Three Times and Out

Three Times and Out

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Three Times and Out, by Nellie L.
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Title: Three Times and Out
Author: Nellie L. McClung
Release Date: July 11, 2004 [EBook #12880]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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TIMES AND OUT ***

Thanks to A Celebration of Women Writers
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/ for providing the source text.

THREE TIMES AND OUT
TOLD BY
PRIVATE SIMMONS

WRITTEN BY
NELLIE L. MCCLUNG
Author of SOWING SEEDS IN DANNY, IN TIMES LIKE THESE,
and THE NEXT OF KIN
With Illustrations
TORONTO
THOMAS ALLEN
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
1918

To the companion who failed through no fault of his and no lack of
courage TOM BROMLEY loyal friend and best of com- rades, this
book is dedicated.

PREFACE
When a young man whom I had not seen until that day came to see me
in Edmonton, and told me he had a story which he thought was worth
writing, and which he wanted me to write for him, I told him I could
not undertake to do it for I was writing a story of my own, but that I
could no doubt find some one who would do it for him.
Then he mentioned that he was a returned soldier, and had been for
sixteen months a prisoner in Germany, and had made his escape--
That changed everything!

I asked him to come right in and tell me all about it--for like every one
else I have friends in the prison-camps of Germany, boys whom I
remember as little chaps in knickers playing with my children, boys I
taught in country schools in Manitoba, boys whose parents are my
friends. There are many of these whom we know to be prisoners, and
there are some who have been listed as "missing," who we are still
hoping against long odds may be prisoners!
I asked him many questions. How were they treated? Did they get
enough to eat? Did they get their parcels? Were they very lonely? Did
he by any chance know a boy from Vancouver called Wallen Gordon,
who had been "Missing" since the 2d of June, 1916? Or Reg Black
from Manitou? or Garnet Stewart from Winnipeg?
Unfortunately, he did not.
Then he began his story. Before he had gone far, I had determined to do
all I could to get his story into print, for it seemed to me to be a story
that should be written. It gives at least a partial answer to the anxious
questionings that are in so many hearts. It tells us something of the fate
of the brave fellows who have, temporarily, lost their freedom--to make
our freedom secure!
Private Simmons is a close and accurate observer who sees clearly and
talks well. He tells a straightforward, unadorned tale, every sentence of
which is true, and convincing. I venture to hope that the reader may
have as much pleasure in the reading of it as I had in the writing.
NELLIE L. McCLUNG
Edmonton, October 24, 1918

CONTENTS
I. HOW IT STARTED II. THROUGH BELGIUM III. INTO
GERMANY IV. THE LAZARET V. THE PRISON-CAMP VI.
ROSSBACH VII. THE ESCAPE VIII. OFF FOR SWITZERLAND!

IX. CAUGHT! X. THE CELLS! XI. THE STRAFE-BARRACK XII.
BACK TO CAMP XIII. CELLELAGER XIV. OFF FOR HOLLAND!
XV. CAUGHT AGAIN XVI. THE INVISIBLE BROTHERHOOD
XVII. THE CELLS AT OLDENBUBG XVIII. PARNEWINKEL
CAMP XIX. THE BLACKEST CHAPTER OF ALL XX. ONCE
AGAIN! XXI. TRAVELLERS OF THE NIGHT XXII. THE LONG
ROAD TO FREEDOM XXIII. OUT CONCLUSION

ILLUSTRATIONS
PRIVATE SIMMONS From a photograph taken since his return to
Canada OFFICER'S QUARTERS IN A GERMAN MILITARY
PRISON GIESSEN PRISON-CAMP TED BROMLEY, IN RED
CROSS OVERCOAT WITH PRISON NUMBER AND MARKED
SLEEVE GERMAN PRISON STAMP These stamps are used to pay
prisoners for their work and to be exchanged for any money they may
have when captured TWO PAGES FROM PRIVATE SIMMONS'S
DIARY MAP MADE BY PRIVATE SIMMONS OF THE FIRST
ATTEMPT THE CHRISTMAS CARD WHICH THE GIESSEN
PRISON AUTHORITIES SUPPLIED TO THE PRISONERS MAP
MADE FROM PAPER WHICH CAME IN A PARCEL, WRAPPED
AROUND A FRUIT-CAKE FRIEDRICHSFELD PRISON-CAMP IN
WINTER MAP WHICH PRIVATE SIMMONS GOT FROM THE
CANADIAN ARTIST AT GIESSEN, SHOWING ROUTES OF
SECOND AND THIRD ATTEMPTS FRIEDRICHSFELD
PRISON-CAMP IN SUMMER A PRISON POST-CARD FROM
FRIEDRICHSFELD BEI WESEL, SHOWING COSMOPOLITAN
GROUP OF PRISONERS POST-CARD SENT BY PRIVATE
BROMLEY FROM THE PRISON-CAMP OF SOLTAU, SHOWING
GRAVES OF PRISONERS

THREE TIMES AND OUT
CHAPTER I

HOW