THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1949.
Continuing the extracts from "THE WOODEN HORSE,' the greatest escape story
A SHIP AT LAST!
Smuggled out
of Germany : We
slip aboard under the noses
of the Germans: Hidden.
behind a sliding panel
Escaping from the German prison camp Stalag Luft III, Peter Howard and John Clinton have reached Stoctin, a port on the Baltic, and are trying to slip aboard a skip for Sweden.
They are disguised as French workers and have been in Stettin six days.
They have made contacts with the 'under. ground' at a French prison camp two boys who loaned them passes to enter the Relherwerder coaling dock, and an English speaking French barber who has promised to find them a ship.
It is late October 1943.
by ERIC WILLIAMS, M.C.
the Pator Howard' of the story. John Cllatos is in real life Michael Codner, M.C.
THE inck of food and
T
constant strain
were
"Is it far from here?" He shrugged his should- having their effect. ers. "Not far." Peter and John fluctuated
"I should like to tell my
'I am afraid that is not
beween extremes of caution friend where. I am going." and recklessness, and as their moods did not always coincide they spent most of possible." the time urging one another in opposite directions.
They managed to book a room for one night at the Hotel Sack, a modern hotel and steam-heated.
John took one of the passes and set out for the Reiherwerder coaling ata- tion.
"Very well, I will go with you."
"Good." Pierre said. "'Do not walk with me, but follow close behind."
ANDRE SPEAKS 'Must have proof' THEY walked to
11
French
Peter stayed behind. He prison comp hut. "Rest here," Pierre Bald, and went locked his door and spent out. the whole day "forging" two passes similar to those they had been loaned.
Soon Pierre returned with two
others. One was armed with a
"What camp were you in?"-
"Slaing Luft Three."
"What regiment?""[ not tell you that,"
"You do not trust me. right that you should not.
I
He spoke no :Eng- Hrh, but Petor could
fell by his voice he i
going to help
can-
WAS
tiem
It is But
must have proof of your identity. When did you escape?"
"Last Friday."
"When were you captured?"— "December 17, 1842,"
"Where?""Africa."
"Were you in a tank?""No. On a motor cycle."
"What make?" "B.S.A." "Were you
wounded?"-"In
the arm."
"Show me."
John began to remove his coat. "No. Do not show me. You look tired. Two years is a long time to be a prisoner of war."
was unly there for one yehr."
"Of course."
算
There was a silence, 'They stood facing one another. How can I help him. John thought.
it must be damn difficult for them, but how can trust them?
"What
pre your mother's christian names?" Andre asked
"Mary Elizabeth."
"What does your father call her?""Beity."
"Have you a garden?"--"Yes," "What flowers Tow In it?" "ROBOS. lupins, pansies, geraniums.'
"Have you 's car?"--"Yes," "What make?"_"Morris." "Horse-power?"—"Ten.""
Rene called for D must round of drinks. "You come back to my camp," he said. "You must hide away until we can And you at ship."
་
They shared Rene's bed in the camp that night, and he shared with another man.
And
They wakened early before it was light, when the Frenchmen dressed to go to work. They shared their breakfast of brend and margarine crantz coffee, and were lighting their cigarettes when they heard footsteps outside.
Rene tried to get them hidden under the beds, but before they could move the door burst open and a man stood panting inside the room.
It was
the barber, and he
spoke in French.
That's
In
John turned to Peter. "He's to Copenhagen." Axed up for a bout to take us
"Copenhagen? Denmark."
"Yes," "That's Germans."
The author,
Erle Williamt..
"He's right. Pele." wanted to slr him.
Dane said.
"We call this afternoon,"
"Are there many Germans in Copenhagen?", Poter askerd.
"Suro, hundreds. You k Sigmund. He'll tell you. He's a fire-eater."
"Is he one of the crew?"
"He's a contact many for the underground. He sails with us as a deckhaud., He, salts with us too long now. Soon c. will be caught. He takes mighty big rilaks, that feller.” ~..
Poterien olid aido a panel. Behind was a small cubby-hole formed in the extreme bows of the ship.
It was just large enough, to hold the two of them. The walls were the steel walls of the ship, and they were cold, and water dripped from them.
'DON'T TALK' Hours of silonco DETERSEN passed them a wooden box to sit on, a torch, bottle of water, an empty bottle, and a metal funnel or they squeezed in.
somu
"You mnу bo there hours," he said. "Don't shine the torch if you hear voices and don' speak unless I open the John door.
come
"The
will Germans the down here, but they won' und
tear Яos
fr the fo'c's'le, give 'em a drink, The Dane made Peter walk keep
see, so you very in front
quiet-an' don' of him through the smoke. or you cough, 1 x 'em. gate of the docks and thon sce? I fix 'em good, caught up with him and said:
"I the dog comes down here "Follow.me, but do not come I fx 'im, too. I got pepper." too close. Follow me up the gangplank and do not look at anyone..
