大象传媒

Extract from my 204 page WWII unpublished memoirs.
鈥淥ne of the many who followed the few.鈥�
Apologies for German spelling- cannot get out to check at this time!

P.O.W. From Jan. 1942 to May 1945

I had been a P.O.W. in Italy and Austria for nearly two and a half years now and the Germans had decided to move us, two hundred non-commissioned army and air-force officers, once more, this time to a one time concentrate camp with its 鈥淎rbeit Macht Frei鈥� gates to welcome us.
The living accommodation was a small bug-infested building within a barbed wire parade ground-cum-exercise area where we quickly organised ourselves.

Our S.B.O. ( Senior British Officer) demanded the additional use of an adjoining building which was being used as a store and was full of mould covered worn out leather boots. Surprisingly this demand was acceded to on condition that we supplied the labour to clear out the boots and transport them to The North Lager roughly half a mile away round a bend in the connecting road.

Removing the timber and brick partition between it and our cramped living area provided access to the store, and then a group of us began packing the old footwear into shallow wooden crates. In the meantime, the 鈥淕oons鈥� had agreed to provide two four-wheeled horse drawn carts, minus the horses; groups of prisoners were to act as motive power, four pulling on the shafts and guiding, with a further half dozen arranged at the sides or pushing at the rear. In this way the two laden carts, twenty 鈥淜riegies鈥� and six guards made the journey to the other lager, to return some two hours later.

When another load was ready a second set of 鈥渉orses鈥� was assembled with no trouble at all as almost everyone wanted to take part in this activity. Such was the quantity of rotten boots and the slowness of working speed that after three days barely a quarter had been shifted and it was agreed that another cart, making three in all, would speed up the clearance.

A 鈥渂uzz鈥� went around that someone was going to try and make a break. His plan was to hide in a specially contrived space in the middle cart surrounded by the crates of rotten boots. Roughly half way between the two lagers the convoy was out of sight of both guardrooms. At that point, if the 鈥渉orses鈥� could distract the accompanying guards attention, he hoped to leave his hiding place unobserved and walk, quite openly, back along the road turning off and making for a bridge over the swift flowing river running through the valley. Once over this his intention was to walk through the distant village on his way to Yugoslavia. If he got clear a plan was devised to cover his disappearance by faking the number of sick who could not go outside for roll-call and were counted by one guard going inside the gloomy building for this purpose.
A practice had already been established whereby one of the less ill would point out those asleep and as long as the Goon saw the correct number of recumbent forms on the three-tiered bunks he was quite happy to report all present and correct.

This plan was a success! Everyone felt they had put one over the Nazis and scored a victory.

Not content with this success, two more fellows wanted to have a go!

Unlike the first escaper who had been on working parties and spoke very good German, only Bill Hadaway had a reasonable command of the language while his companion, an Aussie known to us all as Mac, spoke very little but this cated as a challenge to them as they decided to go as a pair.

On this occasion I was one of the rear horses for the third cart. I had been briefed that when I heard, 鈥淗ave you got a light, Bill?鈥� I was to leave off pushing and hand my matches to another prisoner then take out my own cigarettes and offer one to the nearest guard to us; other ploys, about which I was in ignorance on purpose, would be taking place involving other Germans. Simultaneously Bill and Mac would quit their hiding places!

In the small barbed-wire enclosure outside the Goon鈥檚 guardroom we waited with the carts to be counted then the main gates were unlocked and we proceeded along the roadway towards the other compound. Slowly we approached the bend with its bushes and trees on the left and a field of cabbages on the right stretching away to the river-bank. I pushed with my left hand while feeling in my battledress blouse with the other to ensure that my cigarettes and matches were easily accessible and glancing to the rear noticed our camp beginning to be obscured by the bushes. My heart was pounding鈥�.one had been O.K鈥�..but TWO?

鈥淗ave you got a light, Bill?鈥�

I turned to hand my matches to the speaker who stopped to light his cigarette. I pulled out my own packet. As expected, a guard turned towards us uttering the well known, 鈥淩aus!鈥� only to change to 鈥淒anke.鈥� As he took the proffered Gold Flake, slipped it in his pocket, we continued our journey.

A young blonde, wearing a headscarf, walked past attracting the attention of the guard by her beauty. As soldiers do, all over the world, he called out to her but she just carried on walking by.

鈥淗alt鈥� commanded the soldier slipping his rifle off his shoulder and pointing it towards the retreating female. 鈥淪o Schon du auch bist, Komm heir!鈥� he shouted, then, 鈥淗alt! Alles Halt!鈥�

Everyone came to a standstill with the other guards moving away from our convoy but facing inwards in a rough circle also having their weapons at the ready.

鈥淜ommen Sie heir, Frauline!鈥� he repeated and the young woman walked back towards us; at the same moment a tall figure, dressed in dark jacket and battered hat, rose like Excalibur from among the cabbages and wandered slowly through them to the roadway joining our waiting group.

鈥淢arch! Snell! March.鈥� The commands and waving weapons were clear indications to us all. We left the carts where they stood and ambled slowly back to the guardroom enclosure which was now crowded with armed guards and officers. 大象传媒ing party was counted, checked and held outside the building watched at a distance, by the rest of our fellow prisoners crowded as close as possible to the camp entrance. They wanted to watch the proceedings too.

The two civilians had been pushed roughly in to the guardroom and raised voices could be heard then..silence! Suddenly there was a terrific outburst of laughter from within following which the door opened and Bill Hadaway鈥檚 smiling face appeared above his outstretched arm dangling a woman鈥檚 stocking. Bill had been one of the 鈥渓eading ladies鈥� in the last dramatic show put on at Stalag 18A/Z prior to our move to Stalag XVIII C/SL.

There followed the immediate check of the whole number of prisoners and allowing for the two now in 鈥渢he cooler鈥� all were present and correct.

This deception continued for another week by which time our SBO decided that the first man, Hoskins, had had a good start. His escape was allowed to be discovered but the time and method were never divulged.

Even six months later Hoskins had not been returned, as was the usual practice if an escapee was caught and we all hoped that he had managed successfully to reach his goal!

William Clark. Ex-Warrant Officer Pilot 960839 RAF
September 2005

鈥楾his story was given to Leicester CSV and submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Rod Aldwinckle of CSV Action Desk Leicester on behalf of William Clark and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions.鈥�

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.