1949-04-23 — Page 9

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1949.

Extracts from 'THE WOODEN HORSE,' . the all time most astonishing escape story of

ELSA RUNS WHAT DO YOU SEE AHEAD? FROM THE

Nightmare journey in train BLACK CAR

full of Germans

How we fooled a policeman Our first meal in a cafe

Stares that scared us

Flight-Lieutenant Peter Howard and Captain John. Clinton have escaped from the German prison camp Stalog Luft III. in Silesia through a tunnel 120 ft. long, which they dog literally under the noses of the German guards.

With them escaped Philip Rowe-Flight-Lieutenant Oliver Philpot, D.F.C., M.C.-but after the break. out he went on alone, posing as a commercial traveller, and reached Danzig and later Sweden. This chapter opens at the railway station a mile from Stalag Luft III. Peter and John are waiting for a train. They are disguised as French craftsmen working in Germany and they carry forged papers giving them permission to move to a works near Stettin on the Baltic coast The time is 6.30 in the evening late in October, 1943.

by ERIC WILLIAMS, M.C.

NSIDE the station book- ing hall the lights were bright. Peter walked to the time-table on the wall while John joined the queue at the booking oflice.

At lust the train came in. crowded and in darkness. They stood in the corridor all the way to Frankfurt.

Eric Willintos, author of "The Wooden Horse," is the Peter Howard af the story, Today he is a book sales manager. Jahn Clinton is, in real life, Michael Coiner, MC.

"What the "We'll take that," Peter sald. cup

hell's weong "Let's go and try to get a

now?" Peter of coffee. I'm cold as hell. We

whisperod. the led mustn't go to

They're for stalls. only."

Cross

troops

"How do you know that?" "Got it off one of the guards Started housing at the camp.

he Jakst me all bustioned mate about our Red Cross and thout theirs."

John drew a deep

breath. That carriage reservedl Russian

was for prisoners of war. I saw the notice on the side as we got off."

The waiting-room was wardi It was 10.30 when they

smellet "Definitely not am! crowded

elgarettes. the place for arrived. Passengers were not and

their strongly of German being asked to show

The coffee was made of acorns --us!" merely and not very hot. papers they were handing in their tickets.

Peter looked round him

None of them was the tables. eating. None looked very Bl. cobbled Ile looked at John. We look foreign too fit, he thought, although it

They passed the barrier and walked out into the darkness of the streets; strange streets in which nothing was familiar.

They made for the centre of the town and stopped out side an hotel. "Let's go in and ask for a room," John said.

Peter besitated.

"We've got to do it sooner ur later," John urged. "Bet ter do it now, late at night when the porter's tired."

Fideutiger Aus*ckà

Levasseur...

Sations that

Auswginas ostidelt hiorait dia 7

Mas Kolahagebist. Uloger Auɛng/

Pornon:leuerolu, är luss

int coa Polisip

Abicuf der delty

ouidina UreB)

Qualtigkeit

This part of the faked Identity card succesfully used by Peter Howard to get through Germany. The picture was the nearest likeness he could obtain: the 'official' stamps. used on the document were cut in the prison camp from rubber heels,

public

They climbed into another out. It led them to a

This was park. curringe. at third-class

"We'll rat here," John said. full of civilians, and they stood at one end trying to appear un-

They rationed themselves to o food concerned.

cubic inch of some dog The train stopped at every they had with them and ate two people got in and American biscuits John had in station, and out. It seemed to Peter that the his bag. journey would never end.

we were looking for an escaped prisoner in England shouldn't go for a very fl-looking man.

Have to shave soon. He ran

his hand under his chin. It'

wash-and-

do. It'll do today anyway. Like to clean my teeth, too.

Daren't go to a

place-loo intimate. brush-up Have to stick it, I suppose.

nul musing when He was

and they John roused him went out to buy their tickets for the train,

WRONG WAY -Berlin tickets.

bought

They brushed their maekin- and their At every stop he expected the toshes, their shoes Gestapo to arrive, and stood in hair.

terror until the train began to move again.

They did not talk. After time they managed to get a sent

and sat with closed eyes they got to Kustrin.

until

They sul in while.

silence for

a

3 "Look here," John said, "we're losing our grip. Let's go into the town and have a beer,"

no

They arrived at 10 o'clock in the morning. There was identity card check at the bar- rier and they walked into . little town.

the

It was quiet, sleepy; and they were sure they would be notleed,

After nearly two years of im-

the town prisonment

was

FOR A BEER Into the town

A [OIN looked up. police- man was walking slowly towards them down the path.

"That settles it. Let's go and have that, beer!"

hurry

ERLIN. - Entering the

tourist restaurant In the Russian sector of Berlin, com- Ing in from the dark ruins out- side to this bright place, alled with red-faced people dancing to a loud German band, or alt- ting down to meals of vodka and sleaks and ice-creams, it is hard to believe that one is al- ready the wrong side of tho Iron Curtain,

But the Intourist restaurants are a phenomenon bearing no relation whatever to conditions in the world around them.

