28 Sept 1918: POW Graudenz

Saturday Sept 28th     Got a photo of the Kidlet and an old Bournemouth snap.  Topping to see home photos here.

Nearly forgot to mention; Gerson has been for a long time very keen on escaping.  Last Tuesday [24th Sept] he donned his British Warm, whose pockets were stuffed with biscuits chocolates, Horlicks malted milk, Bovril tablets &c, enough food for ten days.  We shoved him into one of the washing bags together with piles of dirty washing (Pretty filthy for him) – carried him downstairs (Hell of a sweat) and chucked him over the stone balustrade on to the washing cart, I being below to break his fall, and to arrange other sacks around him.  Unfortunately, due to the non-sympathy and wind-up of one of our officers, who was in charge of the washing, we got no help in the matter, and no orderlies to assist us.  He was half buried in the washing bags, and the driver, trampling the bags down, managed, despite our efforts, to tread on his head.  Between pain and suffocation, he fairly yelled, but was unobserved except by us, who loosened the mouth of the bag.  He was carted out, but unfortunately, his cart being heavily loaded, they decided to move some bags to the other cart, when his bag was discovered.  Some fellow stuck a bayonet through it, but fortunately missed him, merely doing their washing a bit of good.  Gerson has been in clink ever since but we take up for him his meals, books &c. regularly.