by Matthew Hall
Warrack called a meeting of senior staff while they still had the freedom to talk to one another without Germans listening. A decision was made that any medical personnel who wanted to were free to escape. Warrack suggested that approaches be made to the Dutch underground, but Herford was against it. If a Dutchman was caught harbouring a POW it would almost certainly mean instant death, whereas the recaptured escapee stood a good chance of merely being taken back into custody. Reliance on the brave resistance workers meant putting their lives in jeopardy.
Herford suggested to Warrack that the top priority should be finding a hiding place within the hospital so that in the event of a sudden and unexpected evacuation they could conceal themselves. Warrack agreed and it was decided that a hide-out equipped with food and water would be set up.
Herford expressed his keenness to make an escape attempt quickly, and offered to take with him the extensive lists which had been made of the wounded who had passed through the hospital, as a message had been received through the Dutch resistance that the War Office was anxious for information on surviving POWs. Herford bided his time. Until now he had neither felt the need nor had the time to plan the most efficient method of escape. Tension increased on the night of the 14th when the Quarter Master escaped, and on the following night three doctors and two orderlies. A curfew was imposed and a group of officers were caught studying the only 1:100,000 map they possessed of the Apeldoorn area.
On the night of the 16th Major Krammer arrived and said that they would all shortly be removed. The guard patrols were increased further. A roll call was held and Herford had the distinct feeling that they would be moved out the next day. His time was short. Herford had no food supply for an escape attempt, but he did have an army issue compass ‘reclaimed’ from a German ambulance driver who had carelessly left it lying next to him on the driver’s seat. He also had a large-scale map of most of the route he wanted to follow to the Rhine, together with a small map of an area of the river which he had singled out as being the best place to cross. It was situated in an area called the Heelsum swamp and he anticipated this would be unfit for human habitation or for slit trenches, both of these requiring firmer ground.
He held in his mind a clear picture of the German soldiers he had run into after crossing the river. They were set well back from the riverbank, far enough to be invisible to anyone at the shore. He felt certain that if he could find a similar location he would be at a great advantage for getting across.
His plans for escaping from the hospital were hazy. It occurred to him that he might arrange for a small group to go between blocks with a guard carrying a covered pressure lamp. They could stage an accident with the lamp and while the guard’s vision was affected by the glare he could slip away into the darkness. He told his idea to Warrack and Marrable who immediately replied that it was too risky, especially as the perimeter of the hospital grounds was likely to be crawling with guards who would instantly be alerted by such a trick. Marrable suggested it would be better to squeeze through the small window in the operating theatre on the ground floor. They were least likely to be disturbed in the operating theatre. It was a moonless night, windy and pelting with rain. Perfect conditions!
They went upstairs to the sparsely furnished room where most of the officers were sitting around chatting. When they heard that Herford was going, several others said they wanted to come too. Herford was surprised and pointed out that any more than two at a time would increase the risk of detection, but said he would be prepared to take one other.
Dan McGowan, the Roman Catholic padre from the St Elizabeth Hospital in Arnhem, was extremely keen to come. He had a fearless reputation. Herford had heard how he had done splendid work on the battlefield at Arnhem, and afterwards moved freely among the Germans identifying the dead and helping casualties and so he agreed to take him. McGowan had thought of an escape route through the woods at Oosterbeek and hoped to go with Sandy Flockart, a dental officer, who was not so enthusiastic. Herford strongly expressed the view that woods provided obvious cover for slit trenches and German movement undercover, and that they should stick to the route through the swamp. He assumed that as he had a clearer idea of exactly what he wanted to do McGowan would simply follow. They had no more than a few minutes to get to know one another. Seldom could two people more ignorant of each other’s characters have set out together on an enterprise which would involve such a deep level of trust. In a letter Dan McGowan wrote to Herford on 22 September 1979 he recalled the swift pace of events that evening:
You remember we, Sandy (Flockart) and I, were preparing to escape together. Then, Sandy said that he felt his place was with the men, and the next thing is he was asked, because of his size, to hoist me – and you first, I suppose – through the upper window of the operating room. It still does not explain why I escaped at all; why I switched partners, if I had the scruples of escaping at all as a chaplain and leaving the men who were also prisoners.
Thankfully McGowan had prepared a small parcel of emergency rations on which they could manage for a couple of days. They hoped they would be able to forage for the rest, or perhaps even pick up a loaf of bread from a friendly local. McGowan also had an escape compass. From the front it looked like an ordinary collar stud, but if the white paint was scraped off the button, a tiny compass was exposed.
Having hastily finalized their plans they went downstairs to the operating theatre and laid out the equipment for a fake operation in case they were interrupted. With Sandy Flockart’s help they moved a heavy wooden table under the window with a chair on top and the window was propped open by means of a broom handle lashed to the opening louvre. The drop to the ground was some 9 feet, but even though it was no great distance it was decided to lower themselves down with the assistance of two knotted blankets, half inside the window, firmly secured, and half outside.