Outside the building a huge red neon sign, "Intourlat," can On tho tor miles. scen ground floor the menu is priced tu German East marks, and the prices are astronomical; upstairs customers Is for the desirable with foreign currency to spend.

be

Here you are received with the greatest suavity; the German excellent all spenkt They found walters

cate, went English, and the prices are in in and satdollars, and vory cheap. down.' There

11

were four men,

I went there with an Ameri- rather ike local can friend, and five of us had a tradesmen, Bitting splendid meal, including half a #t lable in the bottle of vodka, for $3 (£2). window.

THE CZECHS

A waitress come from a room at the end

of the cafe and stood by their table,

"Zwei Glas dunket Bier,

bitte," John said,

The foreign customers were a mixed bag, mostly business men

Irom the Balkons,

A large party of.Czechs. men

"Zwel Glas dunkels," she re- and women, were noisily taugh- peated. and went away, re-ing and eating at the next table, turning shortly with (wo

glasses of beer.

"Danke schon," John handel

a coin. her a

She groped in the pocket of her apron and handed severni smaller colns him which he returned to her. "Danke sehr," she said, rmiled..

and unlike every olbar restau- rant 1 had seen in Berlin,, where women outnumber man by two

were at least to one, there dozen men dining alone,

£1

If you cross into the Russian by day nothing looks and sector

from the other very different half of Berlin, except for more inctivity in the streets, more re- bullding among the ruins,

There is hardly a Russian to be seen; occasionally a group of soldier or a solitary omcers,

suitense, perhaps carrying with something to sell on the black market.

0

'IN THE DARK' They knew little XX/TH o wink at Peter, John lifted his glass. "Not bad, what?" he sald

when the waitress was out of earshot.

"Not bad," Peter was watch

window. in the ing the men

But if you go late at night, and

the blockaded western when They had stopped talking were all staring.

sectors are totally blacked-out,

doubt

whatever done there is no Wonder what

we've

Wonder, if about the line of demarcation. wrong, he thought. foreigners are allowed in here.

Travelling on the S-bahn, the Wish I knew more about it. It's

overground railway which runt all this working in the dark,

through all sectors, you see tho line of lights which sudden marks the change-over into the Russian quarter, where even the streets

ruins are of deserted it.

་

We don't even know if there are such things as free French workers.

It would be bad enough if we knew what 10 expect.

bul

Materially speaking, te for Germans in the Russian

PLUCKED FROM STREETS

working in the dark like this we might barge into anything. the

Wonder if we can smoke in sector is neither much better the nor much worse than for those here. He looked again at

One of under Allied control. They get men in the window.

a pipe.

light, it is true, but practically vas smoking a them was

The

came in carry- no heating; rations are more or waitress

four less the same. with ing a tray loaded large white pottery bowls. They

She put were steaming. in front of each of the Peter-watched closely.

but Money passed,

was the coupon- coupons. This

she turned away Peler a

caught her eyes. Ble beckoned

Aestured

.of towards the

table in front him. She smiled and vanished: into the kitchen.

one men.

10

The really important differ- ence-is-in-the-way-the-people.

seems no doubt

feel. There

or Stammgericht. As that he over-riding atmosphere

desk. lle spoke respectful. stairs and across a footbridge. strange to Peter, frightening. He they got to their feet and walk free meal, or trom the table in the Russlan sector is one of

It was-a-largo-hotel. Several people were sitting in the lounge.

PETER stood back from the

queue while John

went up- John went to the porter's the tickets. They

without speaking, and came to a the barrier at the end of the ly, adopting the role of

gave the col- Frenchman. but a free platform. John

lector the tickets. worker.

The collector handed the tie The porter said something 'hets back and said something Peter did not understand. Peter did not understand. John John thanked the man and replied in German..

and

ed

the

did not know what to expect. They walked on down main street of the town, past the thin queues outside the butters' shops, to a bridge over a canal.

It was a hump-backed bridge and they could not see the other side.

Without appearing lo

towards the policemen. "Say something in French Peter Just as we pass him," maid. "Say something intelligent in case he speaks French,"

When they were within a few policeman John paces of the broke Into

French. voluble Peter tried to look us if he unL- derstood. And then they were past.

the door.

shouted moved towards

The collector

They had heard that bridges on pointed test to the tickets and Peter followed him out

then to the destination board, should be erussed on the right

John band site of the road and that read Kustrin, which

The Stanmgericht was slew mnde from swedes, potatoes and carrots, but no meal.

It was a generous help- ling and warm. They had two more of weak German beers ani full then they had more

fear; if not active fear of any- thing defnile, then an uneasy feeling of general insecurity.

A girl, Elsa Mueller, studying to become a doctor, told me that it is still common for the Rus slams to pluck people at randem off the streets.

