This is the Statement Made by Repatriated Prisoner of War. Statement was taken at Ripon, Yorkshire. Original manuscript Filed with Records. (14-Dec-1918). The Administrative Headquarters of the AIF dates this report as 18th-Dec-1918. (1).

Rank : Lieutenant
Name : NICHOLLS, W.H.
Squadron : 4th Squadron
Unit : Australian Flying Corps

Circumstance of Capture :
a ) Date : 16th March 1918
b ) Place : about 8 Kilometres from Lille

Two flights of my squadron were engaged on patrol work between ARRAS and ARMIENTIERES. I had been experiencing considerable difficulty in keeping my place in the formation on account of the vagaries of my engine. Eventually I lost position and when captured was some little distance behind the formation. I noticed about six enemy scouts diving on to me. I tried to lose height and get under the formation. But before I could achieve this purpose three of enemy machines fired on me. I turned and fought them until two of them got underneath me. I dived on these. But when I endeavoured to pull up I got into a spin on account of the engine failure. I immediately tried both magnetos and pumped, at the same time evading my pursuers, who were persitently assailing me. I next switched on to my gravity tank, but with no better result. I tried gliding towards our own lines, but oculd go no distance, because I had to repeatedly turn to evade the enemy machines. All this time I was loosing height and eventually forced down. I landed on my nose, but the machine was OK,. Immediately I landed enemy infantry opened fire on me. I had landed just behind some barbed wire and some trenches. It was the enemy infantry that eventually secured me. I was taken to Lille and kept in solitary confinement for four days. Before being imprisoned I was closely interrogated. In this interrogation, if such it can be called, I was surprised at both the amount and genuiness[accuracy] of the information the Boche already had concerning our Air Force. From Lille I was taken to Karlsruhe, where I did a days solitary and three more days in a room, with three English Flying Officers and three French Officers. I was again interrogated at Karlsruhe. My next move was to LANDSHUTT in Bavaria, where I was once more interrogated. I was there for five weeks. There were about 70 British Officers and the exercise space for them was not more than 15 yards. I was next transferredto HOLZMINDEN where I remained until my release. HAUPTMANN NIEMEYER was the Bully of this camp. No other word can more aptly describe him. I crossed over from ROTTERDAM to HULL by the S.S. "Takada" on 14.22.18. My Red Cross parcels reached me about 2 months after I reached HOLXMINDEN and came regularly thereafter.

1. Prisoner of War Statement courtesy of Gordon Branch.