A THRILLING STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 35, 21 December 1943, Page 5

A THRILLING STORY

CAPT ALAN YEOMAN'S ESCAPE

\d\ i-:xti;iu-:s in i,taey

A slight jilimjj.se of the rem;irival),'e exploits- of Captain Alan Yeoman, of Tanealua. who when a prisoner of war in Italy made three spectacular bids for liberty is told in an account reeently published in Auckland. The account deals with the adventures of a trio who faced the dangers jointly. Captain Colin N. Armstrong of Wanganui, and Captain R. T. S. MacPherson, of Scotland who together with the local man broke, prison camp and went through a series of exciting events lit enough to grace, a modern thriller. Their escapades took them through North Italy where they were apr prehended and then from Austria in to, the AJps ! in an unsuccessful effort to icjoin the Eighth Army in Italy. Finally they made a piison break from Northern Germany. In one of their first breaks thcy were confined in a large two storied building, and making ropes of llie.ir bedding material, they had arranged for the men in a lower storey to 2>ush them out by means of a ladder as they descended so that they would land beyond the sentry* box. Dozens of others stood ready at the windows with rotten ranges ready to pelt the sentry should he attempt to shoot. They made good progress the first day but later when having a swim they were questioned, by an Italian Army patrol who almost Ave re persauded to believe that thej r Ave re German troops when a German officer interA'ened. and soon called their bluff, though Ave. understand that the officer appreciated the joke and had a good laugh over the plight of the Italians.)

Labelled* as Dangerous On July 27 news of the downfall of Mussolini reached, Campo 5, situated at Serre.vale, north of Genoa, where there Ave re confined some 200 officers labelled by the Italians as dangerous, for each one had contriAxd to escape,, only to be recaptured. Among them Avere 10 New Zealanders. Instead of being released as expected, they were, handed .over to. the Germans, and on September 13 they found themselves In cattle, trucks bound i'or Austria. Four days later they armed at the prison camp of Spittal. Another four days passed,, and then the three managed to leave the camp unnoticed. For a time they Averc not pursued and they set off for Italy.

Captains Yeoman, MacPherson and Armstrong®' Avere old pals. For 12 months previously they had effected a joint break away from Campo 38 at Poppi, near Florence, and were at large for 29 days, during" which time they travelled 2.">0 miles. Having eluded border patrols, they were fortunate enough to find an untrac'ked pass through the AU )S - -Accordingly they headed south over difTieult and arduous country reminiscent of. but more, difficult than their trek over the Cretan mountains. Blundered Into Patrol Alter six days and nights of. wet, cold anil toil, they won through, but in the very dark night they blundered into a German patrol. Caplain Yeoman succeeded in getting away, but the other two were captured. Once again the unlucky pair found themselves in a familiar cattle truck, this time without food, water, tobacco, overcoat or blanket. Five bitterly cold days and nights brought them through Austria, Bavaria., Czechoslovakia. Saxony, Poland, East Prussia and then back clown the. Polish corridor to Stalag XXA. Thorn, where they were well treated. Stalag XXA was a transfer camp, where a certain amount of confusion reigned, so that a later,, October 5). another chance, at, escape was taken, it was their third attempt and this time they Avere not recaptured. They carried on, but where they Avent and how they managed it is another story which cannot to told until after the war. Suffice it to say that in November, after a hectic six weeks of ture, Captains MacPhcrson and Arm-, strong arrived in Scotland.. fit nnd< free.