When the preparations were complete they switched off the lights and stood in silence listening for any sound. They waited for several minutes but could hear nothing except the gusting wind and heavy rain pelting on the windows. Herford decided it was time to go. The upper section of the window was small and took some squeezing through. As he was hauling himself out Herford had brief second thoughts as he wondered what he might be letting himself in for. He had taken an irreversible step.
On landing he waited in tense anticipation for McGowan to force his bulkier frame through the narrow gap. He helped McGowan to land – a rather inelegant landing due to his size – and they hurried across the tarmac path at the edge of the window and lay flat on the grass beyond. Herford’s heart was beating so heavily he could barely catch his breath, let alone hear the footsteps of any guards. Herford carried out a quick reconnoitre of the hospital grounds.
Herford moved through the darkness looking for the best route to the perimeter wire. The pitch-black night proved a mixed blessing as he almost bumped into one sentry. Herford retreated to find McGowan and suggested they try another direction. They crawled across the grass until they came to another path. They lay frozen as a guard strolled by, waving his flashlight to and fro. The beam seemed to pass right over their heads, but miraculously they had not been seen.
They darted over the path and crawled through a muddy potato patch on the other side. Herford suddenly heard the voices of two sentries near the wire. He listened intently for a few minutes as they walked up and down their stretch of the perimeter. When the guards reached the end of their beat he turned round to whisper to McGowan that they should move on. Suddenly someone nearby moved: there was a third sentry he had not identified who was standing against a wall only yards away. For a heart-stopping moment Herford thought he must have been seen; but the heavy rain was obscuring them. They edged slowly backwards. When they were far enough away not to be heard, Herford joked to McGowan, ‘There’s just one thing we’ve forgotten – to tell the others to leave the window open so we can get back!’
Herford selected another point to approach the wire, and this time found
no guards. The wire itself was only a single coil which presented no real obstacle and they were over in moments and out across the scrub land beyond. They looked back at the gleaming lights of the hospital – the blackout was very poor. It was shortly after 9pm and they had until dawn to cover as much of the 25 miles to their crossing point as they could. Herford’s plan was to travel south-west across open country to the village of Otterlo about 13 miles away. From there they would turn south to the Rhine. Walking at night would depend chiefly on compass craft and a good deal of guess work.
They walked for about an hour, through fields and scrub, until they came to what appeared in the darkness to be a road. This was a mystery as neither of them recalled the maps showing a road in this position. But when Herford went to cross he had an unpleasant surprise when it turned out to be a dyke! The surface shining in the occasional shafts of moonlight had given it the appearance of shiny black tarmac. McGowan quickly helped him out. Herford was chiefly thankful that he had taken the precaution of tying his compass on a cord around his neck, otherwise they would most likely have lost their most valuable escape tool!
They continued in single file. This allowed Herford (who was leading) to listen for suspicious noises, and minimize the risk of their both being surprised. The negative aspect was that they occasionally lost touch and Herford had to retrace his steps to find McGowan. The tricks of light continued and a short while later they came upon what they thought was a dyke; they followed it for a short distance before realizing that it was in fact a wet road. They were already cold and still had a long way to go.
Two hours later they came to another country road which they followed for a short while to a junction where there was a small hamlet. They would need to get food from somewhere, and their experiences of the Dutch hatred for their occupiers led them both to believe that locals would offer succour. Seeing a small light in one of them Herford cautiously approached and peered through the letterbox. All he could see was the illuminated dial of a wireless set playing dance music. He gingerly tapped out a Morse ‘V’ on the door hoping to illicit a response. He saw a hand quickly reach out and turn the wireless off. He tapped again but no response came. He concluded that he had given someone a terrible fright and decided it was best not to linger.
They continued along the road for another 100 yards until they saw a roadblock in the distance. Either side of the road there seemed to be a large wired-off area. Herford went cautiously ahead, but suddenly heard someone cough alarmingly close. He had almost walked into a manned sentry box that had remained invisible against the background of trees. Luckily the wind and rain had dulled the sentry’s alertness, who failed to notice the figure creeping along the grass verge no more than 10 yards away.
Cutting their losses they plunged into the woods at the roadside and decided to skirt around the perimeter of the wire. A little further on they emerged from the trees onto an area of sandy wasteland and saw several large wireless masts silhouetted against the sky. They reckoned that the fence was surrounding the wireless station and steeled themselves for a lengthy detour. The detour led them into some very thick clinging undergrowth which seemed to grasp and clutch at their soaked clothes. As soon as they cleared it they stopped for a rest, exhausted.
McGowan decided it was the right moment to produce his emergency rations, and they both gratefully sank their teeth into the highly concentrated chocolate and dried meat. While they were recovering it was virtually the first opportunity they had had to get to know one another. McGowan didn’t even know Herford’s surname! They continued uninterrupted for several hours until dawn approached, when they came across a large notice indicating that the area was a German infantry training ground. They continued around the edge until about 7.30am when they were lucky enough to chance upon a deserted cottage, bare of furniture with a stack of straw nearby. They decided to stay there for the daylight hours. The cottage was only 100 yards from a small crossroads, but there were woods behind into which they could escape if necessary. They gathered up some sticks and set a small fire in the grate, and even discovered some potatoes in the garden. There were enough for a meal with a few left over to carry with them; they were the best potatoes they had ever eaten.
