Sir, – Derek Scally's and Ronan McGreevy's fascinating article ("The Soldiers' Songs, March 31st) reminds me of a story that former Irish Times editor Bertie Smyllie, writing as Nichevo, told in an article he wrote in August 1933.
During the first World War, a famous German scholar visited one of the prison camps ostensibly to record Irish dialects and folklore. This man identified only as “Professor X” was also supposedly raising an Irish Brigade from among the prisoners. One of the prisoners knew of the professor’s ulterior motive in visiting the camp and let a sergeant major of the Munster Fusiliers into the secret. It was then decided to have some fun with the professor.
When he arrived with his recording apparatus and sought from among the assembled Irish prisoners someone who knew the Irish language, and could sing folk songs or recite old folk stories, the sergeant major stepped forward.
When the soldier professed his great knowledge of Irish folk songs, the professor readily agreed to record him. "Then came the little joke. The sergeant major strode to the front of the platform, gave a sign to the assembled men, who promptly leapt to their feet and burst into the strains of that fine old Gaelic anthem God Save the King.
“There are a couple of men in Ireland today who will not readily forget the little spell of solitary confinement which was their reward for that little episode; but the professor gave it up as a bad job, and went elsewhere for his recruits.”
Presumably the camp referred to here is Ruhleben, where Smyllie spent most of the first World War.
Prior to arriving at this camp in December 1914, Smyllie spent some time at Giessen prison camp where he recalled, in an article written in August 1946, that he “spent the first night sleeping between a circus clown and an Oxford ‘Blue’”.
Smyllie also remembered a Jewish boy at Giessen who prayed daily while stoically enduring abuse from other prisoners and “refused point blank to eat anything but Kosher food, and the authorities were forced to get in touch with the local Jews, who thenceforward supplied his rations!” – Yours, etc, FRANK BOUCHIER-HAYES Newcastle West, Co Limerick.