Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1918 — TALE OF PAT O’BRIEN TOLD BY HIMSELF [ARTICLE]

TALE OF PAT O’BRIEN TOLD BY HIMSELF

The Republican has received numerous calls from subscribers asking .that we print the story of Pat O’Brien. Momence boy, who had such thrilling experience while in the service of the English government as an aviator. We promised to print the story several days ago, but were unable to do so, as it was taken down in short-hand and has just been translated. Through the courtesy of Ray Laßue we are permitted to give the story word for word, just as it was told by Mr. O’Brien at Lowell last week: “After being shot down on the 17th day of August, I was in a hopsital behind the German lines for six days. Outside in front of the hospital while I was sitting there one of the saddest things of the war occured. In sight of the hospital on the front lines, I saw a battle between six of our machines and twice that number of German machines. As I sat there and watched those machines I didn’t know at the time the saddest that was going to be brought home. Two of our machines and two of the Germans were brought down. Being unable to talk I went to the German flying officer in the hospital and asked him (in fact I wrote on a piece of paper) to find out who it was. He sent out a man in a machine and to my surprise he brought back a photo of the dead pilot, the best friend I ever had, Paul Rainey, of Toronto, who entered the same squadron and went to France, was shot down four days after I was. Some place in Flanders he is buried. I brough back a map the Germans made, one showing where he was buried, and later, after my escape, I brought the map to his folks to confirm the news of his death to his mother—something I have never told the newspaper before. After being at this hospital for 6 days I was taken to the Intelligence department and every question ever asked of a man was asked of me. They asked me about America, what they were going to do and wanted to know about how mahy were to be sent over. I informed them that before the war was over they would think that America let hell loose. I only hope that I will be able to see that carried out.

I was there for two days and was treated fairly decently by the German flying corps. There are courtesies among the German and English flying corps, but it does not extend to the French. If one pilot is shot down the Germans generally drop a message on our lines, and we return the compliment. As most of the fighting is done on the German side, it is generally they who drop the messages. They dropped a message and that is how they knew I was a prisoner of war. I was then taken to a prison camp in Belgium and while there I had very little to eat, in fact, I will give you the menu. A cup-of coffee for breakfast with no cream, sugar or milk, a slice of bread or a half loaf of bread at noon with the privilege of saving it for breakfast, but I was generally too hungry to have it for my breakfast. For dinner, it was lunch, we' had soup, stewed carrots or some vegetables. I was never fond of vegetables and I am less so now. Late, about five o’clock, we had tea. We had to keep stirring the tea or it would settle. This appeared a hardship on the Englishmen. Once we had butter for this meal and twice we had jam made out of my favorite vegetable, sugar beets.

About this time I began to make up my mind I didn’t like the company of the Germans. I spent three weeks at that camp. I was token on a prison train, an ordinary train, to be transferred to Strausburg, a reprisal camp. I will give you an idea of a reprisal camp. It is a camp where the, English aviators are bombed. At that time we were accused of carrying their officers on our hospital ships, so to offset this they sent us to reprisal camps that is that’s where they were sending us. I didn’t want to be bombed by my own airmen, and the only thing to do was to quit the company. About 80 miles inside the German line after crossing. Luxemberg I made up my mind to go through the window. I spent the whole evening in getting up nerve enough to go through the window and I think every man has some yellow and it showed on me two times. About daylight four o’clock in the morning I decided that if I ever reached the prison camp I would regret that I had not token a chance. One of the guards was so close to me that I could reach out my hand and touch him, and so I started a hacking cough and the guard lowered the window. I knew then I had two or three minutes to make my escape and went through the window. Outside the window I landed on my feet with my face a close second. If they had stopped the train right away they would have caught me. Perhaps one-half mile away the train stopped and by that time I had come to my senses and got off the right of way. , I had two pieces of bread and a piece of sausage left, which lasted two days. For over a month through the middle canals and .rivers of Germany, Belgium and Luxemberg I tramped like a hunted beast While in Germany and Luxemberg it was impos-

sible to ask for food. If discovered or seen I would be captured as a Briton, for I had on a British uniform. One night as Iwas crawling along I discovered a pair of overalls, my first piece of civilian clothes, which were four or five inches short and by letting them down they covered by breeches. # ’ I stole into a barn which was connected with the kitchen in a Belgian house, and I made no noise. I got a coat and the next night a cap. Later a Belgian gave me a scarf. Later I became weak and delirious and had a fever. I was on the verge of giving up when something told me to stick to it and go on. I then came to the Meuse, (pronounced Mouse,) which is perhaps one-half mile wide and the swimming in the old Kankakee river and stone quarry stood me in good stead. I was a fairly decent swimmer or I would have drowned in the Meuse and no one would ever have known what became of me. Reaching the bank, for the first time in my life I fainted. Perhaps it was four o’clock in the morning. Between six and seven the rain was beating down in my face. Gaining presence of mind, I crawled behind the bank and concealed myself. The next two days were the worst of all. I knew one day would put me out and I could have laid down under any tree and died. I finally said to myself if I don’t get food I must perish, because up to this time I had sugar beets, carrots, cabbage and two pears, which formed a banquet, and celery. Consequently I din’t eat any celery tonight.

