1949-04-16 — Page 9

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1949.

for

The man who lay hours alone in a 100 ft. human ‘rabbit hole'

P

Extracts from the book 'THE WOODEN HORSE'

which tells the most astonishing. escape story of all time and is

THE BOOK OF THE MOMENT

Peter Howard and John Clinton, prisoners at Stalag Luft III. camp in Silesia, planned one of the most astonishing escapes of all time.

The built a vaulting horse large enough to take two, and eventually three, men inside it. This horse was carried out each day into the compound close to the sentries on guard at the surrounding wire.

While their fellow prisoners practised vaulting over it, one of them descended from inside the horse and dug a tunnel which when completed was 120ft. long, and came to the surface outside the wire.

This chapter tells the story of the final preparations and the break-out.

by ERIC WILLIAMS

bail lying ETER, dreaming in his bunk, ran over in his mind all the stories he had heard from prisoners who had been outside the wire.

Peter made a careful copy of them and returned them to Dopey the same evening.

The passes would have to be knew forged properly; but he what they were like.

Now Peter und John had to

from call in assistance

committee.

Awesome experience before the final break-out: First sight of the starlit sky in freedom: Race A last for a wood and cover:

clean-up, then a walk into the dangers of the crowded station

We

in we arrive when sailors Stettin-then

could hang ** around the docks withoul look- ing suspletous.

the

at

ideas

"We shall cach take a dark that blue rolneck sweater so

foreign we can change fram workers to Swedish sailors." "Do you know what

Jook papers Swedish sallor's like?"

В

He went over each escape camp escape step by step until he came to they talked over their the moment of recapture, with Stafford, the hut represen In every case the prisoners had been caught on foot, usually within a few days of leaving the camp.

Most of the runaways liad walked, covering sometimes only a very few miles before

recapture.

tolive on the committee.

"How are you travelling?" he asked. "As Poles?"

"No." John sald. "Good class French workers. French crafts- men who've been brought over French is from France. My

both fairly good. And we're dark enough to pass as Freuch-

men.

"No, we don't. but there's chap who is going to rough out one for us.

It

The last Journey of the "wooden horse" to the tunnel. Inside are the hooded figures of Peter Howard and Phillp

dyed' Rowe, wearing combinations black to protect their clothes as they crawled through the tunnel to freedom. Sivung between theta le McKay. was his task to close the tunnel after the escape, and cover the traces. At the top are the hooks from which bags of and were hung. we're down there and be good camouflage when we get out."

"John and I thought of going down naked," Peter sald.

"I'm not going to get caught of clothing. com- without a stitch Anyway, I'm going as a

shall mercial traveller and I need a bag of samples.

"I've got a black Hamburg hat I bribed aft one of the Ger- That will have to go in

"I still don't like the idea of staying in hotels," Stafford said. sald "I agree with Peter." John. "No one has tried it yet and very few people have go! any home.

"Our papers will be good and the I think the bolder we are the suspicious the. Germans marks Jess

will be.

"Besides, it will a be October or No-

before vember we're out and it's going to be pretty cold sleeping in the

Or those who bad

"Can you let us have Jumped trains only two had reached money?" Peter naked. their destination- port-and "We've got a bit in they had been caught in the kitty-what about 200 dlocks in Danzig

apiece?

Like a bit more the than

They hnd boarded a train In the goods

yard outside camp, and had travelled all the

way without s

That

answer,"

that if you

manage 11. we thought

travel first

class and stay al

stop.

can Y'see to

we'd be the seems

said to himself. he "Buy tickets and travel #Y

workers

011

passengers.

inust There hundreds of foreign

travelling about Germany

the railway."

He discussed this idea with a lough Australian who had made

onit

getaway

"It's not safe." the Australian said. "The Ghings we

aren't rek. I had a

train

decent hoteis."

think

Stafford looked surprised. "I say. don't you that's rather stick- ing

necks your

"No," John said.

out?"

"We've thought it care-

JOHN

CLINTON

life reni 1s in Michael- ·Codner.

make over pretty

l-enough-to-sland a fully. Most clups.

friend tried ty escape like

who got picked up on the train. "Joker came round looking: at the tickets and asking for their papers. When he showed his papers they ra bilm straight away.

It

"Those jokers are used to looking for forged

right away."

they spot 'cm

papers and

"It must have been a fast train," Peter said. "You don't corridor train. You

want

want

to get on a slow

without a corridor. you're in, you're

train,

"Once

Nothing can happen until you get to the other end,"

looking traps.

"We don't think stayed in a hotel yet, so thought we'd try it."

open.

wear

HOX.". "We shanit be able to

said, all our

clothes," Peter "The hote's not big enough."

"We'll wear our shirts and trousers then." Philip said, "and We pack the rest in kitbags. can drag them down the tunnel tied to our ankles."

"If we don't get a ship at once-

"We haven't solved the most i don't sup- and

wii Important problem yet," Peter pose We

go sold. we'll have to somewhere at night and I think there's less risk in hotels than in

"What's that?"

"How to get four people out in the horse."

It's

with

shoes, and adjusted

'old undervest

a hood made from

dyed black.

