Over the Wire: A Canadian Pilot's Memoir of War and Survival as a POW

by Andrew Carswell

A POW's Journey from Hell to Freedom "His story exemplifies the courage and integrity of the generation that sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom ... The greatest single attribute these men who enlisted possessed was the virtue of high moral character and a willingness to do their duty ... It is my pleasure to recommend this book wholeheartedly. Read it, it will make you proud to be a Canadian." -T.J. Lawson, Major-General, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff National Defence, Canada "This is a quiet Victory in Europe story ... Carswell's story of personal liberation in the dying days of World War II, and his harrowing bailout over Germany, reads like an epic." -Scott Simmie, The Toronto Star In 1943 RAF Bomber Command was losing planes and aircrew at an alarming rate on its nighttime missions over Germany and occupied Europe. Volunteers across Canada answered the call to duty. This is the story of one of those who served and survived against almost impossible odds. Andrew Carswell grew up in Toronto and, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, enlisted and began the training that would soon qualify him to fly a Lancaster bomber. On his fourth operational mission his plane was shot down over Germany. Andrew and his crew bailed out of the burning airplane just before it crashed in flames. Alone and unarmed, but unhurt, Andrew found himself deep in forest on a bitterly cold night. He was taken prisoner, as were four other members of his crew, and spent the next three years as a prisoner of war in German Silesia--now eastern Poland--at Stalag VIIIB. His account of life in the camp and his two daring escapes from the heart of this fascinating story of a boy sent to do a man's job. He risked death daily yet never gave up and never lost hope. He was finally liberated by Montgomery's Second Army in 1945 and returned to England. This is Andrew's story, but it is also the story of tens of thousands of Canadians of his generation who were proud to serve their country in its hour of greatest need.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2011

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how this book gave an insight into what life in the POW camps was like with a positive attitude. At times it made me laugh and at times it made me mad. It gave us an idea of how bad the conditions were without dwelling on them. Concentrating more on telling the truth but explaining how the prisoners were actual people with funny stories and hopeful attitudes.
One thing I really liked was that it wasn’t sugar coated. If a gaurd mistreated a prisoner the author was not scared to tell about it. But he also showed his compassion he had for the German guards as well. Some were bad and some were good and he told both stories.
One thing I did not like was that a few times I noticed that things were repeated. He would tell a story and a few chapters later tell the same story but with less detail.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly respect the author for writing it, and writing it the way he did. Most books about war or POW are so negative. I truly respect his positive attitude with which he wrote this.
Thank you sir for your service and thank you for telling us your story.

[Lindasp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in reading this book since it was written by a Canadian pilot/POW captured in Germany in 1943. He spent over 2 years in various prison camps and twice tried to escape. The writing and the detail Mr. Carwell shared was very interesting and showed a slightly different impression of POW camps than I expected.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. Carswell was in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and was shot down over Berlin during World War II. Sent to a Stalag in occupied Poland, Carswell writes about camp life, and his participation in two escape attempts. His dealings with both the Wehrmacht (soldier to soldier honour code) and the Gestapo (a lot more vicious) are described in detail. Those in camps had no idea the war would end by 1945, many like Carswell felt that they would rot in there if they did not attempt to escape.

Many other themes are touched on; the patronizing attitude of the Brits towards the Canadian forces; the general decency of the German people and Carswell's disgust at the blatant looting and robbery by some of the Allied troops when victory was at hand; the hand of fate that sent some to their deaths and others to narrow escape.

The closing chapters are harrowing, as Carswell and thousands of other Allied POW's are marched westward across Germany, with little food and threats all around, often from the Allied fighters themselves, who could not tell friend from foe often times.

[Raimo Wirkkala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A top-notch memoir of a brave young man in a time of war. Surprisingly good and a bigger surprise that only now has this story been published. It's long overdue. I rate this with the likes of "The Great Escape" and "The Wooden Horse" when it comes to POW accounts.