WELL PLANNED ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 122, 18 February 1944, Page 4

WELL PLANNED ESCAPE

Brigadier Hargest’s

Adventures

HELPED BY FRENCH (By Telegraph.—Press A» so.—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, February 16.

Extracts are now available from Brigadier Hargest’s speech last -week to a private meeting of the Royal Empire Society at winch Sir Alexander God-ley presided. Referring to Crete, Brigadier Hargest said: “I thought I hud been through severe bombardments, but never have I seen anything to equal the bombardment the Germans gave us before they sent in their gliders and parachutes. When they stopped the bombardment they sent in airborne troops. I did not think a single soul could be alive. In that sector I lost 70 per cent, of my brigade, and still I believe that if we had had air support we could have held Crete, lhe governing factor was that we had no air cover for our ships.” Speaking of his imprisonment m Italy, he said: “I went,to Salerno, in the Abruzzi country, and only recently I had a letter from my own son, who said: lam just one ridge of country removed from your old home.’ Later we went to Florence, and lived in a castle. There were 14 senior officers and 15 men. “We decided that as soon as we got ourselves organized we would endeavour to escape. We decided to make a military operation of it, and to dig out from the castle. It took us five months. )V e began by collecaing what money we could, food such as chocolate, and various stores. We cut up army, blankets for clothes and made a cap and jacket tor each of us. I dyed my trousers with a bottle, of ink and a tin of blacking., “Five of us dug a way down through the castle chapel, which we used as a place in which to put stdres. lie dug down 10ft. and along the length of the room, tinder the battlements, under the enclosed country, and up again outside. It veiy solid ground, nearly all rock. The only tools we bad we'.-r a kitchen knife and bars of iron, which we used as levers. Eventually we worked our way out. IV e shored up the hole so that no unsuspecting Italian should fall into it, and then we waited for a stormy night in order to deceive the sentries, whom wo believed would stay in their boxes. _ “We eventualy got the right kind ot night. The sentries were inactive, and we got out.” , i After seven months m Switzerland, Brigadier Hargest reached Spam. “Of my travel through France I must not say much,” he said. “I have been a bit critical of the people of France since the capitulation, specially having heard that they became apathetic and defeatist. Germany was giving out that propaganda all over the world all the time. The Italian papers were full ot the apathy of the French. That is not true.

“Today in Franco there is a stilling such as has occurred in few countries at any time.

“I was helped by hundreds of people, most of whom had not the slightest idea who I was or what I was about, but they knew I was a refugee. They were of all classes —rich and poor, the very humblest working people, and servant girls. Every one of them had the power to hand me over to the enemy and receive a good reward, but I don t believe it ever entered their minds., Once or twice I had to go into houses in a great hurry ..to ask them to help us. There was no question about that: they just said, ‘We will take the risk.’ France Waiting Her Chance

“Today in France there are thousands on thousands of young men . who have given up their homes, having been called up for forced labour in Germany, but instead of going to Germany they have taken to the mountains. They are doing their best to hold out, till the Allied armies come. They go down to-the railways and sabotage trains. “I was greatly moved by the way the French are carrying on, and were prepared to carry on, in the hope that they would have some share in the redemption of their country. We know there are a great number of Vichyites and a groat number of young people who have been poisoned by the German propaganda and have become members of the militia, but that is not France. The main body of France is waiting for its chance. I am hoping that we British people will give them that chance, and once they have got their freedom will help them to their feet.” Brigadier Hargest received the L-B.K. .and two Bars to his D.S.O. from the King at a recent investiture at Buckingham Palace.