The Swiss Red Cross Commission escape occurred in 1941 at Schloss Spangenberg, involving Dominic Bruce, Eustace Newborn and Pete Tunstall, all prisoners of war (POWs), held at the castle.

"[1] In late July and early August 1941, Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall, took an interest in the architecture of the building, suspecting there may be escaping materials.

Patiently waiting many weeks for the conditions to be just right for the escape, on 3 September 1941[2] the trio brazenly walked across the moat bridge, posing as a German officer (Tunstall) and two doctors (Bruce and Newborn) of a Swiss Red Cross inspection team.

Upon reaching the bottom of the hill outside of the castle's grounds, they quickly removed their Swiss Commission disguises and then made their way to Kassel, dressed as Luftwaffe airmen, aiming to steal an aircraft.

The escape by the trio, which revealed the short-comings of the castle's ability to handle prisoners of war, is thought to be a reason why Schloss Spangenberg was evacuated in late 1941.

[3] The digging was a very slow process; it required the removal of spoil, bricks and stone work,[4] and was aided by other prisoners distracting the guards.

[6] When Bruce and Tunstall noted the slow process they began examining the rest of the castle and left the digging to the other team involving Sammy Hoare.

[7] The tunnel almost reached completion but unfortunately the digging team got caught when a guard become suspicious at the large stones that were accumulating outside of the gym.

[8] When the guards found the shaft they called an Appell and Hauptmann Schmidt confidently stated to the prisoners, "It is impossible to escape by tunnel or any other way.

[9] Whilst the wooden horse tunnel was being dug, Bruce and Tunstall, were planning, after they had escaped from the castle grounds, to steal an aircraft from Kassel airfield to fly to Basel, Switzerland.

At this time, Bruce and Tunstall got to know a new prisoner called Eustace Newborn who was in the wooden horse tunnel syndicate.

[13] Foster claims in his book it was "bad form" for want-to-be escapees to ask upfront questions about planned escapes involving other groups.

[6] At first sight inside the attic Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall noticed a shadowy silhouette staring back at them, and this frightened them.

[14] Inside the room they found escape material such as civilian clothes, officer uniforms, guns including a Luger pistol, maps, a compass, cases and stale cigars.

[16] Upon sourcing these materials Bruce and Tunstall then gave up their wooden horse tunnel escape completely and left it all to Hoare.

[17] Unfortunately the gate security had been increased because of a 1940 escape from the castle by three Canadians, Keith Milne, Don Middleton and Hank Wardle.

They noticed the guard commander did not bother with the protocol when the orderlies went to the moat to feed the pigs potato peelings and rubbish from the kitchen,[22] this left the gate open.

They would carry an ID card which was no more than a touched up fishing license with an official seal,[6] and Bruce and Newborn would be dressed as visiting doctors.

[29] Prior to walking through the gate, the faux Swiss commission team would be seen having chats with the British medical officers to help with the frame.

[28] Upon reaching the gate they had lined up for Tunstall to state in German to Bruce, right in front of Blockhead, "Du lieber Gott, Herr Doktor, schon viertel zwei.

They arranged to walk to the forest on their way to Kassel, dressed as Luftwaffe airmen, knowing the guards would eventually be searching for two civilians and an army Hauptmann.

From his solitary cell window in Spangenberg Foster witnessed Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall walking over the draw bridge.

He then observed Bruce showing the fishing ID license to the guards, to which he deliberately dropped and then picked up again in order to obfuscate the imperfections of the documentation.

When on an open road heading towards the forest, search parties drove past them, even asking Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn if they had seen three escapees dressed as the Swiss Commission inspection team, causing some mild anxiety.

At Kassel airfield they intended to steal a Junkers Ju 52, which Newborn had flown before the war, and then fly to Basel Switzerland.

[45] Whilst on the road from Kassel, unknown to Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall, every police and military unit in German-occupied Europe had been informed of the escape of an army Hauptmann and two civilians from Spangenberg castle.

[51][52] After ten days on the road, near a small prison camp used for farm labour,[53] they were arrested by a soldier who followed them on a bike with another guard and a civilian.

[62] The Senior British Officer also complained that according to the Geneva convention guidelines, the exercise yard in Spangenberg was too small, and they needed to be moved to another camp.

[63] In solitary confinement, Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall were placed in three separate cells in front of, and high above, the moat they had previously escaped from.

[65] To the amusement of Bruce, Newborn, and Tunstall, in the remaining cell, Blockhead was also doing his time in confinement for letting the fake inspection team through the gate.