POW diaries - Captain Percival Lowe, item 12

• November 4, 2017 00:56:30 Thomas A. Lingner

   Page  4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot. This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any case, they were taking no

  chances. All the officers' escort was concentrated in

  our part of the compartment, the French being more or

  less unguarded. We did not progress very far by rail. 

  When we were derailed, it appeared that the

  French in their retreat had blown up a big viaduct,

  and numerous bridges; that the real rail head

  was some 26 kilometres away. The result of this was

  a very unpleasant walk. I had had the greatest difficulty

  to get my boot on in the morning. We were now on

  a direct line of communication and were continually

  passing wagons, guns etc, going either to the front or

  the rear. One ammunition wagon we passed was on fire. A

  pleasing sight! The greater part of the march lay through forest. We passed through

  HIRSON which had been fortified, abattis etc. Long after dark

  and dead tired, we reached our destination ARNOT but not the end of

  our walk. We were first marched to the railway station. There

  we were met by the commandant, & a lieutenant. The latter

  was not a bad sort. The former might have come out of comic

  opera. The Hauptman drew his sword shouted, & pranced about.

  The lieutenant told us his Captain did not like the English. The day before

  A line leading from the adjacent page to a mark(X) after the word English in the line above indicates the insertion of the text "& that in Germany he was a big man politically." 

  a party of English prisoners whom, I subsequently discovered were my own

  Regt. had been attacked & the garrison had to be threatened with

• June 17, 2017 17:30:45 L G

                                                                     4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot. This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any cases, they were taking no

  chances. All the officers' escourt was concentrated in

  our part of the compartment, the French being more or

  less unguarded. We did not progress very far by rail. 

  When we were disembarked derailed, it appeared that the

  French in their retreat had blown up a big viaduct,

  and numerous bridges; and that the real rail head

  was some 26 kilometres away.  The result of this was

  a very unpleasant walk. I had had the greatest difficulty

  to get my boot on in the morning. We were now on

  a direct line of communication and were continually

  passing wagons, guns etc, going either to the front or

  the rear. One ammunition wagon we passed was on fire. A

  [insert] pleasing sight! [/insert] The greater part of the march lay through forest. We passed through

  one place  HIRSON which had been fortified, abattis etc. X Long after dark

  and dead tired, we reached our destination ^[insert] ARNOT [/insert] but not the end of

  our walk. We were first marched to the railway station. There

  we were met by the commanant, & a lieutenant. The latter

  was not a bad sort. The former might have come out of comic

  opera. He The Hauptman drew his sword and shouted , & pranced about

  The lieutenant told us he ^[insert] his Captain [/insert] did not like the English X The day before

  A line leading from the adjacent page to a mark(X) after the word English in the line above indicates the insertion of the text "& that in Germany he was a big man politically." 

  a party of English ^[insert] prisoners [/insert] whom,  I subsequently discovered were my own

  Regt. had been attacked & the garrison had to be threatened with

  
  

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• June 17, 2017 17:30:38 L G

                                                                     4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot. This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any cases, they were taking no

  chances. All the officers' escourt was concentrated in

  our part of the compartment, the French being more or

  less unguarded. We did not progress very far by rail. 

  When we were disembarked derailed, it appeared that the

  French in their retreat had blown up a big viaduct,

  and numerous bridges; and that the real rail head

  was some 26 kilometres away.  The result of this was

  a very unpleasant walk. I had had the greatest difficulty

  to get my boot on in the morning. We were now on

  a direct line of communication and were continually

  passing wagons, guns etc, going either to the front or

  the rear. One ammunition wagon we passed was on fire. A

  [insert] pleasing sight! [/insert] The greater part of the march lay through forest. We passed through

  one place  HIRSON which had been fortified, abattis etc. X Long after dark

  and dead tired, we reached our destination ^[insert] ARNOT [/insert] but not the end of

  our walk. We were first marched to the railway station. There

  we were met by the commanant, & a lieutenant. The latter

  was not a bad sort. The former might have come out of comic

  opera. He The Hauptman drew his sword and shouted , & pranced about

  The lieutenant told us he ^[insert] his Captain [/insert] did not like the English X The day before

