NEW ZEALAND OFFICER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 39, 14 January 1944, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND OFFICER

SERIES OF ESCAPES

AGAIN IN GERMAN HANDS. AUCKLAND, Jan. 13. A New Zealander who figured in a thrilling series of escapes during the war, Captain A. A. Yeoman, is again in the hands of the Germans. His mother, Mrs M. Yeoman, of Taneatua, has received official advice that he is a prisoner of war in Germany at Stalag IVB. Captain Yeoman, who left New Zealand with the Second Echelon, was mentioned in dispatches for gallantrv in action in Greece and Crete. It was in Greece that he made his first escape from the Germans. After being cut off in the hills, he and a number of other men took to the sea in various types of Greek boats and made their escape down through the Aegean. After being wounded in Libya. Captain Yeoman was taken prisoner there two years ago. He was interned in Camno 38 in Ttaly, but in September, 1942, he and two other officers escaped. They were at largo for 29 days, and during that time travelled 250 miles in civilian clothes, passing themselves off as Germans. A series of hairbreadth escapes ended with their recapture on the coast at Spezia. They were taken to Campo 5, an old castle north of Genoa, which was provided specially for soldiers who had escaped from other camps. Escape from it was regarded as impossible. Following the downfall of Mussolini, Captain Yeoman and other prisoners at the camp were handed over to the Germans in July of last year. Tn September he was taken by cattle truck to Austria, and then to a prison camp at Spittal. Some days later, with two other officers, he made another bid for liberty. They escaped from the camp and climhed the Alps, making their way through a pass back to Ttaly. After a week his companions were recaptured, hut Captain Yeoman successfully dodged the German patrol. He carried on down through Italy in an endeavour to reach the Eighth Army, but was captured again and taken to Germany.