and returned for dinner between 11.15 and 1.30, according
to the job, left the prison at 1.30 (if we had not arrived for dinner
until after 1 we got extra time), and struck work any time between
5.30 and 10.30....

"In our (British) lines if one (a prisoner of war) has to work extra
time, one always gets time off to compensate, also one has plenty of
food to work on. Here, extra work carried no compensations. The work,
especially latterly, was mainly unloading trucks, pushing the trucks
about, and packing the contents of the trucks in various stores.

"In the yard were always parties of French and Belgians working, and,
if allowed, they would have given us their souls. At the commencement
of our stay, however, we were told to take nothing from the French,
and it was certainly not many days before we found it was almost
impossible to take anything from them because the penalty was so
great. Whenever the French and the Belgians did get a chance they
availed themselves of it....

"Let us never forget that we also got things from the Germans. Until
we reached Phalemphin we had received no rough or cruel treatment
whatever....

"At Douai our gaolers were without exception friendly and kind; at
Lille our gaolers were taciturn, and when they did speak, though loud
and threatening in words, laid hands on no man. We were, therefore,
expecting no man-handling, and it came as a fearful shock. It is my
impression that man-handling began in about four days' time, but it
may be that some smaller incident, such as being thumped in the back
by the guard, had passed unnoticed as being mere playfulness on their
part.

"As to man-handling, it began slowly and increased in frequency, and I
think in severity, as the time went on, until, to me at any rate, it
became somewhat of a nightmare. Within a week of our arrival at
Phalemphin the guard would rush at, beat, strike, or kick any man who
had a pipe or cigarette in his mouth while we were being counted in
the yard....

"Suddenly the man in charge in that part of the yard appeared. It was
the first time I had seen him. Judging from first impressions, he was
a quiet, self-contained, steady kind of man, rather like the great
'Agrippa' in 'Shock-headed Peter' to look at.... Suddenly the man
changed, and with a sudden rush was amongst us.

"'Agrippa,' thinking he was being disparaged, flew at Barber and
struck him violently two or three times in the face. One of our
sergeants, named M