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The Escape Artists

Page 34

by Neal Bascomb


  morphine use, 27

  Morritt’s funeral, 87–88

  poetry

  about ducks, 154

  about Redlands, 20

  A Gloucestershire Lad, 26

  “Gütersloh,” 57

  initial writings, 21

  “Loneliness,” 58

  “Prisoners,” 89

  published in England, 69

  “Solitary Confinement,” 27

  “The Treasury,” 259

  in the trenches, 25–26

  Redlands, return to, 260

  release from prison, 259–60

  risk-taking, 19, 20

  Schwarmstedt prison camp, 87–90, 101–4

  scouting expertise, 17–20, 24–25

  Stralsund prison camp, 258

  train, escape from and recapture, 101–4

  Harvey, Gladys (sister), 23

  Harvey, Roy (brother), 23

  Harvey, Sarah Anne Kane (wife), 22, 25, 58, 260

  Heinsen, Germany, 220

  Helder, Leonard

  background, 35

  Cambrai prison camp, 38–39

  crash-landing and capture, 37–38

  as Gray’s observer, 29, 35–38

  Gütersloh prison camp, 40

  Osnabrück prison camp, 40–41, 52

  Henry V, King (England), 45

  Hindenburg, Paul von, 49

  Hobson, Chris, 276 n11

  Holland, border with Germany, 248–49

  Holzminden, Germany, 96, 170

  Holzminden prison camp. See also Holzminden tunnel escape

  abuse of prisoners, 127–32, 148, 152, 171, 192, 231

  Armistice, 262–63

  arrival of prisoners, 96–98, 104, 109, 125–26, 163, 283 n96

  canteen, 130, 144, 181

  Christmas celebrations, 154–55

  daily life, 127–29, 141–42, 160–61

  diversity of prisoners, 161

  educational opportunities, 161, 162

  escapes and attempts

  assistance from guards and staff, 177–78

  attic hatch, 110–13, 119, 126, 131, 187

  chute, 152–53

  key escape artists, xix

  Livewire, 198

  Medlicott and Walter, 163–64

  prevention efforts, 131–32, 191–92

  retaliation for, 118, 153

  in rubbish bin, 191

  in trash cart, 152

  weaknesses (escape possibilities), 110–11

  food, scarcity of, 100, 128, 151

  Habrecht as commandant of, 100, 104, 109, 112

  Hänisch and, 95, 116–18, 129, 167, 181, 182

  inscription on cell wall, vii

  inspections and reports on conditions, 143–44, 147, 171

  map, xii–xiii

  mental health of prisoners, 131, 151–54, 163

  Niemeyer as camp officer, 98–99, 109

  Niemeyer’s appointment as commandant, 95

  Niemeyer’s spies, 182

  orderlies

  daily life, 141–42

  parcel deliveries to, 163

  spying for Niemeyer, 182

  as tunnel accomplices, 136, 138–40, 143, 149–50, 188, 201, 287 n139

  physical plan, 98, 99, 110

  Pink Toes (escape band), 119, 157

  police inspection, 159–60

  prison conditions (actual), 100, 109, 117, 127–29, 144, 151–52

  prison conditions (rumored), 97, 99

  prisoners, transfer from, 155

  recreation opportunities, 161–62, 181, 197

  staff and guards, 109–10

  theft by guards and staff, 129–30

  treatment of prisoners, 104–5

  Holzminden tunnel escape

  aftermath, 230–32, 260–61

  air supply, 174

  border-run plans, 176–80, 188–90, 192–93, 196–97

  braces, 158–59

  breakout, 209–19, 221–22

  as common knowledge, 197–98

  escape list, 201, 268

  escape order, 200

  key escape artists, xix, 287 n137

  manhunt, 237, 240

  map of escape routes, xvii

  Niemeyer’s discovery of, 224

  number of escapees, 201, 224, 225, 256

  orderlies as accomplices, 136, 138–40, 143, 149–50, 188, 201, 287 n139

  recapture of prisoners, 239–40, 268

  site selection, 135–37, 138–39, 155

  size of hole, 157–58

  successes, 241, 250–51, 254–56, 268

  threats to, 155–56, 181–83, 191–92, 197–98

  tool acquisition, 138

  tunnel construction, xvi, xxiv, 139, 149–51, 154, 156–59, 166, 167–69, 172–74, 179–81, 193–96, 288 n157