Sometimes their political pri- soners escape, and then, in order the to make up their list to the full felt total again, the Russian guards along the drive felt will simply

"What did he say?" he blushed and looked at the tie- all bridges were guarded. They Peter listened for the policeman, since they had escaped. With streets at night in a black Mer-

to the street.

asked.

"He said it was full."

"I don't like it," Peter said. "We don't even know if foreign workers are allowed in hotels."

They tried four more hotels and Anally found themselves back outside the railway station. *This is worse than London," John said, "What do we now?"

"Let's get out Into the try," Peter suggested.

EAT-SLEEP Roughing it

do

coun-

O, they walked for two hours,

kets. He turned and fed Peter did not know. away.

"What's the matter?" whispered.

on talking and

to turn round, listened for the knowledge Their only

Was hall and the sound of pursuing Peter from prison camp gossip, from footsteps, But, he didn't turn

rumours and a smattering of in- round and they walked on.

who formation from prisoners

"What did you say?" Peter usked. had been out before them.

ધા couldn't think what to say. "It's not worth it." Peter said. "It's not worth the risk, Fancy so I told you all about a letter getting caught erossing a bridge. I'd had frem my Aunt Annette sald who had bronchills, and Let's try another road."

the that my sister Marle was hav-

John went

road ing another baby."

"They gave us tickets to Ber- of Kustrin. It Instead sounds much the same in Ger- man. I'll go and change them,"

"No-it'll need too much ex-

go They walked back into planation. Keep them and

and buy two town and tools another to another grille more. We've plenty of money."

They went back to the book- ing hall and bought two more tickets, this time to Kustrin.

They got past the ticket col- shouting lector, who now was

at someone else, and on to the platform.

"Get Into a crowded compart-

passing through the suburbs, met Peter end, and climbed and finally came out on to Into a third class compartiment country Jane.

--more like a cattle truck than n

Peter pointed to a concrete passenger coach. drain passing as u tunnel under the road.

11 was a non-smoking section

and separated from the rest of the conch by sliding doors. He

They climbed down the weed could see the other part of the and scrub-covered slope and coach was overcrowded. found a secluded spot.

There

gald.

else will get

they opened their bags and ate "We'll stay here," he the sandwiches they had brought "Perhaps no one from the prison camp.

Then they settled down, to sleep. They slept just as they were, in their mackintoshes and their shoes, their heads on thetr

bags, side by side on the rough, dlamp ground.

in."

PUSHED OUT Wrong carriage THEY sat there until the slid- ing doors were opened by

* German Holder. He shouted

They left their hiding place loudly and began to push them

before it was light and walked out.

into the town. Everywhere the German people were hurrying

to work.

By the time they reached the rallway station the booking hall was crowded.

"There's a

If only they wouldn't rercam

Bo much I might be able to get what they'ra talking about,

John thought.

Ile scrambled out of the coach Was And joined Pater, who already on the platform, The In the doorway them ar thoy

train for Kustrin man stood in an hour's time," sold John. shouting after

It's a local stopping train." walked down the platform.

ATLANSIC

Mer

a full stomach came renewed cerles car until they come on a

solitary pedestrian." confidence.

"What do we do now?" John naked.

די

NEXT WEEK Escape by a hair's-breadth

Loudon Express Service

They reach out and drag him Into the back seat, and this is the last his family hear of him. One night she heard the car She raced into a behind her. churchyard and crouched among the laurel bushes. The Russians waited an hour for her to come out and then went away.

~(London Express Service).

YOUR PLAY, JOE

World Copyright

Da frangement with Keening Standar

EMPLOYMENT BUREAU

OR

INSECURITY

INDEPENDENCE

If you start a tavings plan NOW you can look

forward to INDEPENDENCE in your old ago.

THE

MANUFACTURERS

INSURANCE

HEAD OFFICE

Hong Kong

3317

(Established 1087)

Windsor House.

E. J. R. Mitchell.

COMPANY

TORONTO, CANADA

Tel. 34156 - 57. Managor for South China.

(all this coupon to loent address given above)

I want to know how best to provide a monthly income for my dependents within the means at my disposal. It is understood that your advice does not place me under any obligation.

Alte

Address

.Name

The peak of perfection in shock, dust and moisture proof timekeeping.

CYMA

Atribute

A tribute to the Swiss watch-makers' art-

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

INTRODUCING

THE LATEST

CREATION OF

JEAN

PATOU!

“L'HEURE ATTENDUE" Obtainable now along with his other famous perfumes: AMOUR-AMOUR, JOY, MOMENT SUPREME *ETC.

Sole Representatives K. CAUDRON & CO.

French Bank Bldg., Phone 27539.

Save Your Eyes

by consulting, CHINESE OPTICAL CO

St. John Ambulance Brigado

FREE AMBULANCE SERVICE

Tel. Hongkong 26093

Kowloon 50000