Villages are nearly empty as we come to them, cats, dogs, and a few
fowls being all that are left. Doors are open and the dinner things
left on the tables, and people crying. There is plenty of fruit
everywhere. The people left give one anything, and are very kind to
us in every way. We are really enjoying ourselves very much, and take
a very hopeful view that the Germans will soon realize that they have
bitten off more than they can chew: _Private G. Brown_.
Held Up!
In a village we passed through the baker was working all night making
bread, and all the time he was working the Germans were standing over
him with revolvers. At a farm we passed the farmer said they stole
thirty of his racehorses. These horses, of course, would be no use to
the Germans as draught or saddle horses, and it is not an unreasonable
supposition that they were commandeered for food: _Pte. A. Forbes,
Gordon Highlanders_.
Not So “Swanky”
Their prisoners aren’t near so swanky as they were at first, when they
used to move about as though the British soldiers weren’t fit to be
seen with. Now they’re glad to fall into our hands, and if they see the
uniform at all they surrender without further trouble. They’ve all got
Government news-sheets containing all sorts of stories, and they say
that these are distributed every day. Perhaps they get them instead
of grub, and if that’s the case it would account for the half-fed
appearance of so many of the prisoners: _Pte. Taylor, Rifle Brigade_.