dogs patrolled the whole compound, so to get to the shower block a distraction had to be arranged. One of the prisoners created a disturbance at the far end of the camp to draw off the guards and their dogs. Whilst this was in process, the two men slipped out of their hut, over the wire surrounding the building site, and quickly picked up what they required.
Dragging the timber behind them, they dodged the searchlights and carried it all back to their hut. As they reached the hut, the shutters were flung open and willing hands were ready to grab the timber and nails if needed. Fortunately they made the hut in darkness and the two men slipped underneath and buried the timber and nails in the sand.
The following morning Eric Williams went to see the camp CO, Wing Commander Cameron, and explained his idea to him. ‘Wings’ as he was known, was enthusiastic and set about designing the horse on his drawing board. With this done, Eric Williams and Michael Codner set about constructing the horse using the tools that had been ‘acquired’ or borrowed. In the meantime a gymnastic class had been organised with a large number of volunteers who were prepared to do two hours of exercise every morning and sometimes in the afternoon.
Williams and Codner questioned two prisoners who had escaped and been recaptured at the port of Danzig. They wanted to know the best method of travelling and it was decided that the railway was without doubt the best way. One of the two men, an Australian, emphasised the point that the best method was to get aboard a goods train, because the travel documents that they made in the camp would not pass close scrutiny. The passenger trains were always kept under close watch and the identity and travel documents of foreign workers were examined closely.
Then came a stroke of luck. One of the Australians had cultivated a relationship with one of the guards, keeping him supplied with cigarettes and chocolate. He had even persuaded him to bring some eggs in exchange for chocolate. The guard, not the brightest of people, had been wounded fighting on the Russian Front and was terrified of being sent back. The Australian gradually weeded information out of him regarding the trains and the position regarding foreign workers travelling. Foreign workers needed a special permit to travel as well as a permit from the chief of police in the area in which they lived and permission from the firm for which they worked. After much wheeling and dealing, the Australian finally threatened the guard with exposure for having been trading with prisoners. This offence meant he could be sent back to the Russian Front or even shot, so the guard was persuaded to bring the passes for him to see. They obviously could not keep them, but one of the prisoners was an excellent artist and he made very detailed drawings of the passes.
With this additional information, plans were set to go into full swing with the escape attempt. With the horse finished everything was set for work to begin. Then one sunny morning the canteen doors opened and a group of prisoners dressed in shorts and shoes ran out and lined up by the trip wire. The four strongest men of the group carrying the vaulting horse followed them. They placed the horse at a spot 10yds from the trip wire and slipped out the carrying poles. The instructors, Williams and Codner, then demonstrated to the rest of the men the kind of vaulting they wanted them to do. They then leapfrogged over the horse followed by the rest of the class.
The German guards watched with increased curiosity and suspicion, wondering what the prisoners were up to. They were aware that this might be an attempt to divert their attention away from somewhere else where an escape attempt was being made. The guards in the towers scanned the surrounding areas within the compound but could see nothing unusual. The Kommandant made a brief appearance but satisfied that it was a harmless activity to keep the men fit and
Dragging the timber behind them, they dodged the searchlights and carried it all back to their hut. As they reached the hut, the shutters were flung open and willing hands were ready to grab the timber and nails if needed. Fortunately they made the hut in darkness and the two men slipped underneath and buried the timber and nails in the sand.
The following morning Eric Williams went to see the camp CO, Wing Commander Cameron, and explained his idea to him. ‘Wings’ as he was known, was enthusiastic and set about designing the horse on his drawing board. With this done, Eric Williams and Michael Codner set about constructing the horse using the tools that had been ‘acquired’ or borrowed. In the meantime a gymnastic class had been organised with a large number of volunteers who were prepared to do two hours of exercise every morning and sometimes in the afternoon.
Williams and Codner questioned two prisoners who had escaped and been recaptured at the port of Danzig. They wanted to know the best method of travelling and it was decided that the railway was without doubt the best way. One of the two men, an Australian, emphasised the point that the best method was to get aboard a goods train, because the travel documents that they made in the camp would not pass close scrutiny. The passenger trains were always kept under close watch and the identity and travel documents of foreign workers were examined closely.
Then came a stroke of luck. One of the Australians had cultivated a relationship with one of the guards, keeping him supplied with cigarettes and chocolate. He had even persuaded him to bring some eggs in exchange for chocolate. The guard, not the brightest of people, had been wounded fighting on the Russian Front and was terrified of being sent back. The Australian gradually weeded information out of him regarding the trains and the position regarding foreign workers travelling. Foreign workers needed a special permit to travel as well as a permit from the chief of police in the area in which they lived and permission from the firm for which they worked. After much wheeling and dealing, the Australian finally threatened the guard with exposure for having been trading with prisoners. This offence meant he could be sent back to the Russian Front or even shot, so the guard was persuaded to bring the passes for him to see. They obviously could not keep them, but one of the prisoners was an excellent artist and he made very detailed drawings of the passes.
With this additional information, plans were set to go into full swing with the escape attempt. With the horse finished everything was set for work to begin. Then one sunny morning the canteen doors opened and a group of prisoners dressed in shorts and shoes ran out and lined up by the trip wire. The four strongest men of the group carrying the vaulting horse followed them. They placed the horse at a spot 10yds from the trip wire and slipped out the carrying poles. The instructors, Williams and Codner, then demonstrated to the rest of the men the kind of vaulting they wanted them to do. They then leapfrogged over the horse followed by the rest of the class.
The German guards watched with increased curiosity and suspicion, wondering what the prisoners were up to. They were aware that this might be an attempt to divert their attention away from somewhere else where an escape attempt was being made. The guards in the towers scanned the surrounding areas within the compound but could see nothing unusual. The Kommandant made a brief appearance but satisfied that it was a harmless activity to keep the men fit and
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