The day after our arrival at Sennelager the Prince came to me and drew my attention to my shirtless condition.  I explained the reason for its disappearance and that I could not get another as the authorities were still holding my heavy baggage containing further supplies.  He said nothing as he went away, but a quarter of an hour later he returned with a new garment from his own kit which he forced me to accept.  Another day, the party with which I was working were coming in to the evening meal.  He hailed us and invited one and all to accompany him to the canteen to have a chop with him.  That was the finest meal I had tasted since my feast in Wesel prison.  Some time later Prince L——­ succeeded in getting home.  Although he was heartily congratulated upon his good fortune, his absence was sorely felt by those whom he was in the habit of befriending.

At nine o’clock we had to be in bed.  Some of the more untameable spirits rebelled at the order to extinguish lights at this hour, but in our barrack Captain K——­ rigidly insisted that the regulation should be observed.  He feared the antagonism of the officers might be aroused, in which event we should be made to suffer for our fractiousness.  The disputes between the prisoners and the sentries over the lights were interminable.  The men would be ordered to extinguish their oil lamp.  If they did not respond with sufficient alacrity the sentry cluttered up and put it out himself.  At a later date, however, the hour for “lights out” was extended to 10 p.m.

The German nation is ever held up as the world’s apostle of hygiene and sanitary science.  However true this may be in regard to civic and rural life it certainly does not apply to prison and military existence.  We were occupying the quarters normally assigned to recruits.  Yet Sennelager was absolutely devoid of the most primitive features of a safe sanitary system.  There was an open cesspool within a stone’s throw of the barracks, the stench from which, during the heat of the summer, may be better imagined than described.  No disinfectants whatever were used, and at intervals of three days it was emptied by the crudest means imaginable, on which occasions the barracks were not only untenantable but absolutely unapproachable.  In fact, the conditions were so primitive and revolting that the outbreak of an epidemic was momentarily expected, not only by ourselves but by the authorities as well.

This danger was brought home to us when we were compelled to submit to the ordeal of vaccination.  Even this task was carried out under conditions which no other civilised country would permit for a moment, for the simple reason that antiseptic precautions were conspicuous by their complete absence.  The order arrived that we were to be vaccinated on such and such a morning “in the interests of the camp—­both prisoners and soldiers.”  We were ordered to line up in a queue outside a small building which we were to enter singly in succession.  We were commanded to have our arms bared to the shoulder in readiness.  Vaccination was not carried out by Dr. Ascher, the official medical attendant to the camp, but by a young military doctor who came especially for the purpose.