Escaping Has Ceased to Be a Sport PDF Download

Author: Frank Unwin
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526714957
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 382

View

Book Description
After being taken prisoner at Tobruk and transported to Italy, the author was determined to escape and learnt Italian by talking to the sentries. His first escape lasted just one week. He then joined a tunnel party and escaped again. After six weeks on the run he was offered shelter in a Tuscan hilltop village, Montebenichi. There he enjoyed five months of freedom, living the lifestyle and ancient customs of these peasant people.While attempting to re-join the Allied armies, Frank and two fellow POWs were re-captured and sent to a brutal work camp in Germany. His defiant attitude exacerbated an already difficult situation. In March 1945, with the Allies closing in Frank took part in The Long March, walking for several weeks before being released by American troops. The title of this remarkable and moving memoir results from a notice posted to Franks amusement in all POW camps saying Escaping has ceased to be a Sport.' This is an exceptional Second World War POW account by a man who refused to accept captivity.

Author: Keith Warren Lloyd
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493053809
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

View

Book Description
A gripping collection that showcases twelve of the most famous prisoner of war escapes in the history of modern warfare. Although these stories feature escapees of different nationalities, ideologies and allegiances, the reader will be captured by the common traits shared by all of these brave soldiers: loyalty to country and cause, tenacity, resourcefulness, and an abundant amount of courage.

Author: Airey Neave
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 178337943X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 177

View

Book Description
The author of Saturday at M.I.9 and former British soldier recounts his escape from Nazi captivity during World War II in this military memoir. Wounded and captured at Calais in May 1940, Second Lieutenant Airey Neave wasted little time before attempting to escape. Always a thorn in his captors’ sides, he earned his place in the “escape-proof” Colditz Castle. Undeterred, he had the distinction of being the first British officer to make a “home run,” via Switzerland, Vichy France, and Spain. Soon back in France working with the French Resistance as a member of M.I.9, rescuing Allied airmen, he found himself playing a leading role saving stranded survivors of 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem. Neave’s extraordinary memoir continues even after Germany’s surrender. Having arrested the directors of the mighty Krupp empire, he served with the Nuremburg War Crimes Tribunal where he came into personal contact with leading Nazis, gaining a unique insight into their characters and deeds. If ever there was a great and true story well told, it is They Have Their Exits. Reprinted once again it is a fitting memorial to a man of exceptional energy, initiative, and courage. Praise for They Have Their Exits “One of the best escape memoirs to emerge from the Second World War, combining the adventure story of most with a deeper examination of the mental impact of captivity and escape, and the stresses and risks all the way along the escape routes.” —History of War

Author: A. J. Evans
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 211

View

Book Description
In 'The Escaping Club', the author provides a vivid and personal account of his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War I. Divided into two parts, the first section chronicles his time in a German camp, where he and his fellow prisoners engage in daring escapes and taunt their guards. The second section covers his time in Turkish custody, offering a unique perspective on the often-overlooked Palestine front of the war. The author's gripping narrative provides a stark contrast between the brutal conditions of his time in Turkish custody and the more confined but no less dangerous environment of the German camp. 'The Escaping Club' is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of World War I and the experiences of prisoners of war.

Author: Peter Jackson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783031247
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 287

View

Book Description
This powerful memoir of a WWII POW recounts his incredible journey from joining the British Army to life as a prisoner of the Imperial Japanese military. Peter Jackson was young and recently married when he was drafted into the British Army at the start of World War II. He was sent to Singapore just as the city was being evacuated, and within days he was taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army. Peter was one of the very few to survive the hardship, illnesses and brutality that followed. Like so many he was forced into labor, first in Singapore and then on the infamous Thai-Burma railway. But while there, he remarkably escaped with seven other soldiers. When recaptured, he was treated harshly. Jackson’s memoir brings to life both the characters of his comrades and the Japanese soldiers and guards he encountered. Though the experience was truly harrowing, and many of his fellow prisoners despaired at losing years of their young lives, Jackson maintained a sense of hope that they would one day return home

Author: Charles Granquist
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1921941030
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 146

View

Book Description
The son of a World War I veteran, Charles Granquist was 17 when war was declared with Germany in 1939. He lied about his age, joined the infantry and was sent to Egypt. Like so many other young men at the time, Granquist did not know what to expect. All he really cared about was doing his duty and serving his country. He never even contemplated his chances of becoming a prisoner of war - he was there to fight and take prisoners. Captured by the Germans in Greece, Granquist was determined to continue carrying the war to his captors "any way I could." In his memoir, A Long Way Home, he describes his shame at becoming a POW and how he believed he had failed himself, his mates and as a soldier. He orchestrated a remarkable five escape attempts, all of which ended unsuccessfully. Yet Charles refused to give up, determined to fulfil his duty as an Aussie Digger and make his own small contribution to the war effort. His story takes the reader on the rollercoaster of escape, recapture and 196 days of solitary confinement before his eventual return home with his Russian war bride. Granquist' s account of his wartime experiences adds another important chapter to the story of World War II POWs, while showcasing the spirit, humour, persistence and ingenuity expected of an Aussie Digger. A Long Way Home is tribute to one veteran's spirit and the mateship he still holds so dear today.

