|
|
FLEET AIR ARM POW ESCAPEES & ATTEMPTED
ESCAPES 1939-1945
(including
all known FAA aircrew captured by the enemy Axis forces of Vichy France, Italy, Japan, German as well as interned by Neutral countries
including Eire, Portugal, Spain, Sweden)
|
|
The number of Fleet Air Arm escapees was relatively low, but included some
well known personalities. Amongst those were Lt Peter
"Hornblower" Fanshawe, a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot of 803 sqdn
whilst POW at Stalag Luft III was a member of the "Great Escape"
Executive Commitee as was his CO Lt Cdr John Casson.
|
825 squadron
|
JB
Buckley RN
Squadron: 825
Ship/Air Station: RAF Coastal Command
Captured: 29.5.1940
Escaped: 3.1943
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Crashed after a bombing raid over France,
crashed near Dunkirk. Captured
by the Germans.
Buckley escaped from the POW camp at Zubin,
Poland with RAF Pilot
Jorgan Thalbitzer in March 1943. They escaped via Stettin
and Rostov, reaching the north
German coast successfully. From Copenhagen
they then set off in a small rowing skiff {or canoe} for Sweden,
only to be drowned in the crossing, 21
March 1943. The body of Thalbitzer was washed up 3 months
later. Buckley's body was bnever found.
|
|
|
880 squadron
|
D Cameron
RN
Squadron: 880
Ship/Air Station: HMS Stalker
Captured: 9.9.1943
Escaped: Escaped 1943?
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Had been flying over the Salerno
Beach and unable to maintain
height, was obliged to force land on Salerno
Beach. Taken into custody
by the Italians but managed to escape.
|
|
|
|
AWJ Capes
RN
Squadron: 828 sqdn
Ship/Air Station: Hal Far
Captured: 1.1.1942
Escaped: Escaped 1943
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Lt Alistair
Capes taken POW by the Italians
and managed to escape with Loftus Peyton-Jones of HMS Sahib. Rescued by
American amphibious DUKW at Anzio
beachhead. (see
the Times)
|
|
|
|
J Casson RN OBE
Squadron: 803
Ship/Air Station:
Captured: 13.6.1940
Escaped: Did not escape
POW Details:
|
|
|
HP Dawson
RN
Squadron: 830
Ship/Air Station: Hal Far, Malta
Captured: 14.4.1941
Escaped: Attempted escape
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Captured and interned by French authorities in Tunisia.
Attempted escape
|
|
|
825 squadron
|
H
Deterding
Squadron: 825
Ship/Air Station: RAF Coastal Command
Captured: 22.9.1940
Escaped: Attempted escape 1944
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
German POW after operation to Trondheim,
Norway. Poynter took
part in the Stalag Luft III Great Escape in 1944. Recaptured.
|
|
|
|
JR Fallon
TAG
Squadron: 830
Ship/Air Station:
Captured: 11.11.1941
Escaped: Italy
escaped 1943
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Taken POW in Italy,
escaped 1943
|
|
|
|
PE
Fanshawe RN
Squadron: 803
Ship/Air Station:
Captured: 13.6.1940
Escaped: Escape Commitee organiser
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
Shot down Norway
with Lt Cdr Casson, and both taken POW by German forces. Peter
"Hornblower" Fanshawe, a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot whilst
POW at Stalag Luft III was a member of the "Great Escape"
Executive Commitee.
Fanshawe was the real sand dispersal specialist at Luft III. The
method of sand disposal shown in the film is an exact match for the real
events. Fanshawe was transferred to Belaria shortly before the
escape.
He was played by David McCallum in The feature film about events in Luft
III in the "Great Escape" which was made by the Mirish Company
and released in 1963. (see
link)
|
|
|
|
RL
Johnston RN
Squadron: 806 sqdn
Ship/Air Station: Sidi Haneish
Captured: 25.11.1941
Escaped: 26.11.1941
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
FTR on 25.11.1941 to Sidi Haneish, following a recce of
a German armoured column. Captured by the Germans and taken POW. Escaped
the day after capture.
|
|
|
825 squadron
|
AD Neely
RN
Squadron: 825
Ship/Air Station: RAF Coastal Command
Captured: 28.5.1940
Escaped: In 1944 attempted escape from Stalag Luft III (the Great
Escape)
POW Details:
|
|
825 squadron
|
DA
Poynter RN
Squadron: 825
Ship/Air Station:
Captured: 22.9.1940
Escaped: Attempted escape 1944
POW Details:
|
|
|
AIR Shaw
RN
Squadron: 879
Ship/Air Station: HMS Attacker
Captured: 28.8.1944
Escaped: 1944
POW Details:
|
|
POW
details
|
|
|
FTR when hit by enemy AA, and the pilot baled out over Southern
France. Taken Vichy
French POW
Taken POW but later managed to escape
|
|
GREAT ESCAPE STALAG LUFT III
The Great Escape of March 1944 triggered a tragically severe reaction from
the Germans. The diversion from Germany's
desperate war effort necessary to recapture the 76 men who got away through the
escape tunnel reached Hitler's personal attention and he ordered 50 of the
recaptured men to be shot.
The Escape Committee at Luft III included Peter 'Hornblower' Fanshawe
RN. and the escapees who were returned to Stalag Luft II included:
Lt Alexander Desmond Neely (825 Sqdn Fleet Air Arm, born November 1917)
Lt Douglas Arthur Poynter (Fleet Air Arm, born 1921) For full list of the 75
escapees see history in
Film and for additional information see The Great
Escape Stalag Luft III, Sagan, March 24/25th, 1944 by Rob Davis)
See the following website link for a list and
biographies of the 50 airmen murdered by the SS and Gestapo.
Three escapers, Per Bergsland (aka Rocky Rockland) (332 Sqdn, shot down in a
Spitfire during the Dieppe Landings), Jens Muller (331 Sqdn, shot down 19th June 1942, Spitfire), and Bram
van der Stok, succeeded in reaching safety. Bergsland and Muller reached
neutral Sweden,
and van der Stock arrived in Gibraltar via Holland,
Belgium, France
and Spain.
Out of the 73 others, 50 were murdered by the Gestapo, 17 were returned to
Sagan, four sent to Sachsenhausen, and two to Colditz
Castle. Word reached England
of the atrocity; in mid July 1944 Anthony Eden, British Foreign Minister, made
a speech in the House of Commons declaring that the perpetrators of the crime
would be brought to justice.
See Story of Stalag Luft
III website for details. Real Video recollections of POW Kriegies from
Stalag Luft III. See Web page on the
Escape.
(Requires Real Video Player)
-- Escape by
Impersonating
-- Escape
Preparation
-- Preparation for
the Tunnel
-- Engineering the
Tunnel
-- Security for the
Tunnel
-- The Dodger
-- Escape and
Recapture
Full list of FAA POWS 1939-1945
Back to POW home page
Return to Home Page
This
page is published by Fleet Air Arm Archive and is updated regularly.
© 2000-2005 All rights reserved for all
information created for or on behalf of the Fleet Air Arm Archive
Contact details