After an hour they extinguished the fire to avoid attracting attention and took it in turns to rest outside in the straw while the other kept lookout. Sleep was almost impossible. Herford carried out several reconnoitres of the surrounding area, checking their position. He had a map which covered the route for part of the journey but couldn’t be sure whether they were on the map. They both agreed they would have to travel further south-west before turning south. During the course of the day several German lorries passed by and some troops on bicycles, but they remained unseen. For several hours the sun came out and they managed to rid most of the damp from their clothes.
At 6.15pm they set off again and made good going over a large area of wasteland and sparse woodland in the remaining daylight, crossing what appeared to be a large, disused rifle range. Herford was intrigued by a couple of cycle tracks in the sand which seemed to go on and on for miles across this desolate stretch of country. They calculated they should shortly be reaching the Hoenderlo–Otterlo road. Eventually they did reach a small road, but not the one they thought. They crossed and came upon some very large iron gates at the entrance to a large imposing mansion. They followed the road for some distance in a southerly direction until they arrived at some houses scattered amongst trees. They couldn’t get their bearings at all so decided there was nothing for it but to risk asking one of the locals where they were.
Herford cautiously approached one of the houses, but as he came close he heard the heavy thud of field boots and a voice in German as a door opened. He retreated quickly. They continued along the verge for another mile, ducking into the ditch several times as cars and trucks passed. Luckily the Germans paid scant regard to the blackout and their headlights gave plenty of warning.
However, they had a close shave at one point when Herford saw a notice on the opposite side of the road behind which was a group of what looked like military huts. Without warning a car came around a bend and they flew for cover. The driver seemed to see them, stopped 50 yards down the road, got out of his car and shouted something indecipherable in German. Herford and McGowan hugged the ground, praying that he wouldn’t come back up the road. At last the man got back in his car and drove on. They breathed sighs of relief, and decided that they had to leave the road straight away and head south-west across country.
They struck out across fields and came to a small farm. There was a dog chained up outside but no humans in evidence. At the next farm Herford peered through a crack in the shuttering and saw a group of German soldiers, obviously on detachment. Eventually they came across some buildings on the edge of a small village. As they passed the front of a house a woman opened a bedroom window. Herford called out in a stage whisper in English and German, asking the name of the village. The woman was stunned. There was a long pause as she struggled to see who was calling out to her. ‘Tommies?’ she eventually asked. ‘Yes,’ Herford replied. She then asked why he had spoken in German if he was English. Herford tried to explain but she just said ‘Otterlo’ and closed the window, obviously very frightened that she was being targeted by German agents.
Herford and McGowan were greatly relieved to have chanced upon their half-way point so easily. Herford was determined that having coming so far they should get proper directions before striking out on the final leg of their journey. He left McGowan in a concealed position at the roadside and proceeded tentatively through the village. He came upon a Red Cross post with loud Dutch voices coming from inside, and quietly tapped on the door. The voices fell silent and a Dutch woman opened a small window and peered out. Herford asked if she spoke English. She looked very frightened and said, ‘No. This is only a hospital here’, and promptly shut the window. On the opposite side of the road was what appeared to be an evacuation centre, again with Dutch voic
es inside. Herford decided to follow the same procedure and tapped on the door.
A Dutch man came to the door and gave no answer to Herford’s question. Instead he looked at his visitor steadily for several seconds, perhaps awaiting some secret sign or signal, then closed the door. Herford and McGowan were by now wearing their Airborne waterproof capes, and during their journey they had observed that so many had been seized and were now being worn by the Germans that they simply looked like German troops with captured waterproofs!
Five minutes later Herford knocked on the same door again. Another man came out, and still saying nothing scrutinized the bedraggled English soldier on his doorstep before shutting the door. Herford waited, guessing that he was being tested. Several minutes later a man and a woman emerged from the building and walked down the road, ignoring him completely. A further few minutes passed before another man emerged. Herford whispered to him. He flashed a torch in his face, looked him up and down, then said, ‘Follow me’.
Herford could sense the man was friendly. He told him he was an escaped POW and explained he had a companion waiting along the road. They walked back to where McGowan was still hiding and then followed the man to a small wooden hut where five men greeted them warmly.
One of them was a Red Cross worker who had travelled down from Amsterdam that morning with a lorry load of supplies for displaced persons. Herford did not establish exactly who the others were, but did not wish to. All that mattered was the generosity of their hospitality and comradeship. They gave Herford and McGowan mugs of hot tea and shared their meagre bread ration. The tea was extremely welcome, but Herford was reluctant to stay there. If the Germans found these Dutchmen sheltering escaped POWs it meant certain death for them.