ns drew his money without
difficulty but I found that I was fifteen months dead and was told
that I could get no money until my identity was reestablished. I
protested; so much so in fact that I fully expected to land in the
"clink." No use. I was sent out on the street talking to myself.

We next called on Lady Rivers-Bulkeley and Lady Drummond to thank them
for the very great kindness of themselves and the Canadian Red Cross
in sending us our parcels regularly, and without which we would
assuredly have been too weak to have made our escape. Lady Farquhar,
the wife of our late commanding officer, was out of town, so we did
not see her, much as we desired to thank her for similar kindnesses.

Simmons was single. He was sent to Canada at once and was promptly
discharged. I had a wife and family awaiting me there and I wanted
badly to go to them by the next boat. My wife had been receiving
letters from me during my fifteen months' imprisonment; she had
regularly received her separation allowance; the Canadian Red Cross
and many kind friends in London had been sending me prisoner-of-war
parcels for a year; the authorities admitted my identity and my former
comrades recognised me; I had fifteen months' pay at $1.20 a day,
besides a subsistence allowance of sixty-five cents a day, coming to
me; but could not draw a cent of it. I was dead. And continued so
for three months. There is no explanation. "It's a way they have in
the Army"; or so the army says.

[Illustration: THE CEMETERY AT CELLE LAAGER Z 1 CAMP.]

[Illustration: CORPORAL EDWARDS (SECOND FROM LEFT) AFTER HIS
ESCAPE. THE TWO GOLD BARS ON HIS LEFT COAT SLEEVE INDICATE THAT
HE HAS BEEN TWICE WOUNDED.]

In the end it was only through the active intervention of Sir George
Perley, the Canadian High Commissioner in London that my case was
righted. He, I believe, cabled the Ottawa authorities, who in turn got
in touch with my wife, who produced the necessary documentary evidence
to prove that I had been alive and a prisoner all this time.

I went to the depot at Seaford. I borrowed from my old friends. I hung
round the pay office. The paymaster said I was not on the strength of
the regiment. I was old soldier enough to profit by that calamity at
least. The bitter injustice of such miscarriage of justice blinded me,
as I think it eventually does most soldiers, to the accepted code of
civil life. I refused to attend roll call or do drills, fatigues, or