Attempts to escape Oflag IV-C

Prisoners made numerous attempts to escape from Oflag IV-C, one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II.

In spite of this claim, there were many well-documented escapes and failed attempts by British, Canadian, French, Polish, Dutch, and Belgian inmates.

They duplicated keys to doors, made copies of maps, forged Ausweise (identity papers), and manufactured their own tools.

However, they never tampered with Red Cross care packages for fear it would force the Germans to stop their delivery to all camps.

Since the Germans allowed the disabled Douglas Bader to leave the prison and visit the town of Colditz, he took chocolate and other luxuries with him for trading.

The Singen route into Switzerland was discovered by Dutch naval lieutenant Hans Larive in 1940 on his first escape attempt from Oflag VI-A in Soest.

The interrogating Gestapo officer was so confident that the war would soon be won by Germany that he told Larive of a safe way across the border.

[3] By taking the Singen-Gotmadingen road, turning left after Spiesshof and remaining on the track, the escapee could successfully enter Switzerland.

Among them were Larive himself, Francis Steinmetz, Anthony Luteyn, Airey Neave, Pat Reid and Howard Wardle in their escapes from Colditz.

Many tried unsuccessfully to escape in disguise: Airey Neave twice dressed as a guard, French Lieutenant Boulé disguised in drag, British Lieutenant Michael Sinclair even dressed as German Sergeant Major Rothenberger (an NCO in the camp garrison), when he tried to organize a mass escape, and French Lieutenant Perodeau disguised himself as camp electrician Willi Pönert ("Little Willi"): On the night of 28 December 1942, one of the French officers deliberately blew out the fuse on the lights in the courtyard.

Security officer Reinhold Eggers made them a regular part of Das Abwehrblatt, a weekly magazine for German POW camps.

[7] Sinclair's death was one of two events explictly excluded from the document attesting to the prisoners' good care that they signed in April 1945.

When they entered the storeroom, they found the empty box on which Bruce had inscribed Die Luft in Colditz gefällt mir nicht mehr.

On 12 May 1941, Polish Lieutenants Miki Surmanowicz and Mietek Chmiel, attempted to rappel down a 36 m (120 Ft) wall to freedom on a rope constructed out of bed sheets.

This aroused the suspicion of the German guards and, upon inspection, "she" was revealed to be a French officer, Lieutenant Chasseurs Alpins Bouley, dressed as a very respectable woman.

[8] Early in 1941, the British prisoners had gained access to the sewers and drains which ran beneath the floors of the castle.

After initial reconnaissance trips, it was decided that the drain should be extended, and an exit made in a small grassy area which was overlooked from the canteen window.

Knowing which sentry would be on duty on the night of the escape, they pooled their resources and collected 500 Reichsmark for a bribe (100 of which were paid up front).

Deciding that the exit should be on the steep drop leading down towards the recreation area, outside the eastern walls of the castle, they began to scout for a possible location for the entrance.

The French this time gained access to the tower from the attics, descended 35 m to the cellars, and began work on a horizontal shaft in June 1941.

The entrance to the tunnel in the wine cellar was concealed by five large stones covering a small door, which left little trace of any hole.

The two-man glider was to be assembled by Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best in the lower attic above the chapel, and was to be launched from the roof in order to fly across the river Mulde, which was about 60 m (200 feet) below.

Prison sleeping bags of blue and white checked cotton were used to skin the glider, and German ration millet was boiled and used to seal the cloth pores.

Although the Colditz Cock never flew, the concept was fictionalized, depicting a successful flight and escape, in the 1971 TV movie The Birdmen starring Doug McClure, Chuck Connors, René Auberjonois, and Richard Basehart.

Pat Reid claimed in Colditz: The Full Story that there were 31 "home runs", whereas German authorities cite 30, and some other sources count 36.

Henry Chancellor in Colditz: The Definitive History claims 32 escaped, but only 15 were "home runs": 1 Belgian, 11 British, 7 Dutch, 12 French, and 1 Polish.

Also a subject of debate is whether or not Lieutenant William A. Millar's escape should be considered a "home run", but since he is listed as "Missing in action" (unofficially, he is assumed dead), Chancellor does not count him as such.

At the end of May 1943, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ("Armed Forces High Command") decided that Colditz should hold only British and Commonwealth officers.

According to Reid, efforts to escape ceased to be worthwhile once the prospect of an Allied victory (and consequent liberation of the camp) seemed assured — probably around the time of the Normandy landings (D-Day) in June 1944.

Four other British officers claimed symptoms of stomach ulcers, insanity, high blood pressure, and back injury in order to be repatriated.