Diary of Annie's War Read Online Free PDF Page A

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.
Monday 9 th November.
    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