Diary of Annie's War (4 page)

I felt very indignant with England for not even having the manners to reply to Germany.

I heard that Arthur was in Hannover having gone there in an auto on the Friday night. He had asked permission of the police to go alone with an officer and it was granted. Belle and I went to the station about five o'clock thinking that the prisoners might go on the train about that time. We did not see anything of them. And we did not care to ask.

One has to be very careful these days not to draw attention to the fact that you are a foreigner. We were afraid to speak English in the streets. When I returned to the hotel about seven o'clock there was a note from the police saying that I must go to the office and announce myself twice a day. My times were ten – twelve in the morning, and from three – four in the afternoon. This was changed after to four – six in the evening. Sundays and holidays it was eleven – twelve mornings, and three – four afternoons. Several times I was on the last minute, for I used to forget.

I wrote to Emily saying I was alone. She replied that they had heard from Otto Klein and they were afraid he also was imprisoned.

I had a postcard from Arthur in which he said they were all together from various parts of the province. He thought they would go to Berlin on the Sunday. We read afterwards in the papers of an account of the send off of the prisoners from Hannover on the Sunday afternoon.

My next postcard came from Ruhleben and Arthur asked for several things to be sent to him. He had sent the postcard to me at Belle's address and I answered at once that I would send them off. I had to take my postcard to the police and they had to read it before posting.

In about two hours after me leaving it with them I received a notice to go to the police again. They had read in the postcard of me having had one from Arthur. Since it had not gone to my address, ‘The Weiner Hof', they had not read it. I explained that my husband had sent it to the address of a cousin as he thought it should have gone there. They told me to write at once and tell him that I was still at the hotel. If I received any letters unknown to the police then I would be put in prison. We wrote at once to Arthur and told him to be particular to where he addressed his cards. He is only allowed to write postcards – me also.

I take all my correspondence to the police and they read it and then they post it opened. I must go twice a day to report myself morning and afternoon. I must be in my dwelling no later than eight o'clock in the evening and I must not leave before seven o'clock in the morning. I must not go more than two-and-a-quarter miles away from home. There are eleven in all who must report themselves daily in Hildesheim.

I believe that there were seven men arrested. Most were Germans naturalised in England or the sons of men who were naturalised. The question was: ‘Have you served in the army?'

None of the naturalised men had done so.

Hildesheim is a garrison town and the number of soldiers one meets on the streets is really remarkable. Up to the middle of November nearly twenty-five thousand soldiers have been sent out of Hildesheim and the streets are always full.

I saw a lot of soldiers ready for the front one day. You can tell when they are going away. On their last day their helmets are covered and the numbers taken off their arms and sewn inside their jackets. Every soldier I met seemed ready to go and I thought the town would be empty of men in the morning. I had been told two thousand and seven hundred were to go away that day. The next day the place was full of blue uniforms and you never missed the men in grey.

The soldiers are splendidly fitted up and want for nothing. When the cold weather set in they were provided with corduroy trousers and woollen under jackets. Just like the old knitted cardigans so much worn in England a few years ago. The complete outfit is a dark grey – even to scarf and gloves. The shoes are dark tan and have Wellington tops nearly to the knee. A regiment of men going away is a fine sight. There is not a speck of colour to be seen. In the distance they look just like a grey cloud. I heard that even the spurs were blacked because when the sun shone they glittered.

Often I have seen a few hundred young men come in for inspection. There are placards at the stations telling them where to go. They are then examined and towards noon you see crowds of them going into a large building where they get their clothes.

These are the clothes left behind by the soldiers who got their grey uniforms the day they left for the front. These old blue uniforms had to be well cleaned and given up on the day the men received the grey ones. They are quite ready. The men are then billeted out on various householders. According to the size of your house you have so many.

Our house in Wörth Strasse must have three soldiers. They must be up and have a cup of coffee and be at the barracks by six o'clock. They return to dinner at noon and go away at one o'clock. They get home at various times. If they are only drilling they are home at six o'clock for supper.

If they are on a march the time varies. Often they are put on a night march. They set off about eight or nine in the evening and march ten or twelve miles. They make a meal just as if they are in the battlefield and then return early in the morning. I often hear them pass the hotel and sometimes it pours with rain all the time.

After a month here they are sent away, perhaps to Goslar, to finish for two or three weeks then they are ready for the front. George (the coachman) was at the front in seven weeks after leaving us.

It makes me sad to see the young men come in. They are all sorts. Tradesmen, clerks, farmers, shop assistants etc. and you can tell them in a minute. Then there is the boy from the comfortable home who is well fitted out and looking quite contented. I often wonder how many of them have left aching hearts at home. Many sad tales are told of old parents left without one son at home. One family has five sons at the front.

Hildesheim is a beautiful town but in these dreadful days and a very sad place to live in. The beer garden was turned into a nursing camp in a very short time and every big concert hall has been fitted up with beds. They send the cases here that are not too severe and the men that can stand a train journey.

I often wonder if the women of England are working as the German women work for her soldiers. Every woman is knitting something and every child ditto. The amount of stockings, cuffs, scarves, jackets, stomach binders, knee warmers and ear covers that are knitted in a week here in Hildesheim is simply enormous. Every shop is full of grey wool and everywhere you go the people are doing something for the soldiers.

I went into a shop the other day and every young lady assistant was knitting. On the railway train it is the same; always grey wool. The shops are doing nothing in the way of business, only in such things as is necessary for the soldiers. You can get anything in the food line ready made up for the field.

