e captured on the
battlefield. The latter was not discovered for some time because he
refused to reveal his identity. Subsequently, realising the serious turn
which matters were taking, and observing the intentional and systematic
neglect which was being meted out to his unfortunate fellow-countrymen,
he buckled in and did wonderful work. Prince L---- and K---- also toiled
incessantly in the attempt to ameliorate the plight of our wounded. Many
of the soldiers were absolutely without funds, but these two civilians
extended them the assistance so sorely needed out of their own pockets,
purchasing food-stuffs from the canteen, which they distributed together
with other articles which were in urgent request, with every liberality.

The lack of funds hit our wounded exceedingly hard. Although they were
on the sick list they received no special treatment. They were in dire
need of nourishing food suitable for invalids, but they never received
it. They were compelled, in common with ourselves who were in tolerably
good health, to subsist on milkless and sugarless acorn coffee,
cabbage-soup, and black bread, which cannot possibly be interpreted as
an invalid body-restoring dietary. As a result of this insufficient
feeding the soldiers commenced to fall away.

This systematic starvation, for it was nothing more nor less, rendered
the soldiers well-nigh desperate. In order to secure the money wherewith
to supplement their meagre and uninviting non-nutritious food with
articles from the canteen, they were prepared to sell anything and
everything which could be turned into a few pence. Khaki overcoats were
freely sold for six shillings apiece. For sixpence you could buy a pair
of puttees. Even buttons were torn off and sold for what they would
fetch. One morning, on parade, a soldier whose face testified to the
ravages of hunger tore off his cardigan jacket and offered it to any one
for sixpence in order to buy bread. Little souvenirs which the soldiers
had picked up on the battlefield, and which they treasured highly,
hoping to take them home as mementoes of their battles, were sold to any
one who would buy. As a matter of fact some of the soldiers were
prepared to part with anything and everything in which they were
standing in order to get food.

While we fraternised with the soldiers at the very first opportunity to
secure details of their experiences which were freely given and to learn
items of news, the German guards inte