P.O.W. - LIEUT. E. A. WALMISLEY

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Edward Atherstone Walmisley was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 14 Aug 1915 with the West Surrey Regiment. Approximately six weeks later he was fighting in the front line trenches in France, alongside fellow officer, 2nd Lieutenant Charles Gardner Rought. (Rought was a member of the Thames Rowing Club alongside my great-uncle, Bruce Logan.)

Both Rought and Walmisley were captured by the Germans on the 19 December 1915 during an unofficial cessation of hostilities in their immediate area - initiated by the Germans in the opposite trenches - in order for the allies to bury their dead and tend to the wounded who were lying in no-man's land close to the German trenches.

Both these men were held as prisoners of war for almost the duration of the war. They were eventually repatriated to England. Walmisley passed away in 1988 in California, USA.

The following report was written by Lieutenant Walmisley describing their capture and Walmisley's time as a prisoner of war.

REPORT BY LIEUT. E. A. WALMISLEY, QUEEN'S R.W. SURREY

Capture. Dec. 19, 1914

On the morning of 19th December 1914, after a night attack and during an armistice for bringing in the wounded, I was taken prisoner in a most treacherous manner. As I approached the German front-line trench where many of our men lay in a pitiable condition, I was hailed by a German doctor who shouted out: "We are peaceful; come and take your comrades and send someone back for blankets." I gave this order; by this time I had got right up to their wire, which covered a natural ditch about 20 yards from the German front-line trench.

A brother officer, 2nd Lieut. Charles G. Rought, had gone out ahead of me, directly after our doctor (Dr. Griffin) had gone out. Looking up, I noticed he was in the German trench. I was about to shout to him when an officer from the trench asked if I were an officer, and, noticing my revolver on my belt, told me before returning to our lines I was to hand it over.

As I approached the trench to do this, I was seized and covered by a revolver, while a sergeant searched me, taking away all equipment. I was carrying no arms in my hands, only a revolver in my belt, when leaving our trenches. All the time I was demanding to be set free, but, seeing it was hopeless and an act of treachery as several of the wounded close to me were shot dead,we decided not to protest further, as the German speaking doctor told us we must see their C.O. before being allowed back.

We were then marched through their trenches under escort, arriving at what was apparently their dressing station. We were then confronted by two officers who shouted and cursed us for at least five minutes, accusing us of using dum-dum bullets and firing on the white flag, they told us we should be shot.

Luckily for us another officer arrived, who was apparently their senior, and after a further delay we were marched off under the same escort; on the way we picked up Captain Haddon of the Warwicks.

We now proceeded to battalion headquarters, and there met the C.0., who merely asked our names and regiments and told us we would be all right and sent shortly to Germany. We were given a small lunch consisting of meat and vegetables, glass of wine and a cigar. We then continued our march to a small village; arriving here, we were locked in a house where some soldiers were billeted, some straw was thrown in.

Our repeated requests for food were at last met and a cup of coffee and two sandwiches were brought in for each of us; we were then interrogated in turn by a German officer, who sent postcards home to our relatives and gave us a box of cigarettes.

Seclin. Dec. 20, 1914

The next morning we were formed up in the village street under an escort of Uhlans; here about 100 men joined us, including some Indians, two of whom were shot through the foot—they had to be practically carried. We then marched 9 kilos. to the village of Seclin, their rail-head, where we arrived in a very exhausted condition.

Journey. Dec. 20, 1914

Officers and men were immediately bodily searched by Landsturm men and greatcoats taken away. The men were then put into cattle-trucks, and the officers into a kind of luggage van with a wooden seat in the centre. We were then shunted in the station for more than five hours, the soldiers jeering and threatening with their fists, axes, and rifles; till at last about 20 men, perhaps going back on leave, got into our truck.

During all this time there did not seem to be any officers present. The soldiers brought in with them beer and spirits. In a very short time the atmosphere became unbearable. We were for several hours longer confined to this truck before reaching Lille. During the journey they sang their hymns of hate and marching songs.

Lille Citadel. Dec. 20-25, 1914

On arriving at Lille we were marched off to the Citadel, where we were again interrogated and put into detention cells with straw on the floor. We were given no food or drink until next morning. During 48 hours from time of capture we had only a glass of wine, cup of coffee, two sandwiches, a small piece of meat and vegetables. Our guards were apparently forbidden to allow us to receive any food or drink from civilians, although they tried hard to do so and were brutally thrust aside, the Uhlans repeatedly charging the crowd.

We stayed five days in the Citadel of Lille. During all the time the only food we received was what we were able to buy in the town through a German soldier, who charged us exorbitant prices for everything. After the first two or three days some more officers were brought in. We were repeatedly being interrogated.

The sanitary conditions were appalling—one E.C. (earth closet/cess pit) for officers and men and only a pump in the yard for washing purposes. One day an Indian arrived from Germany, who had a long interview with native officers and men; but as Captain Wylie, of 4th Ghurkas, was with us, I feel sure his visit was not successful.

We were divided into two parties, mine leaving first for Osnabruck in Hanover, where we arrived at 2 p.m on 25th December 1914.