  tunnel cross-section, xiv–xv

  tunnel damage and collapse, 218–19, 221–23

  tunnel entrance, 137–39, 149, 183, 186–88, 287 n138

  twentieth anniversary, 264–65

  zero hour, 200–203, 207

  hot-air balloons, escapes in, xxiii, 56

  I

  Illingworth, Frederick, 268

  Indian Royal Flying Corps, 34

  International Committee of the Red Cross, 46

  invisible-ink letters, 52–53

  J

  Jagdstaffel (Flying Circus), 31, 36–37, 39

  Jorehaut Tea Company, 32

  Jutland, Battle of (1916), 167

  K

  Kane, Sarah Anne, 22, 25, 58, 260

  Karlsruhe prison camp, 98

  Kennard, Caspar

  background, 43–44

  Clausthal prison camp, 61–63, 78, 79, 81–83, 115

  claustrophobia, 157, 174–75, 213

  crash-landing and capture, 42–44

  death, 264–65

  flight experience, 43–44

  Gütersloh prison camp, 44

  Holzminden prison camp, 115, 125, 131

  Holzminden tunnel escape

  arrival in Holland, 254–56, 268

  border run, 219–21, 227–30, 236–37, 243–44, 248, 251–56

  border-run plans, 176–80, 188–89, 192–93, 196–97, 208

  breakout, 212–15

  escape order, 200

  map of escape route, xvii

  tunnel construction, 156–59, 167, 174–75, 288 n157

  zero hour, 209

  language abilities, 177

  Niemeyer and, 90

  Osnabrück prison camp

  Allouche and, 60–63

  arrival at, 44

  escape plans, 50–55, 59–60

  return to active duty, 258

  Saint-Omer, France, 42

  Kennard, Keith (brother), 43

  Knight, Gerald, 93, 114, 160

  Knight, Raymond, 24–25

  Kröner, Commandant, 183, 184–85

  “The Lady of Shalott” (Tennyson), 119

  L

  Lagergeld (prison camp money), 51, 77

  Langelsheim, Germany, 122

  Langran, William, 167, 200, 210–11, 268

  Laurence, Colin

  emergency landing and capture, 73–74

  Holzminden tunnel escape, 168, 200, 226–27, 240, 268

  U-boats, search for, 71, 73

  Leggatt, Edward

  Clausthal escape, 83, 106–9

  Holzminden tunnel escape, 179, 200, 242, 256, 268

  Le Hameau aerodrome, France, 29–32, 35–36

  Lewis, Cecil, 11–12

  Lincoln, Abraham, 46

  Livewire (Holzminden prisoner), 198, 203

  Loevestein Castle, escape from, xxiii

  “Loneliness” (Harvey), 58

  Louis XV, King (France), 46

  Lovelace, Richard, vii

  Ludendorff, Erich, 169–70, 202

  Luscombe, Bernard, 239–40, 268

  Lyon, Peter, 178, 179, 200, 221, 268

  M

  Mackay, Corporal, 218

  Mandelbrot (Holzminden guard), 110, 22
4

  maps, xi–xvii

  German prisoner of war camps, xi

  Holzminden prison camp, xii–xiii

  Holzminden tunnel, xiv–xv, xvi

  Holzminden tunnel escape routes, xvii

  Marcoing rail junction, 32, 35–39

  Marconi, Guglielmo, 55

  Mardock, Frederick, 167–68, 200, 226–27, 240, 268

  Marne, Second Battle of the (1918), 202

  Matilda, Empress, xxiii

  Maubeuge, Germany, 4–7

  Maurice Farman Longhorn biplane, 10–11

  McAlister, George, 139

  McLeod, Neil, 167, 200, 268

  Medlicott, Harold, 120–21, 163–65, 184–85

  Mesopotamian campaign, 34

  MI9 (British intelligence organization), xxii–xxiii, 266–67

  Middle Ages, prisoners of war, 45

  milk, as invisible ink, 52–53

  Morris, Arthur, 167, 200, 268

  Morris, Lionel, 35–36, 37, 38, 39, 54

  Morritt, William, 87–88, 213

  Morrogh, Jack, Holzminden tunnel escape

  border run, 227, 242, 246–47

  breakout, 217–19, 222

  recapture, 246–47, 268

  Moysey, Frank “Mossy”

  Crefeld escape attempt, 68

  Gütersloh escape attempt, 58–59

  Holzminden prison camp, 119, 153–54, 163, 166

  Holzminden tunnel escape, 137–39, 151, 286–87 nn137–138

  release from prison, 259–60

  Schwarmstedt escape attempt, 77, 87–88

  Müller (German officer), 38

  N

  Napoleonic Age, 46

  Neuenhaus, Germany, 66

  Neunkirchen prison camp, 146, 169, 173

  Newton, Lord, 147–49, 171, 256, 261

  New York Times, 257

  Nicholas II, Czar (Russia), 22, 72

  Nicholson, Sir William, 8

  Niemeyer, Heinrich “Windy Dick”

  background, 82, 90

  as Clausthal commandant, 109, 120–21, 125, 146

  under Hänisch, 91

  postwar fate, 265

  Niemeyer, Karl “Milwaukee Bill”