"You look like the Ku Klux Klan," Peter told him.

ERIC WILLIAMS, the author, Is the Peter Howard of the story. Ile

awarded the WAB M.C. for the escape.

Peter bored a

small hole They both crawled through the wall of sand, which under the vaulting was about three feet thick. A horse.

gust of hot felld air gusted out Three kitbags con- and there was John, wringing toining the rest of wet with perspiration and black thel

clothing and from head to foot with the dye food were hung be that bad run out of his tween them sus binations. pended from the top of the horse.

Con-

He looked pnie and tired un- der the yellow light of Peter's torch.

Then the bearing poles were inserted "Where the bloody hell havo and their comrades you been?" he asked. lifted the horse. So "It's only just about 4.30,"

went creaking Peter sald. across the compound "I seem to have been down towards the vaulting, here for hours."

pits,

A1 5.30, Peter, who had

called a "Down you go," Peter watch,

halt. "We'd said.

beller push up to the top now," One by one John he whispered. pulled the klibags up John began to push the tun- the tunnel and put thein nel up. towards the surface.

in the bulge at the end, They thought they would never

Then he crawled back get to the top.

for

his last breath

of

fresh

air.

"Seal me down

now

BREAK-OUT Rolled to ditch

and I'll see you later, as bloody hot down here clothes on," he said when FINALLY John broke through

-a hole

as large as his he had taken his all of fresh air.

fist--and through it he caught "O.K., take it easy."

his first glimpse of the stars. squirmed Warn

Peter watched John's legs dis. appear down the narrow canoes and then he replaced the trap.

"It's burying a man alive" he thought..

The bearing poles ware in- serted and he was carted back into the canteen:

AT ROLL-CALL Officer in disguise POLL-CALL was at 3.45. At

and

to get

back Peler

him lo Phillp to rendy.

On his way back to the head of the tunnel he brought John's kitbag, which Philip led to his ankle. He then went back for his his own. Philip pushed along in front of his nose.

At exactly six o'clock they

broke through to the open air.

that hour the Senior British Officer, suitably disguised, took John's place in the ranks.

the vaulters Then assembled at the canteen. Peter's knees felt loose he did not want to go in horse. As he pulled on evil-smelling black combina light. tions he looked at Philip, unre cognisable in his binek

pre-

As they broke through they heard the sound of a arranged diversion coming from the huts nearest the wire.. Men blowing trumpets, men singing. banging the sides of the men hut and yelling at the top of their voices. the "Go on! Go now!" Poter said. foo was the He wIS

scared. 11 Quickly John hoisted his kit. bood, bag out of the tunnel and rolled d then at the third man, it towards the ditch outside the New Zealander-called-MeKay-camp. whom they had chosen as lightest man in the camp.

the

"Four people?" Philip sound- hanging around .cl excited. "I thought only we station- waiting Uree were going?

and public Jouens M.C.

"Yes, but somebody's got to lavatories." After they had dug about close the trap down after us."

"What train do you and John

Peter and Philip crawled un- Buyone bus

the two ከገžር” ያነ realised we 401.

to der the horse, stood one at each There's fast train they had to ask a third to join want to catch?"

.mend and held McKay suspended the enterprise.

between them. "There

would then be two Frankfurt at

reter said. men in the tunnel while

"If we break at six o'clock, Il organising the stepped above

will be dark enough." the dispersal of

Frunk- vaulting and

"We shall get off at Plati, furt,"

THEIR DRESS

Borrowed clothes

VERY day the digging in the the sand.

むたい

a

six-thirty

John said, "spend the

tunnel went on. John and Peler had another conference Rowe (Flight-Lieutenant Oliver night there, and see how things Ho. We shall most likely muke Slettin in short hops." with Stafford.

but up.

his own

Danzig.

approached They

local

in.

Philpot, DFC, MC. "What are you two wearing?"

He agreed to link shoes," said he would make "I've got my brown John said. "and a pair of Aus way and try to get to

navy-blue battledress

11 commercia tralian

travelling traveller. trousers.

"We shall have to wear dark Peter one day

As

"How do you know that they allow

foreign workers on the

trains? Probably transport em "Jim Strong's lent me the Air in cattle trucks.

"We'll have to find that out." Force Mackintosh, and I've got clothes," said "I'd rather walk," the Aus- a beret that I swapped with a later.

said. "Or jump

gooda Pole.

tralian trains."

"I'm not so sure," Peter said. "I think there's something in this train travel."

The Australian had "lamed" one of the guards. He called him "Dopey."

Dopey was a simple man of small loyalties. For a bar of chocolate he would forget his obligation to the Third Relch.

'DOPEY' BRIBED Brought passes

"All I need really is a jacket of some sort and a civilian shirt and tie."