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781977697110
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 44

View

Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading War has always led to prisoners. In ancient times, many were turned into slaves by the victorious armies, while in medieval Europe, they were often returned to their families in return for a ransom, leading to fortune or poverty depending upon which side one was on. By the Napoleonic era, as armies grew in size and professionalism, many were kept in camps for the duration of the fighting, their captors not wanting to restore their enemies' manPOWser while the fate of nations hung in the balance. In the first half of the 20th century, war was fought on a global and industrial scale. Millions of men were flung into the grinder of World War I and World War II, leading to commensurately huge numbers of prisoners of war (POWs). Camps were built to hold thousands of captives, with their own barracks blocks, parade grounds, and even farms. Some of these captives were used for forced labor, especially by the Axis regimes in World War II, while others were left to entertain themselves as they waited for the war to end. Throughout the war, many of these men did not sit idle. Many spent their time preparing elaborate escape plans in the hopes of returning to their home nations and back to the fight. Following World War I, several books were published giving romantic accounts of successful escapes. Inspired by them, World War II brought about a number of great POWs escapes, celebrated ever since in books and films. At the same time, the escapees of the Second World War did not act alone. Networks of brave volunteers worked to see captives or potential captives make their way to freedom, and secretive organizations were established in the heart of government with the aim of encouraging and assisting escape attempts. Most successful escapes were made by Allied troops in Europe, including soldiers left behind after the fall of France and airmen shot down in bombing raids, but escapes happened across the world, from Canadian trains to German castles, and from the mountains of Italy to the wilds of Australia. Axis as well as Allied troops made their bids for freedom, keeping both sides on their toes. Everybody was looking to make the next great escape. The Second World War was full of escape stories, some bold, some tragic, and most filled with courage and ingenuity. There were moments of foolishness, like the story of an Italian on the run in Australia who was caught ordering red wine with a heavy accent. But there were also incredible feats, such as the covert construction of a glider in a Colditz loft. On all sides, people sought to return to the war or to help others to do so. Their stories were not only part of the overall struggle, they added a very human dimension to a war with a scope so large that it still defies imagination. The Great Escapes of World War II: The History of the Most Legendary Escape Attempts by Prisoners of War chronicles some of the most daring escapes carried out during the war. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the great escapes of World War II like never before.

Author: Robert C. Doyle
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 9780553579734
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 488

View

Book Description
With you-are-there immediacy, prisoner of war expert Robert Doyle provides a penetrating look at some of the most daring escapes in American history. From the American Revolution and Civil War, to the war in the Persian Gulf, to the undeclared war in Southeast Asia, these extraordinary true stories form a riveting history that reads like a rapid-fire thriller. Includes an exploration of the psychology of escape, as well as a look at escape in popular books and films.

Author: Neil Churches
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 1529060362
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 349

View

Book Description
The gripping, vividly told story of the largest prisoner of war escape in of the Second World War – organized by an Australian bank clerk, a British jazz pianist and an American spy. In August 1944, the most successful POW escape of the Second World War took place - 106 Allied prisoners were freed from a camp in Maribor, in present-day Slovenia. The escape was organized not by officers, but by two ordinary soldiers: Australian Ralph Churches (a bank clerk before the war) and Londoner Les Laws (a jazz pianist by profession), with the help of U.S. intelligence officer Franklin Lindsay. The American was on a mission to work with the partisans: a group who moved like ghosts through the Alps, ambushing and evading Nazi forces. Told here for the first time is the story of how these three men came together – along with the partisans – to plan and execute the escape is told here for the first time. The Greatest Escape, written by Ralph Churches’ son Neil, takes us from Ralph and Les’s capture in Greece in 1941 and their brutal journey to Maribor, with many POWs dying along the way, to the horror of seeing Russian prisoners starved to death in the camp. The book uncovers the hidden story of Allied intelligence operations in Slovenia, and shows how Ralph became involved. We follow the escapees on a nail-biting 160-mile journey across the Alps, pursued by German soldiers, ambushed and betrayed. And yet, of the 106 men who escaped, 100 made it to safety. Thanks to research across seven countries, The Greatest Escape is no longer a secret. It is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of the last century.

Author: Stephen Dando-Collins
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250087562
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

View

Book Description
"Oflag 64, a World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp based in Schubin, Poland, was speculated to be one of the only POW camps set up exclusively for U.S. Army ground component officers. About 150 American officers lived in the camp in 1943, and by 1945, that number had expanded to 1,500. When the German commandant Colonel Fritz Schneider received orders to march all of his prisoners to west Germany to escape the Russians in January 1945, that number declined rapidly as the American officers put into place long-existing escape plans that would make history. In The Big Break, we follow famous POWs, such as General Eisenhower's personal aide, General Patton's son-in-law, and Ernest Hemingway's eldest son, as the first American escapes via a tunnel in a stinking latrine, with almost 250 US officers following closely behind in a mass break. The Schubin escapes are by far the largest Allied POW escape of the second World War, surpassing even The Great Escape of 1944. Historian Stephen Dando-Collins chronicles the gripping story of irrepressible Americans determined to be free, brave Poles risking their lives to help them, and dogmatic Nazis determined to stop them"--