TCD MS 3416 page 74
[July 1916]
at that time not forthcoming from the Turkish Government – Our food was always dirty and almost uneatable, plates, knives and forks were also dirty so hardly “in accordance with hygene” – We were never given a list of prices fixed by the Commandant. From the above the reader can form some sort of idea of the difficulties with which we had to contend. On our refusing to sign the “orders”, the Comdt threatened us with the stopping of all outdoor exercise. The Comdt still refused to come near us and so all communication with him had to be done through the medium of an interpreter, a few, Moyes by name, who spoke very indifferent English, & who I fear often mistranslated our messages to the Comdt. We never, however, ever signed the “orders.”
On July 29th at 11 p.m., without any warning the Comdt closed the Restaurant, the result of this was that we had no food the following day. At 1 p.m. July 30th one of our number was allowed to go out and buy food for the day. When the food arrived it was cooked by the contractor who had had in the meantime orders to stay on! This extraordinary event, however, proved to be some “difference of opinion” between the Comdt and the Contractor – Thieves divided