I shall never forget one prisoner.  He was one of our loyal dusky Colonials from the Gold Coast, who had been so unfortunate as to fall into German hands and to be consigned to imprisonment at Sennelager.  He was a massive and imposing specimen of his race.  He fell foul of authority and incurred Major Bach’s displeasure to such a degree as to receive a sentence of eight hours bound to a tree.  He was tied up, and his pleadings for mercy, prompted by madness produced by the excruciating pain and semi-consciousness, alternated with loud outbreaks of long-drawn-out, blood-freezing groans, frenzied shrieks, and nerve-racking wails.

As the torture increased with the passing of the hours he gave expression to one solitary cry—­“For God’s sake shoot me!” The wail, uttered with parrot-like repetition and in a tone which bored into the soul, stirred the prisoners within earshot in a strange manner.  They clapped their hands over their ears to shut out the awful sound, and shut their eyes to prevent the revolting spectacle burning into their brains.  The man’s face was livid:  terror such as it is impossible to describe was in his face; the unrelenting clutch of the rope wearing into his throat caused the veins of his neck to stand out like ropes; while streams of perspiration poured down his face.  As he became weaker and weaker and the rope ground deeper and deeper into his throat his fights for breath became maniacal in their fury.  Indeed, the revolting sight so moved some of the prisoners that the tears welled to their eyes, and it was only by digging their teeth into their lips that they refrained from succumbing to their emotion.

Subsequently, whenever I mentioned a word about the tying-post or tree, this Colonial would look round, with the unfathomable fear of a hunted animal, his nerves would jump and twitch, and the saliva would form like foam around his mouth.  He remarked that he was willing to face any punishment.  But the tying post!  An hour in the bonds of those ropes!  He shuddered and entreatingly prayed that if ever again he should be threatened with this punishment one of the guards would shoot him, or run him through with the bayonet.  I really believe that, if this penalty had been pronounced on this man a second time, he would have done something so desperate as would have compelled summary and drastic retaliation by force of arms.

Major Bach was methodical in his sentences to the tying-post.  He drew up a regular code and the offender was always given a sentence in accordance with this schedule.  The slightest offence brought a sentence of two hours.  Then in stages of two hours it rose to the maximum of eight hours.  I heard that one man had been tied up for twelve hours, but as I did not actually witness the case I cannot vouch for its particulars.  The instances I have mentioned came before my notice and can be corroborated by anyone who had the misfortune to be incarcerated at Sennelager after the coming of Major Bach.  But knowing as I do Major Bach and his inhuman and ferocious ways, I am quite ready to believe that he did sentence a man to twelve hours at the post.  Certainly he would never have hesitated for a moment to exact such a penalty if he had felt so disposed.