Table of Contents
Foreword Howard Tuck xiii
Publisher's Note xv
Abbreviations xvi
Part I East (Officers') Compound, April 1942 to January 1945
Chapter 1 Description and Conditions 1
Location 1
Number of Ps/ W and Accommodation 1
German Administration 2
P/W Administration 3
Roll Calls 3
Food 5
Clothing 6
Searches 6
German Anti-Escape Measures 6
Punishment for Escape Activities 8
Education 8
Library 9
Sports 9
Theatre 9
Religion 9
Shooting Incidents, etc. 10
P/W Morale 11
Medical 11
Reprisals 12
Finance 12
Chapter 2 Escape Organisation 13
Control by Camp Authorities 13
Planning 15
Security 16
Clothing 19
Forgery 22
Food 23
Maps 24
Compasses 25
Escape Intelligence 25
Supplies 27
Carpentry 30
Metal Work 30
Leather Work 31
Tools 31
Gadgets 31
Tunnel Construction 32
Gate Walk-Out Schemes 38
Wire Schemes 42
Wall Schemes 45
Transport Schemes 45
Miscellaneous Schemes 46
Number of Escapes 46
Number of Attempted Escapes 46
Mass Attempts 47
Summary of Methods 47
Chapter 3 Escape Material 48
Requirements 48
Aids received from I.S.9 50
Remarks on Packing 51
Concealment of Escape Aids - Gadgets etc. 51
Acquirement of Special Parcels 52
Dangers of Stealing Parcels 52
Chapter 4 Censorship by Germans 53
Method 53
Results 55
Object of Censorship 56
Parcel Markings 56
Comments 56
Chapter 5 Code-Letter Mail 57
Introduction 57
Organisation 57
Security 65
Duration of Each Code User's Activities 65
Comment 66
Criticisms by Coding Staff 66
Chapter 6 Radio 67
Introduction and Construction 67
Operation 67
Maintenance 68
Security 68
Dissemination of News 69
Value and Remarks 70
W/T Communications - Introduction 70
Organisation - Receipt of Messages 70
Value and Remarks 71
Transmitters 71
Chapter 7 News Letters 72
Introduction 72
Opinions 72
Chapter 8 Intelligence 73
Military Information 73
Internal Se-ciuilv 75
Inter-Compound and Inter-Camp Communication 76
Chapter 9 Anti-German Propaganda 78
Introduction and Method 78
Results 79
Chapter 10 Successful Escapes 84
Part II Centre (N.C.O.s') Compound, April 1942 to June 1943
Chapter 11 Description and Conditions 97
Number of P's/W and Accommodation 97
German Administration 98
P/W Administration 98
Roll Calls 99
Food 101
Coming 102
Searches 102
German Anti-Escape Measures 102
Punishment for escape activities etc. 105
Education 105
Library 105
Sports 106
Amateur theatricals etc. 106
Religion 107
Shooting incidents etc. 107
P/W Morale 108
Medical 108
Chapter 12 Escape Organisation 109
Control by Camp Authorities 109
Planning 111
Security 111
Clothing 112
Forgery 113
Food 114
A4aps 115
Compasses 115
Escape Intelligence 115
Supplies 116
Carpentry 119
Metal Work 120
Leather Work 120
Tools 120
Gadgets 120
Tunnel Construction 120
Gate Walk-Out Schemes 122
Wire Schemes 125
Wall Schemes 127
Transport Schemes 127
Miscellaneous Schemes 127
Number of Escapers 128
Number of Attempted Escapes 12S
Mass Attempts 128
Summary of Methods 128
Chapter 13 Escape Material 130
Requirements 130
Aids received from I.S.9 131
Remarks on Packing 131
Concealment of Special Parcels 132
Acquirement of Special Parcels 132
Dangers of Stealing Parcels 132
Material Available/Acquirable on the Spot 132
Chapter 14 Censorship by Germans 133
Method 133
Results 135
Object of Censorship 135
Parcel Markings 136
Comments 136
Chapter 15 Code-Letter Mail 137
Introduction 137
Organisation 137
Security 140
Duration of Each Code User's Activities 140
Chapter 16 Radio and News Letters 141
Introduction and Construction 141
Operation 141
Maintenance 141
Security 141
Dissemination of News 142
Value and Remarks 143
W/T Communications - Introduction 143
Transmitters 143
News Letter 143
Chapter 17 Intelligence 144
Military Information 144
Internal Security 144
Chapter 18 Anti-German Propaganda 145
Introduction and Method 145
Results 145
Part III North (Officers') Compound, March 1943 to January 1945
Chapter 19 Introduction 149
Number of P's/W and Accommodation 149
German Administration 150
P/W Administration 150
Roll Calls 150
Food 150
Clothing 151
Searches 151
German Anti-Escape Measures 151
Punishment for escape activities etc. 152
Education 152
Library 152
Sports 152
Theatre 152
Religion 152
Shooting incidents etc. 152
P/W Morale 153
Medical 153
Reprisals 153
Finance 153
Chapter 20 Escape Organisation 154
Control by Camp Authorities 154
Planning 157
Security 158
Clothing 159
Forgery 161
Food 164
Maps 164
Compasses 165
Escape Intelligence 165
Supplies 169
Carpentry 170
Metal Work 170
Leather Work 171
Tools 171
Gadgets 171
Tunnel Construction 171
Gate Walk-Out Schemes 183
Wire Scheme 184
Wall Schemes 184
Transport Schemes 184
Miscellaneous Schemes 185
Number of Escapers 185
Number of Attempted Escapes 185
Mass Attempts 185
Court Martial of Members of German Camp Staff 214
Summary of Methods 231
Chapter 21 Censorship by Germans 232
Chapter 22 Radio 233
Introduction and Construction 233
Operation 233
Maintenance 234
Security 234
Dissemination of News 235
Value and Remarks 236
W/T Communications - Introduction 236
Organisation - Receipt of Messages 236
Transmitters 236
Chapter 23 Successful. Escapes 237
Part IV Centre (Officers') Compound, July 1943 to January 1944
Chapter 24 Description and Conditions of Compound 245
General 245
Escape Organisations 246
Escape Attempts 249
Code-Letter Mail 250
Radio 250
News Letters 250
Anti-German Propaganda 250
Part V Belaria (Officers') Compound, January 1944 to January 1945
Chapter 25 Description and Conditions of Compound 253
Number of Ps/ VV and Accommodation 253
German Administration 254
Roll Calls 254
Food 254
Clothing 254
German Anti-Escape Measures 255
Education 255
Library 255
Sports 255
Amateur Theatricals etc. 255
Religion 255
Shooting Incidents etc. 256
Morale 256
Medical 256
Reprisals 256
Finance 256
Chapter 26 Escape Organisation 257
Planning 257
Security 258
Clothing 258
Forgery 259
Food 260
Maps 260
Compasses 260
Chapter 27 Escape Matters 261
Supplies 261
Carpentry and Metal Work 262
Tunnels 262
Attempted Escapes 263
Escape Material 265
Chapter 28 Sundry Information 266
Censorship by the Germans 266
Code-Letters Mail 266
Radio 266
News Letters 268
Anti-German Propaganda 268
Compound Defence Scheme 268
Index of Names 269