A young lady told me they had given her brother enough food for a fortnight and it was all packed in a fifty cigar box - tea, sugar and rum (ready for hot water) and all kinds of soup and coffee. Cocoa is in small ‘wurfels', the size of a lump of sugar, and all of the best. Small quantities of butter, sausage, meats, tongue and fish, enough for one meal, are all nicely packed up. It really is a treat to see how the soldiers are catered for.

Food up to the end of November is no dearer though there have been notices that flour (white) is getting short. The government has issued notices forbidding a rise in the price of eatables.

Two shopkeepers, here in Hildesheim, put up the price of sugar and coffee in the second week of the war. The police got to know of it and they were at once ordered to close up their shops. Later a few shopkeepers refused to accept paper money and a notice was issued that such people were liable for imprisonment.

Within the second week of the war there was no gold to be seen. All was paper money. For the first few weeks all corn etc. was held up by the government and the farmers were not allowed to sell any until the soldiers were well provided for. Then they could dispose of what was left. But only at the same price the government gave. It was very fair for it allowed everyone to get a little. It was the same when the paraffin oil gave out. There was no rise in the price but the shopkeepers were not allowed to sell to any one person more than a pint. So everyone got a little. It was not a question of one offering double money and getting the most.

There was a very good harvest of corn and potatoes, and fruit was very plentiful. Also the government was very kind to the farmers. Before taking the horses away from the farms they asked how much land you farmed and left you a horse or two according to the size of the place. When a farmer was called up, as in the case of the Steinoff's' son-in-law, he told them he had so much land and no one to take charge. He was allowed to go back for one month and get in the harvest. On presenting himself again he was told he would be sent for when necessary. Up to the end of November the farmer was not called up. It rather surprised me for he is a fine fellow. He is in the reserves and about thirty-seven years of age. The men they were most keen about were those who left the army about five or six years ago. They required scarcely any training and were ready for the front in a week or two.

I received a postcard from Arthur from Ruhleben. He said that there were all sorts and conditions of men put together. He said that it was far from agreeable. He complained of the cold and I sent him at once some thick underclothes.

I got a postcard from Emily, and later a telegram, in which she said she was coming to have a talk with me. She arrived on Saturday the14
^th
, eight days after Arthur had gone, but did not get here till nine-thirty at night for there are not any through trains to Köln.

I was glad to have her if only for the nights. I had not slept three hours each night since Arthur had left. I often thought of the nights at Woltershausen when I had to go to bed at nine-thirty for I could not keep awake. It used to be a great joke amongst us. I would have given a lot for one of those nights. In my room every night from eight o'clock in the evening I heard every hour strike till six o'clock in the morning. Then when the first tram car came down I would sleep until nine or so. Emily's company was very acceptable to me and she stayed six days.

She had an idea that we could get Arthur free if she went to see the General Commander. After a talk with Herr Forster, our lawyer, she went to Hannover and there saw the General Commander. I had no faith in the affair from the first. I do not think it did any good. But we had the satisfaction of knowing we had done our best.

Emily went to Woltershausen and said what she thought of the people there. She told the Steinoffs that the people in the Rhine district were astonished and that they scarcely believed her. She said a lot I think.

The Herr Pastor of Woltershausen called to see me. I noticed one thing. Not one person, with the exception of the Steinoffs and Herminie Steffen, said they were very sorry for either Arthur or I. All made the same remark: ‘So Herr Droege is in Ruhleben. You must thank your abominable government for that. He will be better treated than England treats our men'.

I said to one man: ‘I would far rather he was in England as a German prisoner'.

Also many ladies told me I should be thankful I was in Germany during the war as in England they were starving. They also told me that the Germans were constantly dropping bombs in the towns on the coast.

Once or twice I said a little. As on the occasion when one person said they had a letter from a German soldier, captive in England, and his description of the place was awful - seventeen deaths in a fortnight through overcrowding. I said I didn't believe that at all. In the first place the letter would not have been allowed out of England. But I soon learned to hold my tongue. A member of my family once said I had a great amount of adaptability. But it needed more than I had in stock to meet the present requirements.

During Emily's visit a long list of things came from Arthur which must go off at once as the prisoners were not allowed to get a parcel after the 20
^th
. The last day of postage was the 18
^th.
We had only one day to do it in and much to buy. It was a blessing I had Emily. In all we sent out six parcels with all he asked for and more besides.

Arthur wrote that he had met Otto Klein and they were working on the parcels that came through the post. Each had to be searched and then they made them up again. He wrote for heavy shoes so I got a pair. I also sent his forest shoes from the house. Emily had brought a lot of things with her when she went to Woltershausen.

There must have been a lot of delay over the post from Ruhleben for the postcard from Arthur was posted on the 9
^th
and I did not get it till the 18
^th
. It made a deal to do in a short time. We sent two parcels by express and they cost two-40 marks. A telegram that Emily sent to Arthur on the Monday 16
^th
November had a reply post paid but we never got an answer.

Emily went back to Königswinter on Friday the 20
^th
. The children were at Mrs. Graeinghoff's during her visit here.

Over two thousand soldiers had left Hildesheim for Russia at twenty-four hours notice. I was in the hotel corridor at eight o'clock in the morning of the 20
^th
and heard a soldier talking to an officer who was in his bedroom. The officer was very astonished at being called to the barracks so early for he had been out on a night march. But the order was for the front and before night the whole company who had made the night march were on their way to Russia.