Howard-Bury is represented by three manuscripts; two diaries and a memoir entitled ‘Some experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany’ (MS 10823). The memoir is physically a hybrid draft consisting of 47 sheets made up of at least two different carbon typescripts, heavily annotated, arranged to make one text; there are also some manuscript sections. The text has been read and annotated by a second person.
‘Some experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany’
- Tanks used for the first timein the big attack on Flers.
- It was pitch dark at the timeand impossible to see a yard in any direction.
- A good deal of gas still hung aboutbut it was now possible to move without a gas-mask.
- The Boche were everywhere all around usbeing worried by our Lewis guns.
- The Germans rushed in upon usand with a loud cheer it was all up.
- Being able to speak German proved most usefulthough it was wiser to pretend complete ignorance.
- All of us were very hungryas no food had passed our lips for twenty four hours.
- The French showed us the greatest sympathyand I shall never forget their goodness.
- The officer in charge was a rude brutewho threatened to shoot us.
- Our escort proved to be most friendlyallowing us to receive food from the villagers.
- For those in cattle trucksit must have been misery.
- The only break being the midday mealwhen we actually saw a small piece of meat.
- The camp consisted of wooden hutsdivided into rooms of various sizes.
- There used to be a concertin which all the camp talent took part.
- No one was ever allowed outside the campso that the inside of the barbed wire became the whole world to us.
- The wounded officers had undergone terrible hardshipsremaining for days in open trucks.
- The German officer in charge was most fierce lookingbut he went out of his way to be agreeable to us.
- We were received very kindly by everyoneand the German Adjutant was most agreeable.
- Of potatoes we got a fair amountexept for two months in the summer.
- The great excitement every day was the parcel cartwhich used to arrive in camp about ten o’clock.
- The Bathing Party used to have a good swim in the lake.We were not supposed to go more than 50 yards.
- The country was very pretty all aroundgently undulating and with great forests of Scotch fir.
- It was necessary to have mental occupationin order to prevent one’s brain from vegetating.
- The Dramatic Society used to give entertainmentsused to give us various entertainments.
- I had a garden inside the wirewhich supllied us with fresh tomatoes.
- The stuff that they used to bring in was called brandybut it had never seen a grape.
- No one had attempted to excape for many monthsso that the sentries were lulled into a security.
- I had decided to make for the Danish frontieras there was the possibility of being able to jump a coal train.
- In return for a few tins of foodone of the Germans provided the maps that were required.
- We thereupon determined make a dash for it.There was a space of about 100 yards between the two sentries.
- Five shots were fired at us as we ranbut the sentries were not good shots.
- One of the wolf dogs started sniffing over our headsand I thought we were bound to be found out.
- I lost the bag with my biscuits for my journey& tried to debouche again, only to find the sentry waiting for me.
- My costume was a curious one I had on an old German felt hatwith a khaki coloured waistcoat.
- I kept to the small trackswhich were very dificult to find at night.
- Beech mast proved to be quite good as foodand once I was lucky enough to find a small marrow.
- Pretending that I was a travellerI asked them to put me on the right road
- The floor was hard and draughtyand sleep would not come.
- Our escort said they admired our escapewhich they thought very sporting.
- We were not permitted to talk to one anotherbut we were allowed an hour’s walking exercise.
- There was a library in the campwhere we could borrow books.
- I protested against this treatment& was only visited twice the following nights.
- At last we seemed to be properly winning the warand the German people was beginning to know it.
- There was trouble over parcelsan enormous number of them were stolen.
- A miniature golf course had been builtinside the wire to provide exercise.
- An ingenious place for concealing contrabandin the hollow bust of the Kaiser.
- The news of that the Armistice had been acceptedwas taken very quietly by the camp.
- The Germans disliked Mad Harrynearly as much as we did.
- The Commandant came down to the stationto wish us goodbye and good luck.
- The kindness that we received from the Danespasses all description.
- On the fourth day we landed at Leiththankful to find ourselves on British soil.
in the big attack on Flers.
and impossible to see a yard in any direction.
but it was now possible to move without a gas-mask.
being worried by our Lewis guns.
and with a loud cheer it was all up.
though it was wiser to pretend complete ignorance.
as no food had passed our lips for twenty four hours.
and I shall never forget their goodness.
who threatened to shoot us.
allowing us to receive food from the villagers.
it must have been misery.
when we actually saw a small piece of meat.
divided into rooms of various sizes.
in which all the camp talent took part.
so that the inside of the barbed wire became the whole world to us.
remaining for days in open trucks.
but he went out of his way to be agreeable to us.
and the German Adjutant was most agreeable.
exept for two months in the summer.
which used to arrive in camp about ten o’clock.
We were not supposed to go more than 50 yards.
gently undulating and with great forests of Scotch fir.
in order to prevent one’s brain from vegetating.
used to give us various entertainments.
which supllied us with fresh tomatoes.
but it had never seen a grape.
so that the sentries were lulled into a security.
as there was the possibility of being able to jump a coal train.
one of the Germans provided the maps that were required.
There was a space of about 100 yards between the two sentries.
but the sentries were not good shots.
and I thought we were bound to be found out.
& tried to debouche again, only to find the sentry waiting for me.
with a khaki coloured waistcoat.
which were very dificult to find at night.
and once I was lucky enough to find a small marrow.
I asked them to put me on the right road
and sleep would not come.
which they thought very sporting.
but we were allowed an hour’s walking exercise.
where we could borrow books.
& was only visited twice the following nights.
and the German people was beginning to know it.
an enormous number of them were stolen.
inside the wire to provide exercise.
in the hollow bust of the Kaiser.
was taken very quietly by the camp.
nearly as much as we did.
to wish us goodbye and good luck.
passes all description.
thankful to find ourselves on British soil.