rosses were so
numerous. As I stood to attention he politely inquired if I spoke
German, even condescending to smile faintly when I replied, "Ja, un
peu!" At first when I answered a few preliminary questions he was
politeness itself. He then asked for my squadron number, to which I
could only reply that I was sorry but could not answer him, whereupon
he pointed out that it was of no military value whatever, and that it
was only to assist in my identification in the report of my capture
which would go to England. So thoughtful of him; such a plausible
excuse! Of course I remained silent, whereupon "_la politesse_"
vanished and an angry Hun took its place. He screamed, threatened, and
waved his arms about, but as I did not seem very impressed at the
display, he rushed out of the room, slamming the door and not
returning. Oh, for a "movie" camera! A Flying Corps officer then took
me in a car to an aerodrome, and told me I should have lunch with the
officers at the chateau, where they were quartered. Here I met about
nine German airmen, who greeted me in a typically foreign manner. They
seemed quite a nice lot on the whole, though I did not know them long
enough to really form an opinion. Soon a good German gramophone was
playing and lunch began. The food was rather poor, but champagne
plentiful. During the meal the gramophone, which was nearest to me,
finished a record, so getting up I changed the needle and started the
other side. But it wasn't the "Bing Boys" this time! Strange to say,
they were quite astonished at this performance, thinking, perhaps,
that I could not change the needle. Afterwards, at coffee, a
lieutenant asked me what we thought of their flying corps, to which I
replied that I thought it was all right. He seemed quite prepared for
this, and hastily said that I must remember that they had fewer
machines. I think it must have occurred to every captured airman how
splendid it would be to steal an enemy aeroplane and fly back, then
after a graceful landing report to the C.O. that you had returned.
These flights are not infrequently pleasurably accomplished in
imagination, but such opportunities do not often, if ever, present
themselves.

Just before leaving the chateau, I excused myself and got as far as
the back door, where I had to explain to some German orderlies that I
was only trying to find my coat. I was taken by car to corps
headquarters at another chateau, where I saw some young officers,
elegant