The houses were very draughty, many windows were broken

TCD MS 3416 page 73

TCD MS 3416 page 73

[July 1916]

“Officers of all ranks shall pay for their wants, eg. food, drinks, clothes and rent of houses occupied, oil, wood for the winter months coal and stoves. The Turkish Government chooses only habitable houses, & puts them at the disposal of prisoners of war who must buy furniture for themselves. As to soldiers the Government feeds & clothes them the same as the Turkish soldier is clothed and fed. Meals will be properly prepared, and the cooking properly and well done by the engaging of a cook who has served in several houses at Constantinople…. The food shall be in accordance to hygenic rules…. Prices will be fixed by the Commandant in accordance with market prices”- I will now add a few comments to the above “orders”: – How could we pay for our wants when at that time we were 3 months in arrears of pay, & even if we had been paid the prices of all necessities were so prohibitive that we never could have been able to afford such necessary articles as Stoves – The houses were very draughty, many windows were broken, and no arrangements for washing existed at all – Our orderlies had not been clothed, and we were obliged to pay for their messing as the money due to them in lieu of rations was