HUNS ELUDED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 290, 7 December 1943, Page 2

HUNS ELUDED

SERIES OF ESCAPES

N.Z. MEN BACK IN LONDON

(0.C.) WANGANUI, this day Third time lucky, is the motto of two soldiers in an Italian prisoner of war camp, whose third bid for liberty took them safely to London. One of them was Captain Colin N. Armstrong, of Wanganui, and associated with him were Captain R. T. S. MacPherson, of Scotland, and at one time Captain Alan Yeoman, of Auckland. Their series of escapades took them through North Italy, where they were apprehended, and then from Austria into the Alps in an unsuccessful effort to rejoin the Eighth Army in Italy. Finally they made a prison break from North Germany. Labelled as Dangerous On July 27 news of the downfall of Mussolini reached Campo 5, situated at Serrevale, north of Genoa, where there were confined some 200 officers labelled by the Italians as dangerous, for each one had contrived to escape, only to be recaptured. Among them were 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 for Austria. Four days later they arrived at the prison camp of Spittal. Another four days passed, and then the three managed to leave the camp unnoticed. For a time they were not pursued and they set off for Italy. Captains Yeoman, MacPhersoa and Armstrong were old pals. For 12 months previously they had effected a joint break away from Campo 3S at Poppi, near Florence, and were at large for 29 days, during which time they travelled 250 miles. Having eluded border patrols, they were fortunate enough to find an untracked pass through the Alps. Accordingly they headed south over difficult and arduous country reminiscent of, but more difficult than their trek over the Cretan mountains. Blundered Into Patrol After six days and nights of wet, cold and toil, they won through, but in the very dark night they blundered into a German patrol. Captain 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 down the Polish corridor to Stalag XXA, Thorn, where they were wo 11 treated. Stalag XXA ,was a transfer camp, where a certain amount of confusion reigned, so that a week later, October 9, another chance at escape was taken. It was their third attempt and this time they were not recaptured. They carried on, but where they went and how they managed it is another story which cannot be told until after the war. Suffice it to say that in November, after a hectic six weeks of adventure, Captains MacPherson and Armstrong arrived in Scotland, fit and free.