FRENCH PRISONERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 May 1942, Page 4

FRENCH PRISONERS

DARING ESCAPES EFFECTED. Among the Frenchmen recently arrived in this country from Russia are many who had escapes from the Nazis thqt recall the exploits of Latude and other famous prison-breakers. All were anxious to get away to join General de Gaulle. One French soldier taken prisoner in the north of France made three attempts at escape. In one of these, at the risk of his life, he stole a map from a German officer. He was recaptured, but learned from his guards that he was only three miles from the Russian frontier. When all was quiet, he removed the window frame with a rusty nail. He thought all was lost when he noticed a woman was watching him from some houses nearby. The woman came towards him and slipped a packet of food to him. She was a Pole. He squeezed through narrow bars. ‘T had lost 40 pounds in the Nazi prison camp,” he said, explaining the feat. Another French prisoner of war, escaping with two friends, came face to face with three armed Germans. “They called on us to halt. Instead, I began to run, followed by one of my comrades; the other gave himself up. We ran through a hail of bullets for some yards, when I heard my comrade fall. This only made me run the harder, and I shook off my pursuers, until rounding a hedge I came face to face with yet another Boche, waiting in ambush. Without a moment’s thought, I flew .at him and grabbed his throat. I left him unconscious, and gave him a few extra vigorous kicks in the ribs to keep him quiet. Rushing on blindly, I fell into a ditch. At last, drenched through, half dead with hunger, I got across the frontier and reached the office of the Russian commissary of Torage. I learned a few days later from another escaped prisoner that my comrade who fell was badly wounded, but the German I had dealt with was in a worse condition.”