German Home Runs

[bootneck]

According to the report on the Prisoner of War Directorate report published at the end of the war and held at the National Archives (their reference: WO 32/2566), three officers, four other ranks and five civilians managed to escape and evade all attempts at recapture while being held in the United Kingdom. Of this total, two of the officers were known to have reached Germany.

The only one I so far identified is Gunther Pluschow, who wrote the book My Escape from Donnington Hall, recently reprinted as Escape from England. Can anyone identify any of the other men who escaped?

Bootneck

[centurion]

No he holds the record as the only German to escape from the British Mainland in either world war - I believe that he also holds the record as the only European POW to escape from the Japanese mainland in either world war.

[cpaige]

I read years ago if my memory serves me that after the war when security was less servere that some Germans did escape and make it home. This would be after Nov 11. Which brings me to the following question When was the last German Pow's sent home from the UK or even Africa.

Thanks Cory

[bootneck]

According to page 634 of Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914-1920 (1922, reprinted 1999), up to the week ending 2 September 1919 it gives the following figures for enemy POWs escaped and not recaptured:

Force UK, France and Italy Other Theatres

German Military Officers 4

German Army NCOs and ORs 520 1

German Naval Officers 1 1

German Naval Ratings 10 3

Austrian Hungarian Officers 1

Austrian Hungarian NCOs and ORs 89 1

Turkish Officers 1

Turkish NCOs and ORs 223

Bulgar Officers 8

Bulgar NCOs and ORs 1007

German Civilians 15 83

Austrian Hungarian Civilians 1 9

Turkish Civilians 1 20

Bulgar Civilians 1

Other Civilians 7

and on page 331 it gives the following figures for British Empire POWs who escaped and were recaptured by the British (their terminology) in all theatres of war:

Force Officers NCOs and Other Ranks

Regulars and Territorial Force 67 398

Canadians 1 99

Australians 2 53

New Zealanders 2

Newfoundlanders 1

South Africans 8

Royal Navy 20 24

Royal Naval Division 13

Indian Natives 1 21

Total 93 617

One military officer and three Royal Navy officers along with two Royal Naval ratings and 1 other rank of the Royal Naval Division also escaped from interment in neutral countries.

It also states that the last German repatriated from the UK was during the week ending 19 May 1920 while it states on page 631 that in January 1919 there were a total of 4, 096 POWs in Africa, broken down as follows, 3, 649 Germans, 160 Austrians, 6 Turks and 281 Others.

Regards,

Bootneck

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Bootnek,

The numbers seem odd. Were they in a table format that has been lost in the posting?

Doug

[bootneck]

Apologies for my last post, I tried to show the results in a table and it went out of kilter. Hopefully, this has now been corrected and it makes more sense.

According to page 634 of Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914-1920 (1922, reprinted 1999), up to the week ending 2 September 1919 it gives the following figures for enemy POWs escaped and not recaptured:

From the UK, France and Italy

German Military Officers: 4

German Army NCOs and ORs: 520

German Naval Officers: 1

German Naval Ratings: 10

Austrian Hungarian Officers: 1

Austrian Hungarian NCOs and ORs: 89

German Civilians: 15

Austrian Hungarian Civilians: 1

Turkish Civilians: 1

Other Theatres of War

German Army NCOs and ORs: 1

German Naval Officers: 1

German Naval Ratings: 3

Austrian Hungarian NCOs and ORs: 1

Turkish Officers: 1

Turkish NCOs and ORs: 223

Bulgar Officers: 8

Bulgar NCOs and ORs: 1, 0007

German Civilians: 83

Austrian Hungarian Civilians: 9

Turkish Civilians: 20

Bulgar Civilians: 1

Other Civilians: 7

While on page 331 it gives the following figures for British Empire POWs who escaped and were recaptured by the British (their terminology) in all theatres of war:

Regulars and Territorial Force, Officers: 67

Regulars and Territorial Force, NCOs and ORs: 398

Canadian Officers: 1

Canadian NCOs and ORs: 99

Australian Officers: 2

Australian NCOs and ORs: 53

Newfound NCOs and ORs: 1

South African NCOs and ORs: 8

Royal Navy, Officers: 20

Royal Navy Ratings: 24

Royal Naval Division NCOs and ORs: 13

Indian Native Officers: 1

Indian Native NCOs and ORs: 21

In all a total of 93 Officers and 617 NCOs and ORs.

One military officer and three Royal Navy officers along with two Royal Naval ratings and 1 other rank of the Royal Naval Division also escaped from interment in neutral countries.

It also states that the last German repatriated from the UK was during the week ending 19 May 1920 while it states on page 631 that in January 1919 there were a total of 4, 096 POWs in Africa, broken down as follows, 3, 649 Germans, 160 Austrians, 6 Turks and 281 Others.

Regards,

Bootneck

[centurion]

It would be interesting to know how many central powers escapees were pre and how many post armiistice and the breakdown by country were held.

BTW I take it that the figure for Bulgarian ORs is a mis type?

[bootneck]

The Bulgarian NCOs and ORs figure was actually 1, 007 (dodgy typing).

Unfortunately, the figures are not broken down pre and post armistice. There are detailed figures for Germans captured on the Western Front in Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914-1920 and there is some other material on central powers POWs captured on other fronts.

Bootneck

[centurion]

The Bulgarian NCOs and ORs figure was actually 1, 007 (dodgy typing).

Still a large number compared to other nationalities - one wonders what happened.