JOHN GOES IN First down tunnel

28 they made a October inal bulge at the end the tunnel.

of

The horse started on its last Journey,

Once it was in position Peter removed the trap, He listened for sounds of movement in the tunnel. It was silent,

"I go up the tunnel and seo how John.is," he said.

be

It

Peter stuck his head out and

the camp. looked towards was brilliantly floodlit.

his kitba, He lifted out

himself out of the wriggled hole, and rolled full-length: the ground towards the ditch. the ground

He ran

biinally towards the John stood pine forest on the other side of

where the road,

waiting for him,

On

A mile away was the railway station. They stripped off the black combination suits and the He squirmed inch by inch socks from over their shoes.

another's They washed one along the hundred feet that had

faces with their handkerchiefs taken them so long to build.

As he

and put on their civilian jackets, neared the end flashed the

torch ahead and mackintoshes and berets which called softly to John. He was they carried in their kitbags.

Then they doubled back and afternoon now under the wire and closu At 12,30 In the

crossed a footbridge which led John had his last meal, and at to the sentry's beat.

Where he had expected to them to the crowded station. one o'clock he went over to the

civilian find John there was nothing bu canleen wearing his

long khak a solid wall of sand. under clothes greatepal. put He pulled the long

over on combinations while clothes, black socks over

thought of that," said Philip. "We've just had some long woollen combinations sent Cross. If we in by the Red dye them block with tea leaves of coffee grains we could sald. them on over our clothes.

"It will keep us clear

"We've managed to gel two shirts for you." Stafford "And I've got a Fleet Air Arm jacket that ought to fit you.

"I'm afraid one sleeve's torn and a bit bloodstained, but if you wash it and take the brald elvillan off it should pass as a jacket.

fixed

up?" "How are you Stafford turned to Peter.

Tellenborne's got to black B.O.A.C. trench cont-I'm shall ONE day Peter talked

of Dopey about the state of negotiating for that. I

wear black shoes, and one foreign the chaps has got a beret made

blanket that 1

, can on out of a allowed

have."

railways.

the discovered that

workers

were

trains, but they had to have

special possES.

Further

Indirect questions

"Old

"What about a suit?"

Peter grinned. "The commit-

brought the information that a tee have got, a phoney Marine

foreign worker needed permis- dress uniform."

sion from the firm by whom he

was employed and

"Yes, I've seen it," Stafford a special said.

permit from the police before papers?"

ho

"What about your

leave the town where "They're all in hand. We're

making for Stettin to try

he could

Peter cultivated Dopey. He gave him cigarettes and cocur and bribed him

he was registered.

to

As

our

slow away on a Swedish boat.

"We shall both travel

draughtsmen and with his small French

they're forging our credentials gation of chocolate.

he asked now. We shall also have Then

day one

permission borrow a foreign torged polico Doppy to workers' pass and bring it into travel and a letter from

Arm In Breslau giving us per- Dopey refused. He was ter- mission to go.

We shall say we're going to rined. Foter played his trump card: "You have been trading the Arado Works at Anklam- with the prisoners. I have wit- just north of Stettin."

"You know about

the. comp.

Tesses.

tho

"If you do not bring me the Swedish ship being scorched, I use tear KILS passes I shall report you to the suppose? They Camp Kommandant. You will bombs and, trained dogs.",

"Yes, we'd heard about that. Sbe shot

Dopey whined and pleaded, We thought of taking forged <but he brought the pasSCS,

papers and becoming Swedish

X

Myne home

John had been digging black steadily on, und in banking up.

his the sand behind him had-block- his ed the tunnel.

Budget

ULYSSES AND THE SIRENS

NEXT WEEK

On the train

London Express Borvios

World Copyright. Dy arrangement with Evening Standara.

Ready-to-Drink

RICH, SWEET MILK!

* Have you tried AVO? The milk that keeps fresh for months before opening. You don't mix-don't dilute-AVO! You pour It right from the bottle and drink! It's safe without boiling, because it is sterilized.

AVO is rich, creamy, dairy milk from healthy, inspected cows homogenized for extra goodness, extra flavor. It helps build the sturdy bodies, strong bones your children need.

CAVO

STERILIZUR WHOLE MAILE

AVO is a new sevolutionary discovery. It needs no refrigeration. Chill and serve it by the glass or me it with cereal, fruit or in your coffee.

AVO

Sterilized

MILK

BOTTLED TO

KEEP FRESH

FOR MONTHS

Such pleasure in giving -

Such joy

receiving-

CYMA

Sole Agents: ED. A. KELLER & Co. Ltd.

EGYPTIAN CIGARETTES Arrivals by AIR

Within 4 days from Alexandria

BRANDS: LAURENS "KHEDIVE".

sat

SIMON ARZT

INGENOHL'S

Gloucester Arcade

BABY'S CRIPE

PAINS

When ugly suffers fram stomach upset, you want lo ovoid harsh, harmful lezatives that may cause griping. Give him gentle, effective Phillips' Milk of Acgreske Phillips' is a mild, but effective foxalive I's mild. acting-for baby's delicate organil Phillipa" ngu. trulizes stomach acids... aids elimination, Caulinn Use only as directed. You can get Phillips' Milk of Magnesio in the stone:ay bolile site, or in the hondy form of tablet whose peppermint nuvar children like.

Liquid or Tablets

PHILL

PHILLIPS'

MILK OF MAGNESIA

BR