They swarmed around us in thick black clouds. They recalled
the British housefly, only they were much larger, and extremely
pugnacious. Life within the barracks became almost impossible owing to
their attacks and the severity of their stings, which set up maddening
irritation. We petitioned the authorities to allow us a supply of
fly-papers. After considerable demur they acquiesced, but we could not
use them, or rather they were used up too rapidly. The evening we
received them we decided to attach a few to the ceiling, but before we
could fix them in position their fly-catching capacities were exhausted.
They were covered with a heaving, buzzing black mass of insects within a
minute. So we abandoned fly-catching tactics.

This pestilence harassed us sorely during our meals. They settled
everywhere and upon everything. While butter or margarine were
unobtainable at the canteen we were able to purchase a substance which
resembled honey in appearance, colour, and taste. Indeed we were told
that it was an artificial product of the beehive. When we spread this
upon our bread the flies swarmed to the attack, and before the food
could be raised to our mouths the bread was not to be seen for flies. At
first we spent considerable effort in brushing the insects away, but
their numbers were too overwhelming to be resisted, so we were compelled
to run the risk of the flies, and I, in common with others, have eaten
bread, honey, and flies as well! It took considerable time and effort to
master such a revolting meal, but under these conditions, it was either
flies or nothing, so we ran the risk of the insects, although it cannot
be said that they contributed to the tastiness of an already indifferent
food, or our peace of mind, because we could not dismiss thoughts of the
cesspool which the flies made their happy hunting-ground during the
periods between meals.

Infraction of the rules and regulations were frequent, for the simple
reason that they were never explained to us. We had to learn them as
best we could--invariably through the experience of punishment. This
state of affairs placed us at the mercy of the guards. Those who were
venomously anti-British expended their savagery upon us on every
occasion. For the slightest misdemeanour we were consigned to the cells
for one, two, three, or more days. The cell recalled my domicile in
Wesel, and I must confess that I made the acquaintance of its uninviting
interior upon several oc