  appearance, 90

  background, 90–91

  Holzminden prison camp

  abuse of prisoners, 100, 118, 127–32, 142, 152, 163, 171, 186, 192, 231, 260–61

  abuse of staff, 178

  address to newcomers, 125–26

  Armistice, 262

  British efforts to remove, 171, 261

  as camp officer, 98–99, 109

  escape attempts, retaliation for, 153

  escape prevention efforts, 131–32, 163, 172, 187, 191–92

  escapes and attempts, 112–13, 165

  guard stations, increase in, 155

  Hänisch’s visit, 116–18

  inspections, 143–44, 159–60

  Operation Michael, 170, 171

  prison conditions, 100

  prisoner recreation, 129, 161–62, 181, 182

  profiteering, 130

  spies for, 182

  war crimes trial, fear of, 261–62

  Holzminden tunnel escape

  aftermath, 225, 230–32, 239–41, 260–61

  discovery of, 224–25

  recapture of prisoners, 239–40

  roll call before, 201–2, 207

  suspicions about, 182–83

  Iron Cross, 91

  postwar fate, 265

  as Ströhen commandant, 90–95

  “1914” (Brooke), 23

  Nomad, HMS, 167

  Northolt aerodrome, near London, 10–11, 276 n11

  “The Old, Bold Mate” (song), 260

  O

  On the Law of War and Peace (Grotius), 45

  Operation Michael, 169–71

  Osnabrück prison camp

  arrival of prisoners, 40–41, 44, 50

  canteen, 51, 53, 55

  conditions, 50

  daily life, 50–51, 53

  escapes and attempts, 50–55, 59–60

  mail service, 51, 52–53

  retaliation for Zeppelin downing, 41, 50, 278 n41

  Otago Daily Times, 287 n137

  Oxford Castle, escape from, xxiii

  P

  Paddison, Robert, 167–68, 200, 268

  Paris, France

  Franco-Prussian War, xxiii

  German advance, 23

  Parker, John, 120–23, 125

  A Parting Word (German pamphlet), 262–63

  Phillimore, Godfrey, 101–2, 282 n77, 283 n94

  Pink Toes (escape band)

  Crefeld prison camp, 65, 68

  Gütersloh prison camp, 59

  Holzminden prison camp, 119, 151, 167

  Holzminden tunnel escape, 137, 150–51, 157, 186, 286 n137

  interned in Holland, 199

  release from prison, 259–60

  Schwarmstedt prison camp, 77, 87, 213

  Plug Street. See Boulogne, France

  Polle, Germany, 220

  Predannack Airfield, xxii, xxiii

  Prisoner of War Department (British), 147–49

  “Prisoners” (Harvey), 89

  prisoners of war. See also Hague Conventions

  historical, xxiii, 44–47

  World War I, xi, 47–49, 266 (See also specific camps)

  World War II, 266–67

  Purves, Stanley, 179, 200, 242, 256, 264–65, 268

  Puttenson, Commandant, 282 n78

  R

  RAF. See Royal Air Force

  Rathborne, Charles

  ambition, 97–98

  appearance, 97

  background, 97

  capture, 97

  Holzminden prison camp

  escape plans, 99

  Gaskell’s escape, assistance in, 112

  journey to, 96–97, 98

  prison conditions, complaints about, 100

  as senior British officer, 191, 198, 203

  transfer from, 143

  transfer to, 172

  Holzminden tunnel escape

  arrival in Holland, 241, 268

  border run, 221, 232–34, 237–39

  border-run plans, 190

  breakout, 216–17

  escape order, 200

  map of escape route, xvii

  tunnel team, 179

  twentieth anniversary, 264–65

  zero hour, 208–9

  Karlsruhe prison camp, 98

  Schweidnitz prison camp, 171–72

  Ravenshaw, Hurdis, 82

  Razey, G. E., 139–40

  Red Baron. See Richthofen, Baron Manfred von

  Red Cross, 46, 51

  Redlands, England, 20, 22, 260

  Revolutionary War (U.S.), 46

  Reynolds, Sir Joshua, 10

  RFC. See Royal Flying Corps

  Richthofen, Baron Manfred von, 31, 37, 38, 106

  Riviera, HMS, 72–73

  Robertson, Clifford, 167–68, 200, 268

  Robinson, William Leefe, 41, 192, 260, 265

  Röder (German officer), 14

  Rogers, Joseph

  background, 59

  Gütersloh escape attempt, 58–59, 137

  Holzminden prison camp, 137–39, 151, 166, 286–87 nn137–138

  interned in Holland, 199

  release from prison, 259–60

  Römer, Rudolf, 88, 143–44, 147–48

  Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 46

 

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