Belgium is the most thickly populated country in Europe. The farms or homes have two to three acres of land. I used to walk along and try to figure out how much cabbage Belgium raised. She has more cabbage and sugar beets than any other place in the world. After I had gone so long I had to have food, so I picked out a little house for several reasons. One reason was that every house contained soldiers. They are taken back from the front line trenches to recuperate. This was worse than Germany and Luxemberg. I put a rock in my handkerchief and then went and demanded food. There was an old lady and a man, I imagaine her son, and am now going to tell you a little incident that took place. My condition was such that it was no time to see funny things. The old lady was 75 years old and for three-quarters of a century had worn wooden shoes, and as I sat there, perhaps the most miserable and unhappy man alive, I saw a callous on her foot which had been made by wooden shoes. As she cooked the food I was speculating if it would be possible to drive a nail in that callous. It was the only thing that got me through. No matter how bad I was the funny thing was the most needed. From there I received potatoes with milk, salt and pepper, drank 4 glasses of water and had the honor of seeing the most terrible sight; that was myself in a looking glass; I had not shaved, I had not washed. Blood was clotted on my face, my eye was black, and in this condition I could not help smiling as I gazed at myself pin the glass. ' I offered to pay them and they took two marks. They needed it worse than I did. I then pointed in the opposite direction and disappeared in the darkness and changed my course and took up my northern course which I was traveling and hung to it. I had only one thing to go by and that was the north star. After may days I came to one of the largest cities in Belgium, and what took .place in that city I will not take the trouble to tell you. I was suspicioned by everyone and stared at more than ever in my life. Finally I was forced to leave. After it is all over I will tell everything that happened in that city, but nowit is impossible for me to relate what took place.

Before going into that city I had a narrow escape. Walking along the country road I passed through a little village and in my pocket I had a bottle of water and a sandwich which a Belgian had given me. Just outside the city I passed three Germans who walked up to me and said halt, which in German is pronounced nearly the same as ours. I halted, positive I was I took the bottle out of my pocket and held it before him. Be began to search me and later discovered he thought I was a Belgian smuggling potatoes. At the time I didn’t know what he was doing. When he got through I turned my back and walked away. After going through hardships too long to relate I reached the Holland frontier, which is guarded by electric wires. With Holland on one side and Belgian on the other I studied how to get through the wire. I constructed a ladder of two trees, tying them together with my handkerchief and twisted grass. The trees contained some sap and juice and acted just the same when they touched the wire as sticks that had been dampened, because the electricity passed through. I was knocked off the ladder, which fell on top of me, and was unconscious a while. Just then a German guard passed by. One time he was within seven or eight feet and again I could have touched him with my hand and then I reached into my pocket for the handkerchief and rock. I had no intention of taking any lives unless absolutely necessary. The came my most difficult task, that of digging under those wires. With barely an inch between my back and the live wire, which meant instant death, I crawled along and reached the soil of Holland, and on the soil of Holland I knelt sown and thanked God, for He was the one who helped me. To describe to you how I felt when I arrived in Holland is impossible. It was 72 days from the time I left the train. I lost 50 pounds and was so nervous - T could not write my own name. In Holland I made my way to the British consul Perhaps I should

have gone to the American consul, but I was in the British service and they would give what I asked. They gave me new clothes and everything I could want. He offered anything that I would ask for. He offered me a thousand pounds, $5,000, and to show you that foil is born’every minute, I took only $lO. I was put on a ship and started on my way to England. In leaving Rotterdam we were run down by our own convoy and put back in a sinking condition. An last I reached London. Two days later I received a telegram asking me to call on the King. I thought it was an honor I never would receive. Answered the telegram and on the 7th day of December I showed up at Buckingham palace at 10:30. Earl Cromer took me into a room. I walked in a matter of fact way. Here I expected to receive my coaching before going before the king. A gentleman walked toward me and the earl said, “Your Majesty, Lieutenant O’Brien,” and backed out of the door, and if the king had not had me by the hand I would have walked .put behind him. I expected he would say “congratulations” and ‘Good-bye* but instead I talked fiftytwo minutes aihLl-want to say that the most misrepresented man is the king of England. There is not a man more kind hearted or courageous than the present king of England. The world will find him more popular than his father, King, Edward, if that is possible. * After leaving there I went to Dublin. If any of you have a sore head you may know that Mr. Kirby or Mr. Cleary have been using those shillalas that I brought them. I arrived in Canada, later in New York, ,and Chicago, and finally the best town in the world where I was born, “Momence.”