Monday Oct 28th. Over 250 down with grippe, and, of the rest practically no one out on the square taking exercise. Spent the morning kicking a Rugger ball about. Felt pretty rotten but I think it did me good.
evening, Strange, who failed to escape with Clinton; Baer, the American in our room, and Lomax, managed to get a plank across from the back of the theatre and resting it from the sentry shelter to the outer wire crossed it in civilian clothes. After a moment we heard a shot from outside, but no one was hit. At the subsequent roll-call, six were found to be missing and were reported as ‹escaped›. Three Australians had hidden in a cupboard. The German officer was cheerfully astounded to see them next day. They told him that they found the weather too cold and so came back; which act of generosity did not prevent them getting three days cells each.
