'A Tommy Escapes' by H. W. Tustin - in preparation

[Londinium]

I am the grandson of Private Herbert William Tustin (1893-1939) of the 8^th Durham Light Infantry, who fought at Ypres in 1915, was captured on April 25th and spent 18 months in Rennbahn German POW camp, only to escape back to England, which he made with a fellow escapee, a Canadian, Private J. G. Burk of the 90th Winnipeg Rifles. My grandfather was, I believe ( ? - according to my mother), the first British WW1 Tommy to escape successfully from a German POW camp. My grandfather wrote a book (as yet unpublished) about his experiences, entitled A Tommy Escapes. I have recently digitised this book and hope to have it published in some form soon, possibly as an E-book. I have already noticed that many members of this forum also had relatives interned at Rennbahn prison camp. I am very interested in gathering more information about Renbahnn POW camp or anything relating to my grandfather - I know very little at present apart from what I've learnt from my grandfather's book - and I am sure that other members would be interested to find out more about my grandfather's book, which goes into great detail about camp conditions, activities, work, brutalities, escapes etc. including his own escape and eventual freedom in reaching the safety of Holland. I look forward to hearing from anyone interested in sharing information. Thank you.

Regards,

Richard Corr

[MarkyBoy1]

_{This pretty much sounds like the holy grail to me mate. I've got quite a collection of first hand escape accounts, so would be great to add another. There's a reasonably low budget publishers called Woodfield Publishing, which deal in alot of military autobiographies, mainly WW2 RAF, but there are some Great War books on there. Might be of interest to you.}

[Londinium]

Thanks for your information. It's funny that you mention Woodfield Publishing as I looked their website today and am currently reading 'Tommy' by Thomas Albert Crawford, which they publish. Half way through this book and recommend it to anyone as it's excellent! I will contact Woodfield Publishing soon. I hope they or another publisher will be interested. Perhaps the fact that next year's the centenary anniversary of the outbreak of WW1 will help generate interest.

[MarkyBoy1]

Keep me posted, and good luck with it. I've got a few Woodfield books and there are some gems, especially for RAF interests.

[Londinium]

The book will be published by Pen and Sword publishers: http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/

I am not yet sure of the release date, but will keep this forum posted.

[Retlaw]

Blackburn Times Septmber 1915.

Private Sydney Haworth of the Coldstream Guards and Sergt. Alfred Birley of the Glosters are back in England after a daring escape from a German prisoner of war camp. They were presented to the King who congratulated them on their daring escape. Sydney Haworth was a former member of the Blackburn Police Force.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Hope it goes well!

Bernard

[MichaelBully]

Yes Good luck with the book, sounds fascinating. Keep us informed. Regards, Michael Bully

[webbyg]

This sounds just the book I am looking for. My great great uncle, Jack Roland WEBSTER, spent nearly 2 years as PoW at Rennbahn having been captured at Ypres, 24 or 25th Apr 1915 - he was serving with the CEF 8th Bn, 90th Winnipeg Rifles. I have yet to determine how he got to Rennbahn as his Service Record would suggest he may have been at Gutersloh first. I have a number of photographs that show him as a medical orderly at the camp. He was interned at the Hotel 'Zonnebloem' camp, Nijmegen from Apr - Nov 1918.

I have been researching what the Rennbahn camp was like so this book would be invaluable.

[David Filsell]

Well done - do try for publication.

[Black Maria]

According to the Pen & Sword web site it is due to be published on August 31st this year under the title of ' Escaping from the Kaiser'.

[MBrockway]

According to the Pen & Sword web site it is due to be published on August 31st this year under the title of ' Escaping from the Kaiser'.

Publication now appears to be 30th November 2014

[Londinium]

My grandfather's memoir, 'Escaping from the Kaiser' by H. W. Tustin, has finally been published (by Pen and Sword). It is widely available from many websites (and book stores), including Pen and Sword's own website and Amazon: http://www.amazon.co...ef=pd_ecc_rvi_1

It is also available in Kindle format: http://www.amazon.co...g=UTF8&sr=&qid=

As the jacket sleeve says:

Memoirs of captivity in the Great War by Tommies are rare enough, but an account such as this by a successful escapee is exceptional. Only a week after leaving England with his regiment in April 1915, Private Herbert Tustin was captured at the Second Battle of Ypres. He describes the horror of trench warfare, his treatment on being taken prisoner and the three-day train journey into Germany. There follows a thorough and vivid account of his 16 months at Rennbahn PoW Camp: the hunger, hardships and brutalities; the prison work; the character of the various nationalities; the activities and recreations; and the friendships and humour.

In late summer 1916 the author, together with a Canadian PoW, Gerrie Burk, escaped over the wire. For the next ten days they headed for Holland, travelling by night, sleeping rough and surviving on the barest of rations. Somehow, they miraculously managed to avoid recapture, despite the closest of calls. Once on the Dutch coast they found a boat, the SS Grenadier, to carry them across the mine-strewn, submarine-infested North Sea to England, arriving on 18 September. This amazing story of war, imprisonment, survival and escape, enhanced by original photographs, concludes with the author’s wife recalling the hero’s welcome home, the joyful reunion and his proposal of marriage.

- I discovered the manuscript about 18 months ago and have subsequently researched the subject of PoWs and Rennbahn camp where my grandfather was imprisoned. The book begins with an eight-page introduction by myself to help put the memoir in historical context. I'm amazed at what I have been able to find out and hope the publication of the book encourages more stories and information to come to light. I have already made contact with members of this forum who had relatives at Rennbahn PoW camp, and would be happy to share information with others.

[charlesa]

Londinium (Richard), your grandfather's memoirs of 2nd Ypres and his subsequent story of life as a POW at Lager 11, Munster and his escape from there arrived yesterday. I am on page 34 and fascinated, as you are aware. I spent some time in September walking around Boetleer and down towards the Stroombeek. As far as I can see, this was at the very tip of the Salient in April 1915, and an extraordinarily dangerous place to be thrown, as raw recruits in 8th DLI, into the war. How any of them got out alive, being enfiladed from 3 sides, is extraordinary. Many congratulations for all the work that you have done in getting "Tutty's" story published.

Best wishes

Charles