"Everybody off!" We stood around in groups. Those giving orders were very young fellows, maybe 17 or 18 years old. Their toes looked through their boots and some wore straw hats. Totally degenerated but they were armed to the teeth. The pushed around the groups starting arguments and looking for bounty. Then came a patrol and took us into the barracks. "Empty everything!" was the command. We refused so they did it themselves. Ah, but my sugar! I did not want to lose that too. When I saw that nothing helped and I had already received a few hits on the head, I knew that it was useless. So I dumped the sugar on the floor and we trampled around on it. After that they beat us like dogs. My diaries were taken, torn to pieces and thrown on the floor. I grabbed what I could and then we could go.
This was unbounded hate combined with robbery. We went back to the train, climbed in and tried to sleep. About mid-morning we crossed a river several times. At one station one of those rascals jumped on again and wanted to plunder us. "Out with the wallets!" he shouted in German. It was probably all the German he knew.
But by now our patience had run out. Lemper Pepi, who was from Vienna, leaped at his throat will three others tried to stab him. It was unavoidable that Pepi also got stabbed in the shoulder during the quick action. A few of us ripped up our vests and bandaged him up. The rest of us let the rascal have it. He screamed like a wounded wild animal. We tore off his clothes and when we passed over a bridge again, we threw him into the river. Then we had peace until Krakau.
On the way there from Lemberg we passed through Neusandez. There, what amazement! We were treated well! That proved that not all Polish are bad. We bandaged Lemper some more and thought we should take him to the hospital. But he did not want to stay behind and so we took him with us. When we arrived in Krakau things looked very busy. I met an old colleague from the Budapest. He tells me he is already with a Polish navy company and then tried unsuccessfully to get us to sign up. This is how they make soldiers here. At the opposite pier they served food. If you wanted some, you had to sign a paper which you could not understand. This is how my old shipmate committed himself to the Polish military. Nobody was forced, but they did their best to get the homeward bound soldiers.
Lemper developed a high fever. We laid him on the floor of the restroom. Some old rags had to serve as a pad. In order not to be pressed into service we took turns watching over Pepi. At last the train arrived. We took Lemper into the last car and I jumped on just as the train started to move. A legion officer tried to pull me back shouting "Whereto?" I shouted back. "Home!" and kicked him in the chest with my boot. Then we were out of the station.
Everything went quite well to Vienna. After we pushed a pair of officers out of a second class coupee we arranged ourselves well enough with poor Lemper. The Czechs were also very friendly. In Vienna we took Lemper home but it was a sad homecoming and he died the next day. Fink Hanz and I continued on to Salzburg. We arrived here on the 16th of November 1918. It took us 24 hours from Vienna. There were plenty of problems. From Ternopol to Vienna there were five of us. From Vienna, only two.
What now? I had ten days of rest behind me. So I reported to the navy company in Salzburg and was assigned in St. Leonard at Goedig.
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