients. Then, as some of the lads got better, my work eased off considerably. One boy died the first night, but the others are O.K. now. It nas been very exciting, but I have enjoyed it." After his busy time with the wounded Canadians Sergeant Brown took ill and when he wrote his next letter he was in bed with an attack of pleurisy. In his letter he says: “I have been in bed for five days, but should be up any time now as it was only a mild attack." Colonial Capcrt Writing on September 23 Sergeant Brown says: "Last night we had a great time. Canada, New Zealand aid Australia put on a concert called ■Colonial Capers,' and it went off with a bang. There were three sketches, a camp fire scene, Dad and Dave, ajd a nudist colony stunt, and the-' wre really funny. I'he Kiwis put the finish to it with a full-dress Maori scene. We did the canoe poi, with actions, to which 1 sang the verse in Maori, followed by a haka led by a Rotorua Arawa, and ending with 'Maori Battalion.’ We got a wonderful reception and it was a grand show considering that two of the leaders, both Maoris, have peg legs. Four ot us, one Milton (blind), one Rotorua (pee leg), one Auckland (short leg) and one Invercargill (100 per cent.) sang 'E Pari Ra’ and 'Pokare Pokare Ana' in Maori and we had a ukelele solo and a guitar solo from two Canadians. Everybody seemed very thrilled with it. "The sun is shining outside and in a few minutes I am going a walk with the blind boys. The entertainment side ol the blind school will be starting in a while I hope. The Marquis of Normanby askea me yesterday if I would get some of the lads who can do any little thing to work together toward lorming a little band, singing, piano, and plays, and, of course, I am keen to get a quartet going too. They are a very keen lot o< laas and nothing is to big lor therp. It is really amazing what they can do and most of them make very light of their inflictions." Quick to Learn In a later letter Sergeant Brown again speaks in appreciative terms of his blind pupils, lie says: "These blind ooys are very quick lo pick anything up. On the piano 1 have found it policy to take them straight away with car training and 1 find that in most cases, even with no knowledge of I he piano, their ears are very sensitive. It is all very interesting. "The blind arranged a debate for themselves and tutors on the subject 'British or American Films' Of course it was obvious alter the first two speakers had finished which side was going to win. Everybody present had to join in and 80 per cent, were lor the Yanks. On Friday afternoon, in lehearsal for the next evening for the blind we read the play 'The Unknown,’ by Somerset Maughan, in which I have the part of Sylvia, and J did enjoy it, though the play is reall; not suitable. We are working it lik a radio play."