t grace they could. There was the usual
_verdamning_, growling and prodding but no really bad treatment. For
this they were sentenced to two weeks cells and six weeks of strafe
barracks.

They had been much bothered by the lack of a compass on their trip; so
when they finished their strafing and were once more allowed the
privileges of the mail, Simmons took a chance and wrote on the inside
of an envelope addressed to his brother in Canada: "Send a compass."
He was not called up so we hoped that it had gone through.

CHAPTER XIII

THE TRAITOR AT VEHNMOOR

The Swamp at Cellelaager--Seven Hundred Men and Two Small
Stoves--Taking the Stripes Down--The Recreant Sergeant Major--"Go
Ahead an' Shoot--!"

Giessen is in Hesse. Shortly after this we were all sent to
Cellelaager in Hanover. This was the head camp of a series reserved
for the punishment or the working of prisoners. Each unit retained the
name of Cellelaager and received in addition a number, as Cellelaager
1, Cellelaager 2 and so on. There were grounds here providing a lot
for football, and a theatre run by the prisoners, for which there was
an entrance fee, and other like amusements. These, however, were only
for those prisoners who were on good behaviour and who were employed
there. As such they were denied such desperadoes as ourselves.

We remained there for two weeks and were then sent to the punishment
camp known as Vehnmoor or Cellelaager 6. This was a good day's ride
away and also in Hanover, fifteen kilometres from the big military
town of Oldenburg. Here we were turned out to work on the moors with
four hundred Russians, one hundred French and Belgians and two hundred
British and Canadians. We were housed in one large hut built on a
swamp and were continually wet. There were only two small stoves for
the seven hundred men and we had only a few two pound syrup tins in
which to cook. A poor quality of peat was our only fuel. As only five
men could crowd round a stove at a time, one's chances were rather
slim in the dense mob, every man-jack of whom was waiting to slip into
the first vacant place that offered.

We slept in a row along the wall, with our heads to it. Overhead a
broad shelf supported a similar row of men. Above them were the
windows. At our feet and in the centre of the room, there was a two
foot passage way and then another row of men, with two shelves housing
two more layers of sleepers above them. Then another two foo