GIRAUD'S ESCAPE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 73, 18 May 1943, Page 6

GIRAUD'S ESCAPE

DOWN 150 FEET PRECIPICE

SHADOWED BY THE GESTAPO

A thrilling story of how the High . Commissioner in North Africa, Gen- j eral Giraucl, escaped from the medieval castle of Koenigstein (Germany) down a precipice 150 feet high,, although lie was then fit), has been told by General Girand in Algiers. Interviewed by Mr Ward Price, of the Daily Mail in Algiers, General Girand said that for eight months after falling into German hands his old wounds crippled him, He then plotted his cscape, which was made in January, 1941. He found, a corner of the garden out of sight of the watch-tower, and chose this point to get over the parapet. For months he secretly collected bits of cord and string to make pieces of rope each two yards long, which he hid in the-garden, but he could not make a rope strong enough to bear his 13st. 71b. Wire in Jam An old friend in France, after receiving code messages, sent General Giraud lengths of insulated copper wire, wlu-.;a; were hidden in jam. These were wrapped round the rope. His wife sent large quantities of chocolate, which he. sold for 600 marks and bought an old pair of civilian trousers and a raincoat. General Giraud obtained a German identity card, on which he •described himself as a commercial traveller, and saved up enough food to last three daj^s. On the day of the escape he waited until a German N,C.0., who patrolled the parapet every 15 minutes, was out of sight at 8.30 a.m., and then slid down the precipice. General Giraud said he took four minutes to descend the 150 ft. . In bushes at the foot he shaved off his moustache, put on dark glasses, and put on the civilian clothes he had. Met French Agent He then walked openly to a rendezvous with a French agent, who gave him a full civilian outfit. He then took a train to Brcslau (southeast Gcrmanj') as lie thought the Germans would expect him to make for France. His knowledge of German was sufficient to overcome several examinations of his identity card and a number of train journeys. He saw placards offering a reward of 100.000 marks for his arrest. General Giraud was nearly caught in a train in which there was a strict examination of identity papers, but he engaged in close conversation with a high officer of the Afrika Corps and the Gestapo inspector did not venture to disturb him,. When General Giraud readied the Swiss frontier he lay in bushes all one night and heard a sentry express the hope that the escapee would, come his way. He reached Vichy France, where he was shadowed by the Gestapo for six months. On November 2 he received secret information that the Allied landing in North Africa Mould take place six days later. lie was asked to travel there by submarine to co-oper-"ate with the Allies, and this he did.