Journey. Dec. 25, 14

We left Lille at 4 a.m. On arriving at a small station between Lille and Cologne we detrained for lunch: the men were given a bowl of skilly and the officers a piece of black bread and a piece of raw smoked ham.

Osnabrück. Dec. 25, 1914 - May 1916

We were immediately put in cells, two and three together, after being charged heavily for the brake which brought us from the station to the barracks. An hour after, we were bodily searched and interrogated by the under-officer in charge. All our clothes were then taken away from us, and we were sent to bed for three days until they had been boiled. In the meantime we had very little food, but we were most grateful for the rest.

The following is a rough idea of the daily ration provide for the officers at this camp: Friday—Breakfast, acorn coffee; lunch, soup, pickled skate, boiled potatoes; supper, tea and cheese: Saturday—Breakfast, acorn coffee; lunch, soup, sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes; supper, coffee Leberwurst.

The name of the Commandant at this time was Hauptmann Dünker, who was very fair in his dealings with the prisoners, but would grant no privileges or make any improvements without consulting higher authority. Feldwebel Leutnant Gravee was second in command, and the terror of the camp, especially among the Russians who all thirsted for his blood. He dealt with all trivial cases among them with confinement to cells, no matter the rank.

The total number of English at this time was about 27. Each officer was compelled to share a room,consisting entirely of other nationalities, whose ideas of ventilation and cleanliness were not the same. The building was heated by stoves, and one orderly was provided for each room of eight officers.There was a medical officer in attendance each day; any bad cases of sickness were immediately removed to the local hospital, where they apparently had very good attention with the exception of one Russian officer, who was suffering from some nervous complaint. His room was entered in the night by two drunken German soldiers who struck him repeatedly with rifles; he would have died but for the intervention of one of the nurses who drove them away. The officer's name I cannot remember, but he was back again in the camp when I left.

In the month of January, about seven Russian officers attempted an escape; they had burrowed under the outside wall of the building and about 20 yards into a field. This attempt was undoubtedly given away by a spy in the camp, because on the night arranged for the escape German sentries awaited them at the exit; they were then put under arrest and put into cells where they remained for several weeks with one hour's exercise a day in the court, and afterwards court-martialled and awarded six months confinement to a fortress.

The rooms were kept warm enough during the winter: a ration of fuel was given, and one was allowed to buy extra. The floors were scrubbed once a week.The beds mostly consisted of straw palliasses with one white sheet and two blankets in a Linen covering which was changed once a fortnight. The senior officer was responsible in each room.

During the winters our time was spent in studying languages and taking what outdoor exercise one could in a courtyard of 100 yards by 80 yards. There were more than 400 officers here at this time.

The sanitary arrangements just about this time were very bad indeed; later on improvements were made after an inspection from the American Embassy, Berlin. The outdoor sanitation consisted of a series of cess-pits which were pumped out once a week; on the three sides of the court there were large refuse bins which were cleared out at various times and only when overflowing, the smells often drove one indoors. The interior sanitation consisted of one water-closet on each floor, except in the case of very senior officers who lived in single room and had private ones.

In July 1915 two doctors were sent home, one of whom I believe wrote an article in the Times giving an account of the conditions here. In August about 40 officers were sent away to another camp, named Wahmbeck, and a few days after their departure 130 Russians and one Frenchman arrived from Stralsund; these officers consisted chiefly of promoted N.C.0.'s, and were sent here as a reprisal.

Before this arrival the ground-floor rooms had been emptied, as all the windows had bars to them and were always kept shut during the night.

Three English officers and myself were removed from our old rooms upstairs down to these rooms, and each English officer was put in a room with six Russians and one Frenchman.

One of the English officers, by name of Captain C. E. Jolliffe (Cheshire Regiment), who had a bad fracture of the thigh, and just out of hospital, was put in one of these rooms; in it a Russian captain was suffering from a very bad disease. Much gambling and drunkenness occurred in these rooms, and it was some weeks before another change was made.

At this time, Captain Blankenstein was in command of the camp. He was very agreeable to the English and tried his best to better the conditions; shortly after his arrival the exercising ground of the camp was extended, giving us the use of a riding school which we cleared out and built a theatre, the remaining space allowed two tennis courts and walking space round them; he also organised walks in the country and in the town under a strong escort, but these walks only lasted a very short time.

In the spring a German general inspected the camp, and evidently considered the canteen was selling too much butter and tobacco; the sale of both was stopped. These conditions, fortunately, lasted only one month. Another attempt at escape was made at this time by a Belgian Jesuit Army chaplain, who broke out of a window on the ground floor; with two Russian officers he had got across the first courtyard, after several hours, but unfortunately one of the Russian officers attracted the attention of a sentry, rifles were discharged in the court from all sides, the guard turned out, and entering the courtyard surrounded the priest,who, standing up, shouted distinctly in German, "I give myself up, don't shoot." Immediately one of the guards put a bullet through his body, killing him instantly. The sentries then lit their pipes and, laughing and joking, left the courtyard, leaving one sentry on duty there; the body was not removed until the early hours of the morning.

