AMAZING STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25049, 13 November 1944, Page 5

AMAZING STORY

YOUTH'S ESCAPADE HIGH OFFICIALS DUPED BOGUS ROLES ASSUMED (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) I/ONDON, Nov. 11 So fantastic were the exploits of a 19-year-old Borstal boy, who hoaxed the Allied Supreme Headquarters, that they had repercussions through the entire Allied armies on the Continent, says a correspondent with the First United States Army. The activities of this youth constitute one of the most amazing stories of the war. For a month he duped high officials and played ducks and drakes with military security. Posing in turn as an Eighth Air Force sergeant, a colonel, a public relations officer, a railway transportation officer, and an officer engaged on special confidential duties, he twice bluffed his way into Supreme Headquarters, London, forged a signature on behalf of General Eisenhower and duped various high officials into giving him at least eight air trips, on one of which he actually accompanied highranking United States officers to France not long after D Day. Entered Supreme Headquarters The youth escaped from Borstal on June 22 and it was not until July 25 that he was recaptured. He was caught when, in his assumed role of a special officer on confidential duties, he brazenly telephoned Scotland Yard and inquired into the record of his real self and added some points in his favour. Wearing only shorts and a singlet when he escaped, the youth obtained a suit of green service fatigue clothes and a stolen helmet, and, taking a car from an American military garage, drove 140 miles to London, where, at a services billeting establishment, he rigged himself out in a stolen uniform of an Eighth Air Force sergeant. From a Grosvenor Square car park he then stole a jeep and, with a ticket found in the vehicle, entered Supreme Headquarters, stealing more military clothing once he was inside. After dark he drove the jeep to Rainbow Corner (United States troops' London rendezvous), where he had a meal and stayed the night. The following day, after obtaining £1 from an official at American Red Cross headquarters. he shared a room at the Strand Palace Hotel with an American officer. While there he stole some United States officers' clothes and emerged as an officer, completing a new disguise. : From a further theft at an American officers' club he lived for a week in various American officers' billeting establishments. Flights as American Officer From London the youth made his way by train to Crewe as a railway transport officer. He then boarded "a military train to Edinburgh, where, stealing a wallet containing money and the identity papers of an American officer, he made two flights to Prestwick. On the way to a Royal Air Force airfield he had a photograph taken by an official photographer. This he fixed to his stolen papers. On arrival at Prestwick he produced from the wallet a paycard and chit he had typed himself and signed with the name'of a known American colonel. With these he obtained an advance of pay. Telephoning operations headquarters, he then arranged a flight to London, obliging a duty officer at an intermediate landing station by picking up an official mail bag, which he delivered to headquarters on arrival in London. After buying more officers' clothing he returned in an official transport to ail aerodrome, where he discovered some high-ranking American offioers passing through en route for France. He attached himself to them by representing himself as a public relations officer. On reaching France a conference was held, but the youth prudently failed to attend. Instead, he returned in the same plane. Another Trip by Air Next day, at a London railway station, ho took advantage of an empty railway transport officer's office to make out free travel warrants, using one to go to Nottingham, where he stayed the night. Next morning, still waving his stolen papers, he took off from an airfield for Hendon, where, at a mail distribution centre, he posed as an officer courier. Ho asked for a jeep, but none was ava : iable, so ho applied to Supreme Headquarters. While awaiting a jeep he took a sheet of official notopaper and typing paper which represented the bearer to be an officer engaged on confidential duty. On this he forged a signature on behalf of the Supreme Commander. It was from this mail centre he telephoned Scotland Yard, asking about his record. He was given no information, the matter being postponed for a personal discussion next day. The following morning he rang up the centre. They told him a message from the police awaited him. He went to pick it up and was himself picked up by the police. AMBASSADOR CHOSEN CANADIAN FOR FRANCE' (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 12 The first Canadian Ambassador to France, Major-General Vanier, has been appointed. He was formerly Canadian Minister to the French National Committee in Algiers. The decision to raise the status of their legations in both countries to that of embassies has been taken by both Canada and France. France is expected to name her Ambassador to Canada very soon. FORMER MAYOR ARRESTED (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) ' LONDON, Nov. 12 The Paris radio says Dr Bertrand, a former Mayor of Lyons under the Yichy regime, has been arrested on a charge of ..informing against several dootors whom the Germans shot as hostages*