Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXII. English Prisoners from Ypres
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
360 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
with human beings. There they came, Albion’s proud scions.
If you examine closely the five photographs which I took of
them whilst they were marching past the outskirts of Kruiseik,
you will get a very good idea of what a brand-new convoy of
prisoners from the front looks like.
First came a German soldier with an English officer on his
left side, a tall man of distinguished appearance. He carried
his hands behind him, under his greatcoat ; he did not seem
to notice us at all, and appeared quite unmoved by the harrow-
ing events which he had doubtless witnessed that very day,
and his glance was fixed with an expression of utter indifference
on the horizon straight ahead of him.
Then came the convoy, three abreast, the most diverse
types one could imagine, dark and fair, handsome and ugly,
well set up and slouching, cheerful and downcast. As I lifted
my camera at them, a facetious Tommy cried out, " May I
have a copy, sir ?
" The German guards did not love their
charges. That, after all, is easy to understand, but I saw no
expressions of hatred. Rank after rank drew past. They
were dressed in practical and neat uniforms, a little browner
in colour than the German. Most of them had nothing to
carry, but some wore coats slung over the arm or over the
shoulder. Some were smoking. Here and there was a slightly
wounded man. When they came inside the village, they were
all ordered to halt and here the prisoners were allowed to rest
awhile, although they looked by no means tired. A young
German lieutenant who was present when they were captured
and who now headed the convoy, assured me that this par-
ticular English unit had surrendered five minutes after the
attack began. But up to then they had obstinately defended
their position. All the Germans I spoke to were of the same
opinion respecting the individual bravery of the English
—
it was above all praise. The rear of the convoy was brought
up by a row of carts and wagons containing seriously wounded
English soldiers. One of them, I think he was a Colonel, lay
comfortably on a stretcher which had been placed right across
a cart, as shown in the accompanying picture. He was pale,
but did not complain and lay with eyes closed without noticing
the noise and bustle around him. Perhaps his light was going
out, perhaps his heart had already stopped beating. Slowly
the cart disappeared from view in the long procession of
wounded Britons.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