The next morning the prisoners were assembled in the riding school, and the Commandant in his speech explained that the dead priest had previously made two attempts at escape and had been warned that on the next attempt he would be shot.

During the summer months a Russian officer went mad and was removed to hospital. The state of mentality generally was normal with the exception of a few cases among the Russians. At times we all suffered from intense depression, especially on occasions when the Germans claimed victories—flags were flown on barracks, guns fired and bells rung.

We noticed towards the end of our captivity, we could not remember names of things, such us calling a spoon a fork or a glass a box, and all vowed we were going mad.

Just before Christmas there was a general change of rooms, the English officers being put together in two adjoining room, with the exception of one or two senior officers who were in small rooms.

On Christmas Day we had permission from the Commandant to have a special dinner n one of our rooms, and wine was allowed.

'l'he day before, the Commandant had been called away to Berlin, leaving the camp in charge of Lieut. Rosenthal. After dinner we toasted the King and sang the National Anthem, and unfortunately kept the lights on longer than we should have done; this aggravated the N.C.0. on duty to such an extent that he called out the officer, who came accompanied by sentries to our room and after making a speech ordered us all to proceed at once to the cells. Before going he gave us permission to put on greatcoats. While we were doing this, Captain D. Barry (1st H.L.I. - Highland Light Infantry) was the first to leave the room; the last I saw of him, he was putting on his British warm in the doorway, apparently quite sober.

On going into the passage we saw him being hurried along between two sentries. When we arrived down the corridor to the staircase we were met by Lieut. Rosenthal, accompanied by Colonel Christopher, A.S.C., our senior officer, whom he had visited and explained his reasons for sending us to cells. When our C.0. saw us he inquired into the matter, and we were sent back to our room and heard nothing further about the matter until next morning, when we discovered Captain Barry was still missing ; however, about 10 o'clock a.m., he came back and told us the sentries had struck him several times with the butts of their rifles across the back and shoulders, and he had been handled in a brutal manner.

On discussing the matter with us he decided to report the case to the Commandant; however, before he had a chance to do this, he was again placed in cells and charged with striking two of the sentries. Some weeks later he was court-martialled at Hanover—several British officers attended as witnesses—and was awarded ten years hard labour. He appealed against the sentence. Some weeks after he was again tried at Hanover, the same witnesses being called his sentence then being reduced to ten years confinement to a fortress. I heard afterwards he was sent to Torgau.

Before I left Germany, the case had been fully reported to Mr. Jackson of the American Embassy, Berlin.

Some weeks later Hauptmann Blankenstein left us, and Ober Leutnant Müller took charge for a week or two, and then an elderly colonel whose name I have forgotten, and whom we rarely saw, took command. Müller ran the camp he was a very polite and gentlemanly fellow, he organised walks, improved the sanitation, and did all in his power to improve conditions generally.

In April four officers left to attend a medical commission at Constance; they all passed and were sent to Switzerland. At the end of May another commission was held at Mainz; nine officers, including myself, were sent; we were made very comfortable on the journey.

Mainz. May—June, 1916

On arrival here we were put together in one room, and found the food and general conditions were a great improvement compared with Osnabrück; accommodation was no so cramped, there was a billiard room, reading and writing rooms, and ample exercising ground, the sanitation excellent, daily walks.

Fresh vegetables and fruit were sold in the court-yard twice a week. The Commandant seemed a fair dealing man, but I was only there for a few weeks.

Heidelberg. June—Aug., 9116

After the commission I was sent to Heidelberg. This building was built at the beginning of the war and intended for a training school for N.C.O.s. Sanitary arrangements were ideal, the exercising ground was ample, including three good tennis courts; the food again here was a vast improvement to anything we had yet encountered, the ration of war bread was quite eatable. This ration included a small white loaf her head on Sundays. Everything here appeared to be done for our comfort, owing to the fact that most of the officers were waiting to be exchanged to Switzerland. Walks were organised every day for the officers, excepting the Russians.

Transfer to Switzerland. Aug. 1916

Lieutenant Walmisley is second from the left at the rear.
(Photo is from The Auxiliaries)

A few weeks after the commission arrived I left for Mürren, where I arrived after a splendid reception, on 12th August 1916.

I was fortunate in getting through a large collection of photographs taken mostly in Osnabrück Camp and a few at Heidelberg. I learnt at Heidelberg that the Osnabrück Camp had been turned into a punishment camp for Russian Officer, all other nationalities being sent to other camps. I consider Osnabrück one of the most difficult camps to escape from. Four attempts at escape were made during my captivity here of 20 months. It is surrounded by double fences of barbed wire, and also police dogs.

Letters arrived here very badly, a great number never being delivered; on the other hand, parcels arrived well. The money exchange in the spring of 1915 was no more than 105 marks for £5; it then steadily increased, about Christmas it was 110, and in May 1916 it was as high as 127 marks for £5.

Articles stolen from me in German trenches were as follows:—

Mürren, Oct. 20, 1916

Report obtained from The National Archives' reference WO 161/95/35


I hope he had a good life for the rest of his time here and could put the horrors of the trench warfare and imprisonment behind him.
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