THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 26, 1939.
BY
RESCUED BY
NAZI PRISON
But for his wife's that something was wrong a Briton haunting fear might still be lying cut off from the world in a Nazi prison cell.
Over a month ago Jack Whitehead, famous British filio cameraman who made the backgrounds of such films as "Good-bye Mr. Chips," "Jamaica Inn,” was flung into guol by and the German secret police "on sus- picion,"
WIFE FROM
WIFE
about Germany that is being planned.
I
"Our papers were all in order, and we were just treating the whole thing as a normal job. have done this kind of work In a number of other countries, and rever had any trouble at all. many our movie
"But apparently in the new Ger- suspicion, and one evening the secret cameras aroused
colleagues and I were police came to the hotel
fices.
where my staying and
No charge was ever made against him, but he was kept almost in soli-lugged us off to the local Gestapo of- tary confinement for thirty days. He was completely shut off from every- body outside, and was not allowed to tell his plight to anyone who might have helped him.
STRONG INTUITION
were
But back in Britain his wife had a strong intuition that something had happened to him, and got into touch with the Foreign Office.
Wires hummed, inquiries made, followed by representations to the Gestapo (Nazi secret police) chiefs, and Mr. Whitehead was re- leased still ignorant of why he had been put into
gaol, and seventeen pounds lighter in weight, but glad to be out at any price.
In his modern luxury flat at Park Royal, London, he and his wife told a reporter the whole dramatic story.
"I still haven't the faintest idea what it has all been about," said Mr. Whitehead.
VISIT FROM SECRET POLICE
"WE PROTESTED"
"We protested, asked to see the Bri- tish consul and demanded to know the charges against us.
"But the Gestapo don't take a lot of and into gaol we went. That was at notice of either demands or requests, Graz, not a long way from Vienna,
I
put into small cells on our own, My "There we were all separated, and cell was fourteen feet long by seven feet wide-and that was my world for ten whole days. I was not allowed to leave it even for a few minutes. saw no one excepting the guard who called round three times a day with my food-mostly boiled potatoes and hot water, with a bean or two thrown in on high days and holidays.
NO NEWSPAPERS
"No newspapers or books, no ciga- those four
"I was in what used to be Aus-rettes, nothing excepting tria with one or two colleagues, taking bare walls, and my own thoughts. "background" shots for a
new film
"It was horrible. I wasn't allow-
ed to write to my wife, or to anybody else for that matter..
"After the ten days I was allowed out of my cell for ten minutes a day. During these ten minutes I was allow- ed to walk round and round a little stone yard for exercise.
"I could have been kept there for ever, apparently, without the world ever knowing where I was."
WIFE'S PREMONITION
Here Mrs. Whitehead took up the story.
"Jack had been away for a few weeks," she said, "and had writ- ten to me regularly as he always does. Then, one day, when was down at Worthing for a short holiday I suddenly got a horrible feeling that Jack was in trouble.
"I cannot describe the feeling, but it was so strong that I came back to London right away, and started trying to contact Jack in Germany.
"I did not know his exact where-
chance of finding him in one of four abouts but there was a very good hotels in different towns.
I had per- sonal plone calls put through to these hotels, with instructions to the ex- change to ring every hour through the day and night until Jack. Those calls went through every they contacted hour for ten days.
"I knew then that my fear had been justified. I got in touch with the Foreign Office, and told
them my fears.
"They acted marvellously, With- In three days they had got the in- formation that Jack was held by the Gestapo at Graz Prison.
Oliver Hardy, who appears with Billie Burke in "Zenobla" at the King's Theatre.
strong action by our Vienna, and within a few days I was Consulate in
told that I could go to Graz to meet Jack on his release.
the
"And I'm afraid that's all story!"
"Yes" finished Jack, "that's all the story. But having been through it I can tell it seemed more dramatic to me than any of the films I have help- ed to make!
"When I think that but for my wife's intuition I might still have been in that horrible little cell--well, I
"From then on it was a matter of begin to believe in Providence!"
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