  A line leading from the adjacent page to a mark(X) after the word english in the line above indicates the insertion of the text "& that in Germany he was a big man politically." 

  a party of English ^[insert] prisoners [/insert] whom,  I subsequently discovered were my own

  Regt. had been attacked & the garrison had to be threatened with

  
  

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• June 17, 2017 17:30:19 L G

                                                                     4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot. This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any cases, they were taking no

  chances. All the officers' escourt was concentrated in

  our part of the compartment, the French being more or

  less unguarded. We did not progress very far by rail. 

  When we were disembarked derailed, it appeared that the

  French in their retreat had blown up a big viaduct,

  and numerous bridges; and that the real rail head

  was some 26 kilometres away.  The result of this was

  a very unpleasant walk. I had had the greatest difficulty

  to get my boot on in the morning. We were now on

  a direct line of communication and were continually

  passing wagons, guns etc, going either to the front or

  the rear. One ammunition wagon we passed was on fire. A

  [insert] pleasing sight! [/insert] The greater part of the march lay through forest. We passed through

  one place  HIRSON which had been fortified, abattis etc. X Long after dark

  and dead tired, we reached our destination ^[insert] ARNOT [/insert] but not the end of

  our walk. We were first marched to the railway station. There

  we were met by the commanant, & a lieutenant. The latter

  was not a bad sort. The former might have come out of comic

  opera. He The Hauptman drew his sword and shouted , & pranced about

  The lieutenant told us he ^[insert] his Captain [/insert] did not like the English X The day before

   A line leading from the adjacent page to a mark(X) after the word english in the line above indicates the insertion of the text "& that in Germany he was a big man politically." 

  a party of English ^[insert] prisoners [/insert] whom,  I subsequently discovered were my own

  Regt. had been attacked & the garrison had to be threatened with

  
  

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• June 17, 2017 16:23:55 Annick Rodriguez

                                                                     4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot; This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any cases, they were taking no

  chances. All the officers' escourt was concentrated in

  our part of the compartment, the French being more or

  less unguarded. We did not progress very far by rail. 

  When we were disembarked derailed; it appeared that the

  French in their retreat had blown up a big viaduct,

  and numerous bridges; and that the real rail head

  was some 26 kilometres away.  The result of this was

  a very unpleasant walk. I had had the greatest difficulty

  to get my boot on in the morning. We were now on

  a direct line of communication and were continually

  passing wagons, guns etc, going either to the front or

  the rear. One ammunition wagon we passed was on fire. A

  [insert] pleasing sight! [/insert] The greater part of the march lay through forest. We passed through

  one place  HIRSON which had been fortified, abattis the X Long after dark

  and dead tired, we reached our destination ^[insert] ARNOT [/insert] but not the end of

  our walk. We were first marched to the railway station. There

  we were met by the commanant, & a lieutenant. The latter

  was not a bad sort. The former might have come out of comic

  opera. He The Hauptman drew his sword and shouted , & pranced about

  The lieutenant told us he ^[insert] his Captain [/insert] did not like the English X The day before

  a party of English ^[insert] prisoners [/insert] whom,  I subsequently discovered were my own

  Regt. had been attacked & the garrison had to be threatened with

  
  

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• June 16, 2017 22:48:45 Annick Rodriguez

                                                                     4

  that I had had for several days. But we soon saw that we,

  and the French, were on quite different footings. Thus whilst

  the French were merely asked if they had any weapons, we

  were minutely searched. They also wanted us to give our

  parole not to escape; of course we did nothing of the 

  kind. It was further intimated that if one of us escaped,

  the others would be shot; This may have been bluff,

  or it may not. In any case

  
  

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• June 16, 2017 22:44:44 Annick Rodriguez

                                                                     4

  that I had had

  
  

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