THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1959.
Page
ONE
DID IT HAPPEN... 2
TOHAY'S COMPLETE STORY IN · THE SERIES "THAT "KEEPS"
QUESSING'
The Seventh
Paragraph
NE feels that some sort of apology is necessary for telling, at this stage, what looks like an escape story, but I can assure you that it is not a PoW story in the accepted sense of the word; and it is certainly one of the oddest things that has ever happened to me.
I was captured by German parachute troops in the early days of the Tunisian campaign, when the front had not settled into ita final, muddy, immobility. It was the result of driving over a minefield (probably one laid by our own side), bad map-reading and a measure of bad luck, and that is all that I shall say about that part of it.
I had with me only one the Secret Service, I swallowed. signallor and, the front There remained only a
book, and this I could not easily
ποιο
The extra entry in the
"We do not understand
mmandant that he is vity #ners,"
wishen Field Service Pocket Book was "a
would Germans.
joke.
the
But
appreciate it?
stand this," said Goebbels, "The Commandant wishes to say that ho! is very⋅uILETY.”
"Just a joke," I said. "He says that he does not understand jokes Bke that. This is an extract from an official publication?".
Well In a way, But of course the last bit In't in the book."
Not appreciatod
being quiet, our captors had got at, ts it was wedged in the the entry about Prisoners of plenty of time to deal with front pocket of my battle dress War; some Joke. us. I was taken, that night, trousers; and in any event, as
I squinted anxiously at the through a a succession of far as I could remember, it con
tained litle of importance, being book. Although I wear glasses, company, battalion and
mode up of extracts from the I have goodiah longsight. The Divisional headquarters and printed Field Service Pocket Page was divided into para- finally deposited, very cold Book (of which the Germans no graphs. Paragraph 1 was about, and stiff, in an elementary doubt had already more copies getting prisoners back as quickly. "It is an additional instruction than they know what to do as possible and paragraph e added after the book was school at Tunis which was with). It dealt with such matters was about not being too friend- printed?" being used as a reception as the organisation of supply, the ly with them, in case they got routine for burial of the dead, inflated idens. The next one said, camp.
"leave the disposal of woundedmand,
the questioning, ironically, the disposal of Divisional
Corps Head- prisoners.
quarters, who are trained to 'do it." Then two paragraphs about administrative matters. Then good heavens, yes how could I have forgotten about that. What an idiot I was--in a light heart ed mood after Mess one night, on the boat, I had added a pri-
Disposals
During the course of those successive trompa in the North African atarlight, I had success- fully extracted from my pocket an operation order, which I shredded and scattered, a mark ed map, which I squeezed up and dropped into a wadi, ond a sheet of paper with wireless "call signs and signals on it which, in, the best trudition of
It was only the next morning, when I was summoned. to the office of the Camp Commandant and saw among the possessions that had been taken from me, this note book open on the table
or
"It isn't' an instruction at all." "What is it then?"
to
"Just a joke."
in front of his interpreter (a vate seventh paragraph. There it man closely resembling and stood, in all its horrible naked. known to all prisoners an Goeb- news. "Shoot the b-a" I felt bels) that a vague disquiet crept my face going red, and my feet ovor me. Something to do with cold, "We do not quite under-
"It may not prove a joke for you," said Goebbels,
Nor did it. A miserable time. ensued. Goebbels 100k great pleasure in informing me exactly where I 'stood, There were rumours already current that the Americans had shot a Tank Crew after it had surrendered; and hero, in waiting was ovi- dence of calculated inhumanity at an official level. A policy of
by MICHAEL
GILBERT
MICHAEL GILBERT'S detective
novels, thrillere, short stories, television and film scripts are just a hobby. By profession he is a solicitor with offices in Lincoln's Inn. Now 44- years of age, ke zefvad with the HAC In tealy during the war. He lives 'in Kent with his wife and five children, His last book, The Claimant, was a brilliant study of the Tichborne case,
frightfulness, a down by my experiences of Eho night cannot remember that I gave the Army And I apparently Allied Force. Headquarters. One before, and, above all the him any military information,!I envinced him of my innocence. which would lead to instant re- terrible predicament that was, was far too interested in my own to maybe holdid me a good tum prizala. Reprisals for which, as occupying the forefront of my fate to worry about the set of after all. Goebbels pointed out, throne was mind.
one very convenient candidate' immitately available..
Dolaying tactics
!!!! only," I saki, whe Germans
Д had
Berse of tumour." And later. The only Fortunately that shouldn't be too solution is to sun away. hard" and d exposed to him the weakness of the lock.
