A DASH FOR LIBERTY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146002, 7 December 1917, Page 7

A DASH FOR LIBERTY.

BY GERMAN OFFICER. PRISONERS IN ENGLAND. After excavating a tunnel from the camp for German officer prisoners or war at Sutton Bouuiugton, near Nottingham—a task which occupied nearly three months—2s officers interned there escaped. During the day, however, nine of them were recaptured. Tho men from Sutton Bennington got clear away from the camp despite tho recent redoubling of precautions. They had excavated an opening into tlie grounds, a work which one of them, recaptured later, stated had been going on at intervals lor three mouths, the tunnel extending 50 yards, and being a foot diameter. All traces of the excavation had been carefully covered until at one o'clock in tho morning the men left in parties of four. Once outside they took different directions, mast of them travelling in couples and making for the coast. The ringleader, Otto Thelcn, who had previously made several attempts to escape, is among tho nine men retaken, and others are Stephen Proudzylisk, Herman Geucst, Gustav Lutz. Eric Landsborg, and Emile Lalnuan. These six men were apprehended by special constables in the Nottingham district. Two of them were found asleep in a wood, worn out by their walk, and two others were taken within a mile of Nottingham. AVhen challenged by a police inspector they roundly abused him in English, and threatened to report him for incivility to an officer of the German army. Two of the other prisoners were captured by a farmer, who found them crouched beneath a hedge playing cards —a pile of provisions by their .side—and a ninth man taken was Captain Aluller, of the Emden. School children, who were blackberrying in Toilerton AA’ood, discovered him and raised tho alarm. Muller, who had three times previously attempted to escape, had on him a compass and money and food.

A disquieting feature of tho escapes was the great quantities of provisions with which the prisoners were provided. One had a good-sized portmanteau packed with all kinds of fond, including meat extracts, biscuits, tinned dainties, and a German sausage. Alaps were also found on most of the men. They had aroused suspicion by inquiring the way to the railway station. Tholen, the leader, had previously organised similar expeditions, all of them, however, attended with little .success. In October, 1915, with Lieut. Keilhaek, ho escaped from Donnington Hall after tunnelling under tho cellars to a spot outside the barbed-wire. This task was accomplished ivith an old poker and a trowel. The men actually got aboard an outward-bound vessel, hut were discovered on the voyage and brought hack. In February, 1016, Thelcn, again with Keilhaek, nearly succeeded in getting away from the Holyport Camp, Maidenhead; and again last Alay he succeeded in breaking out of Chelmsford Gaol, going to enormous trouble to make dummy locks and false keys.