He replaced 'the panel, leaving If I stop to talk to them in darkness. They stayed anyone walk past us and slow there for several hours, unable down until I come."
to talk and apprehensive of every step.
quay
So they
came to the where the Danish ship S. i. Jacobsen was berthed.
There was a gangplank down and on the other side of the quay Russian coldiers were of landing a ship under the super- vision of a German guard.
occupled by
the
"I knew,"
"What the hell's the use that?"
"Well, it's somewhere. Sweden 'from here."
Be-
"Do you know London?" sides, it'll be easier to get. In
"Fairly well.”
"What is the name of the thick stick. He stood by the door, statue in Piccadilly-circus?”—
"What is your name?"
the "Eros."
other asked in French.
fell.
It was finicky work. They were not good; but they would do. Then asleep.
he
When John reached the coaling station it was almost dark.
LET THROUGH But no ships. HE showed his pass and
the sentry let him through, There were no ships berthed alongside the qulay.
He hung around for some time anxious to find out whe. ther asentry was posted. Then he went back into the
10112
he
"What is famous "John Clinton, British offeer." "Its flower-sellers." "He looks like a stool pigeon,"
for?"
the man with the stick said. "That is good. One more "He has the accent of a Boche,” ́thing." Ho suddenly slapped:
John lightly across the face.
. "It might also be the accent of an Englishman," the first one raid. "Andre wit be here in a minute. He will know."
"He has the look of a French- man," the man with the stick said.
"What the devil... John began.
All the Frenchmen laughed. "You have passed the test."
The man called Andre sald.
He turned to, the short man.
vouch for that."
from Denmark
Once they heard the sound of milltary boots, the whining of a dog, and then German voices. Then there was silence,
Waves of coldness came from the wet steel hull, numbing their Lahba and deadening their minds. up the the deck Escape is all coldness, Peter vanished down a
com- thought. Coldness and waiting. And by God it teaches you patience.
The Dane walked gangplank, crossed
than
anct
NEWS OF SHIP Bound for Denmark A. usual John was all, for going. But Peter was' cautious.
"Ask them more about it." he said. "Ask if the crew aro can stay with them there." staying in Denmark and if we
John spoke to the barber in French. The barber shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
says
panlonway.
found
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Peter followed and himself in the forecastle. The They heard the Germans Dane motioned him to o
the cabin. scat come
They without speaking and went out heard the again.
unnecessarily loud voice of Patorsen. the laughter; and the sound of a glass against waiting for John
Peter sat in the dark cabin a bottle.
He crossed to a porthole and looked out necs as he crouched down beside Peter could feel John's tense-
The German sentry had his him, listening. back to the ship watching the Russians.
and was
John, Then he heard the Germans and the Darie were walking leaving, heard the triumphant unconcernedly along the quay, note in Petersen's voice as he "He doesn't knów," John said:
saw them out of the forecastle, "He
It's going to be O. K.. he heard their feet traraping across "IIe is certainly not French." "He is British all right. I can have arranged it. That's all he
the organisation thought, we're going to make it the deck, and heard Petersen This was Petrre.
knows. He's come to take us
jcome back into the cabin to Then John
and the Dane remove the panel. to meet a Danish callor from were in the forecastle and the the ship."!
three of them stood round the "I gottem," he said. "I fixed cast-iron stove, warming' uiclr em. Wo have something to eat "O. K. Let's meet him." hands.
now, then I hide you the Jolment to the Cole-place for ten minutes after the Dane said: "For Christmas may-
below. The German They walted at the meeting "You will be home soon," the look, look, here! Soo?"!
He took them over to a port- bole. There was German oldier standing-at-the-bottom be of the gangplank, "When
sail ho come with us as far as Bwinemunde. Then you can come up here."
"Of course I'm not French," John sald. "I'm British,”
"We have to prove
that."
Raoul told him. "Do you know you are not British?" what will happen if we find-that-
'OUR MAN' Rone to Rescue
following evening Peter
d'Accordion, searching for more agreed time, but the Danish be.” contacts with the "underground." sailor did not come.
The man shut one eye-and- drew a forefinger across his A waitress came by with Casually,
dropped throat. "You will be found float- tray full of glasses of beer. into a cafe. There was the ing in the dock. We had a stool barber at the French camp pigeon before,"
Silence reigned. Then foot- steps were heard.
who had promised to assist them.