Late that avoning 1 wyns taloon by car to the Goat Headkiuar- ters in Tunis. The Corpa Com- mander had expressed the desire to see me and cross question me. After walling in an ante-room for an unconfortable Hour we were told that the Corps Com- mander was too busy with A "Don't rush t sald Ray. battle. He would eye-me in the "you'll want food and water and morning. I returned to my coll. some at of map. They let us This was a former, outhouse seo, the others by day. Maybe wherein happier days, perhaps we could pick up something deckchairs and gardening, Looks from them. We'll have a crack had been kept. It was simply at it together tomorrow. night." furnished, with a bale of, straw.. Also, as I had noticed, the lock easy to postpone. We lay down Flans of escape are fatally was on the inside of the door, in the straw together and slept und attached only by four screws. And Tripoll at that time was not more than 10 miles from the Allled Front.
When I reached my, well, I found that I was no longer alone. A South African in Dying kit, was lying disconsolate in the corner. He had been shot down in a Flying Fortress over Biserta that afternoon and was the only survivor. He seemed to have got over his ordeal with considerable rezilience, and we were soon busy telling each other our life starles
for
Early next day they came and went to a separate camp. As ho took Bay away. Ale prisonere
left he wished me good luck. I spent the day begging, borrow- mg und stealing bottle water, some oranges, meat. Such things were much easier in the slack conditions of reception, centre than they became later.
a din of
That evening when I headed
for my call the German guard shook his hood. No more for me my military cell. I was to go over to the mala block. It had barred a steel-covered So naturally selfish is human windows and nature that. I can
alert sentry remember door: and a very bothing of what he fold me, culside it. There was only one The Corps Com- except that his name was Ray, consolation. but almost everything that I told mander eerroot to have lost lim. The details of my capture, interest in me too.
Did It Really Happen?
YES
NO
Put a tick against your choice in the space above. Answer on Page 13 Col. 6.
The solution
13
18
129
་་
A British Crossword Puzzle
1 Velo,
ACROBS
5 Overwhelm.
8 Coarse.
9 Haphazard.
11 Urge forward..
12 Showy stuff.
14 Lake.
16 Oust,
8
16 Stimulating atmosphere.
10 Poems.
20 Ransom.
24 Piny.
All of you will, of course, have arrived at the solution for 25 Assert. yourselves, i can only plead that 20 Flower. the shock of capture does not 27 Artificial silk. conduce to clear thinking. But 28 Delicious drink, believe it or not it was not until weeks later, when I met up with } other officers, in my unit wha| had also shared their cell with him, that I even realised that
Ray was a stooge, planted on me to gain my confidence.
Well, he gained it all right, 1
28
DOWN
1 Violent enger;
2 Declaim.
3 Metal.
4 Fruit:
5 Adept.
6 Aim high.
7 Throb,
10 Seat.
1 Go to the bottom,
14 Clipping art.
16 Chorus.
17 Gomi.
18 Decree,
21 Besides. 22 Soften.
23 Dam.
YESTERDAY'S CROSSWORD-Across: 1 Casts, 4 Robust, 8 Asylum; 10 Raise, 12 Modest, 14 Precede, 17 Test, 18 Illudes, 20 Silence, 22 Clod, 23 Ultered, 27 Simmer, 20 Trite, 30. Depper, 31. toggle, 32 Tread. Down: Clasp, 2 Style 3 Spune, & Ogre, & United, 7 Treats, 9 Modicum, 11 Astute. 13 Deleted, 18 Rail, 10 Credit, 18 Sere, 20 Scotch, 21-Losing,-24-Tract; 25 Rupee, 20 Dared, 28 Meal.
SOON! BOAC ACROSS THE PACIFIC!
FASTEST DIRECT SERVICES TO
San Francisco
VIA TOKYO AND HONOLULU
BY NEW, LARGER, FASTER JET PROP BRITANNIAS
On April 3rd the first flight of BOAC's Trans-, Pacific services will arrive in Hong Kong-brand- new services operated by magnificent new Britannias" --world's fastest, smoothest jet-prop airliners! Every Wednesday and Friday there will be de Luxe and Tourist Clasa flights serving Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu and San Francisco..., thus offer,
ing you round-the-world jet travel by BOAC. Other onward connections throughout the U.S.A. You'll be delighted by the spacious comfort of these new larger, faster Britannias... and you'll be waited on with the personal attention for which BOAC is world-famous. No other airline offers you value ruch as this. Book BOAC every time! *Subject to Governmnant pipercole
Ste your Travel Agent, or Jardine's Airways Department, Telephone 27711/2 (24 hour service).
ALL OVER THE WORLI
BOAC
(ES GOOD CARE OF YOU
ELN
BRITISH... DAVVER
QRATION
Page 5Page 6