Mall Sigh’s truncated voice-recording during WW1

In recent years, an extraordinary archive has emerged: a collection of more than 2,500 audio-recordings of Allied prisoners of war done by the Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission between 29 December 1915 and 19 December 1918, including a large number of non-white colonial prisoners. The soldiers were asked to stand in front of the phonograph, and made to read out a text, or sing a song or tell a story.

Some felt compelled to tell their life-story, as in this Mall Sigh’s truncated voice-recording on 11 December, 1916:

There was once a man. He used to eat butter in his native Hindustan.
This man then came into the European war
Germany captured this man. He wishes to return to India.
If God has mercy, he will make peace soon.
This man wishes to go away from here.
If he goes back to Hindustan, he will again get the same food.

It is not known whether Mall Singh ever returned to his homeland – Hindustan or not. Many did but badly traumatised and mutilated.