Our escort proved to be most friendly

TCD MS 10823 folio 9 recto

TCD MS 10823 folio 9 recto

[March 23rd 1918] our daily ration and so <only> eat a little of the bread at a time.
The next morning, after being given a slice of bread we were marched off to Bachant, a distance of 19 Kilometres. Through all the villages that we passed the inhabitants were again wonderfully kind and one felt so sorry for them under the German yoke,  their despair was very great when they saw us all come through as prisoners, but we told them to keep up their courage as we were bound to win in the long run. For the first half of the way we had a mounted escort under a vilely rude N.C.O. Many of the officers by this time had very sore feet, as they were wearing gum boots when captured, and these long marches along the hard high road had blistered their feet terribly, so that we could only go slowly. After going for an hour I said that we must have a halt, and halt the column did, falling out on the side of the road. The N.C.O. in charge of the guard abused us like pickpockets and threatened to shoot us because we had halted. However we paid no attention to him, and after we had rested, went on until another guard came and took over from him. Our second escort proved to be most friendly and polite, allowing us to halt whenever we liked, and to receive presents of food from the villagers.
On arrival at Bachant, we went into a prisoners camp, where there were already collected many officers and men; a good number of them I knew, as they belonged to the same Division, and I was very glad to find some of my own officers alive that I had thought to be dead. In the evening we were given a thin gruel-like soup and went to bed very hungry. The Commandant here was quite