"In The Bag"

In the chaos of the retreat of 11th Suffolk at Erquinghem, the Battalion lost its most heroic of members.
As the battalion fell back to the river, those not wounded formed a defensive line with their backs to the water. On the left flank, closest to Armentiers itself, a small pocket of men from 'D' Company held on courageously. Just as they prepared to retire, they were met with a hail of fire, causing a great man casualties.
One of those men who was to be wounded was Lance Corporal Sid Day, who had just eight months before, won the Victoria Cross at Malakhoff Farm. Shot through the right hand, as Day fumbled in great pain to apply his field dressing, the enemy came on and he was taken prisoner. He was now 'in the bag'.
Day, who had been serving with 14 Platoon  in 'D' Company, had his hand treated to before he and his colleagues were sent by train to Germany, where in due course, they found themselves at their new home at Langensalza PoW camp near Leipzig. 
At first, he was listed as missing and it was not until June 1918 that he news was finally received from him and he was officially listed as a prisoner of War. Day was like many of his fellow 'caged birds' depressed by the thought that the Germans had them onto run in April, but as the weeks wore on, trapped in their camp, they were oblivious to the fact that German was exhausted. Their planned last great thrust in the west had achieved only partial success and though great amounts of Allied prisoners had been taken, these additional mouths to feed were a real burden in a country now on a strict system of rationing, where meat was only on the menu in restaurants two days a week.
For Day, life in the camps was an unending round of cheerful concerts, party games, and the usual daily working parties. At an all English pageant held in the camp theatre, Day took the part of a glorious war hero with much gusto. His fellow comrades made for him, a replica VC from the zinc lining an old tea chest, which he proudly wore during the show (above). 
Soon, they knew, the tide would turn.

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