"At last I have found "Here is Andre," Raoul said,
Andre's face was pule and his said tho you,"
barber.
brown eyes burned darkly. As he Here is Pierre, I think he entered Pierre took him to one will help."
side and whispered in his car. John shook hands with He looked at John, "First Pierre, who said: "I havo
must have, proof of your a friend who is going to
identity." Sweden in a Danish boat.
I
do not know how he is going or why.
"If you will come with me now perhaps he will help you."
་:
Feler-looked at John,~~What They had just begun to feel had been a dream was 1 As alarmed when they were coming real. she passed, a young Frenchman accosted by a young man who- put his orm round her waist looked like a student. and began to speak in burlesque German.
man
That's the
for us!" Peter said.
John looked at him. He was about 25, tall and looking. with a dark face and
powerful brown, angry eyes, a wide, full mouth, and tousled hair.
He looked as though he usual- ly did as he pleased. A man to
What had.seemed a fantastic shot against long odds was now "Good morning," he said in a possibility. And the nearer passable English.
they came to winning through the more nervous he became. "Good morning," Peter said. "I have
Then Peterson came in. Peter come to aboard my ship, I have one been ashore.
have you son was the crew boss and had spare pass. I can take one of you and return for the other."
+
"What happens when we get
John began to unfasten his coat. wanted to help you.
"I have my identity disc here." help you if he thought he
to Denmark?" Peter asked...
"When you get to Denmark "I regret that is not sufficient,
When the Frenchman went you will be all right."
What is your name?"-"John qut to the lavatory John follow- Clinton"
ed. Presently they both came "Your age?"-Twenty three." back, John beckoned Peter over "Are you a soldier?" "Yes" and introduced the Frenchman "What rank?"-"Captain."
Dy Rene.
UNITED FRONT
World Co7:
"How soon
can we ket ta Sweden?"
Sweden all the time.
"People go from Denmark to From Germany, it is not so casy."
staps are being taken to comect the unfaimess of excluding MC C. from The British delegation to the official Congress ・of Europe just because he isn't in the Government.
He will join the Labour party and accompany
Mr Atties unobtrusively as a shadow minister-
LOW'S HOT NEWS AGENCY.
༢+
i hmn TT 7,1
11
down
guard.
IN THE BILGE Nearly off now
we
TTE HE got them more sandwiches
of dry bread and bacon and led them down through a trap-
He was a big man. His eyes door in the floor of the forecastle were blue and bloodshot and on to the deck below, down he smelled of schnapps. He was ward and down through another through another trapdoor; for- drunk, affectionately drunk.
trapdoor; and forward again "You boys will be all right into the bilges where the anchor now. I'm Petersen, see?
chain was stored.
"Call me Pete. I see you all "Be careful of the chain," he right. I fix everything. don't have to worry now."
the enchor goes You said, "when
dawn. It goes down, at Swine- munde.
The rest of the crew came in,
five altogether; they did not "When It goes down you seem surprised that there were know you won't have to wait strangers in the forecastle. long." Ho went back up the
FRIED EGGS
Feast with cr
crew
indder,
They found canvas sta- anchor and made themselves a bed. It was cold-colder than It had been in tae, cubby-hole- Sigmund, the man who had but they could move and stamp brought them aboard, put on their feet and brat their arms a heavy, knitted Scandinavian across their backs to keep them Eta forsey. and assumed werm, authority with it.
Petor fell asleep. He was
They all sat round the table wakened, by the slowing-down of drinking schnapps while the the engines, and they knew that cabin boy fried eggs and bacon, they had reached swinemunde,
Peter at there trying to talk
They crouched
0.3 RWBY QE from the anchor they
to Petersen until the boy placed n plate of eggs and bacon on chair men the anchor went
the table in front of him.2
:༥་
down, the chalne plunging and
He passed it to John and kicking like a wild animal as l
crashed around | In
Peterson & cut them thick plices compass of And
of white, bread. He sat watch
.
smati
ing them as theydte, eating it stopped. Thire was denibly quickly and thoroughly and silence in the locker,
wiping their plates with bread
when they had finished.
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NOTICE
CHINA FLEET CLUB
Fail to the last check, deter H.M.S. Concord'. Ships Dance
thought-They lay listeriing to
"You, boys were hungry, chr" the japping 2504 the wat
"Bloody
The crow
for
a WI
Petersen wo
sandwiches a tok
156. Germana Feira ( cl
Boarch the shou
my imaginingaz the j bilot? Péter
guard leaving the
Then the anchor
the engines stari ayd Boden to move)
now
that, ther
soldati Ykpresently you go down in the as-Denmar
bilgo," he said. "Wo - havo
another search at Bwinemunde, and that's the last of Grimanyą
Länden Kanrası Barrios.
TO NIGHT
TO NAV DEPENDANTS FUND
(YANGTSE)