Under the Wire: The Wartime Memoir of a Spitfire Pilot, Legendary Escape Artist and 'Cooler King'

by William Ash, Brendan Foley

Determined to take on the Nazis, Texan Bill Ash joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939 and in so doing sacrificed his citizenship. Before long, he was sent to England wherehe flew Spitfires. Shot down over France in March 1942, he survived the crash-landing and, thanks to local civilians, evaded capture for months only to be betrayed to the Gestapo in Paris. Tortured and sentenced to death as a spy, he was saved from the firing squad by the Luftwaffe who sent him to the infamous 'Great Escape' POW camp, Stalag Luft III. It was from there that Bill began his 'tour' of Occupied Europe. Breaking out of a succession of camps, he became one of only a handful of serial escape artists to attempt more than a dozen break-outs - over the wire, under it in tunnels, through it with cutters or simply strolling out of the camp gates in disguise! They were years of extraordinary hardship, frustration and brutality - the penalty for escaping was a long spell in solitary - but throughout it all Bill Ash displayed not just remarkable courage but also an anarchic sense of humour, great humanity and an unstoppable desire for freedom.
Honest, funny and exciting, Under the Wire is both a riveting war memoir and a tribute to the bravery and resolve of an entire generation.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Biography, Military Fiction, Memoir, War

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Born in Dallas in 1917, WILLIAM ASH worked his way through school and college during the Great Depression, graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, to the heights of elevator operator, then Hobo.

At the outbreak of war in Europe he rode the rails to Canada and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. A Spitfire pilot, he saw action over England and France. He was shot down near Calais in March 1942 and evaded the German forces for months with help from the French Resistance but was captured and badly beaten by the Gestapo.

Bill was sent to a succession of POW camps in Occupied Europe from which he escaped on a regular basis, becoming one of the greatest escapers of the war. At war's end, he was awarded an MBE for his escaping activities and went on to work for the BBC in India and Britain. He became a writer and a past Chair of the Writers Guild (GB). Married to the academic Ranjana Ash, he lives in London where he stayed after the war.

This account of his wartime adventures became a best-seller in the UK and Tunnel King Ash observed "I've discovered the secret of success - all you have to do is dig a hole and wait seventy years". He celebrated his 95th birthday in November 2012 with the publication of the first paperback edition in North America.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I approached this book as a courtesy to the author, whose service in World War II deserved, in my opinion, some attention. What a marvelous surprise and delight to find it an entirely engrossing, well-told story of several slices of American History, some of which are not often told.

While the main story chronicles Bill Ash's experience flying Spitfire fighter planes for the RAF, his day of reckoning when he was shot down, and his remarkable experiences hiding from the Nazis in occupied Europe, and then, after captivity, his numerous escape attempts, other aspects of the story were very interesting too. He grew up in Depression-era Texas with a spirit of wanderlust and adventure. As a youth, he joined the transient hobo community, hopping trains and learning to survive with quick wits, creativity, and courage. Little did he know how well this would prepare him for his experience as an escape artist from Nazi prisons.

Unlike many WWII books that recount the horrors of prison camp and the brutality of the enemy, Ash and his co-author, Brendan Foley, have opted for an emphasis on the spirit and resourcefulness of Ash and his fellow prisoners and their ability to find humor even in the midst of their terrible situation. The author's observations about the changing behavior of the Germans as the war got closer to the end was also very interesting.

The voice of this book was genuine and honest. Brendan Foley has undoubtedly worked wonders with his journalism skills and his excellent telling of Bill Ash's story. This is a remarkable, fascinating book that shines a spotlight on that small, rare breed of soldiers who were willing to take extraordinary risks for the sake of freedom. I hope they make this into a movie, and I'd go so far to suggest it is a "must-read" for anyone interested in WWII real-life stories.

[Jenny T · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing memoir about a "serial escapologist" from German POW camps during WWII--Bill Ash escaped a dozen times from terrible conditions and tragic experiences, yet maintained his compassion, humor, and humanity. Beautifully written and full of hope in times of despair.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact that this will be the third posting of the year for me, this was actually the first book that I read in 2013 and it may very well be the best book that I will read all year.

William Ash, now age 95, and his co-author Brendan Foley have created an immensely readable, very enjoyable story about young Bill Ash, an American who joined the Brits in fighting the Nazis by flying a Spitfire (a fighter plane) before America even joined the war.

Ash begins his story by telling about the difficulties of growing up in the Great Depression in Texas. Somehow, he managed to get a college degree, even though there were no jobs to be found for this new college grad. So, he hit the road, riding trains, traveling the country and living in hobo camps. One day he heard that the Canadians were looking for fighter pilots to send to England and they would even take Americans who renounced their citizenship.

Ash's reasons for joining are a rather vague mishmash of looking for adventure, wanting a steady paycheck, wanting to fly and wanting to fight the Nazis, but that's okay. The story has been good so far and it only gets better as Ash talks about the joys of a full belly and learning to fly. Soon enough, he's off to England and set up in a Spitfire, England's hotshot iconic fighter plane of the war...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Anne Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of an American who flew in a British plane with Canadian pilots, only to be shot down by German planes over France is by turns hilarious and heart breaking. William Ash's strong storyteller's voice paints a picture of life as a WW2 POW that includes friendship, determination, courage, and some truly brilliant escape plans. This is one of my favorite non-fiction reads of the past year.

[Ian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book about a real life Steve McQueen during World War II. I was lucky enough to be sent a signed copy from the great Mr Ash himself after writing to the co-author after reading this great book. A classic of the genre.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant Book again demonstrating that Fact is stranger than Fiction

At the time of this writing William Ash is 95: his story is told with the gifted aid of Brendan Foley who just happens to be writing the screenplay for the film that has been option that will make this incredible story a thriller of film.
From the advanced information about the release of this book comes the following information that in many ways summarizes the book well: ‘Born in Dallas in 1917, WILLIAM ASH worked his way through school and college during the Great Depression, graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, to the heights of elevator operator, then Hobo. At the outbreak of war in Europe he rode the rails to Canada and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. A Spitfire pilot, he saw action over England and France. He was shot down near Calais in March 1942 and evaded the German forces for months with help from the French Resistance but was captured and badly beaten by the Gestapo and sentenced to death as a spy. Bill was sent to a succession of POW camps in Occupied Europe from which he escaped on a regular basis, becoming one of the greatest escapers of the war. At war's end, he was awarded an MBE for his escaping activities and went on to work for the BBC in India and Britain. He became a writer and a past Chair of the Writers Guild (GB). Married to the academic Ranjana Ash, he lives in London where he stayed after the war.’

Given the background of the story (which everyone has noted by now) the beauty of this book is the manner in which it is written. There is a fine balance between fact and embellished humor and the authors (Brendan Foley’s keen skills polish the prose well) understand the arc and flow of a suspense thriller well.

Overriding it all is the personality of Bill Ash whose derring-do and escapist skills confounded even the most alert of the officials of the various enemy attempts to keep him incarcerated. There is a lot of Mark Twain flavor in this story – and that is about a high a compliment as can be given. Ash is also obviously filled with a great streak of human kindness that makes this ‘ear story’ endearing. It takes heroic deeds, danger, guts, and wily coyote madness to pull through every incident that confronted Ash. This book will enter the realm of the best WW II books ever written. It is bound to enter the best-seller list soon. Bravo to Ash, and a big Bravo to Foley!

Grady Harp

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very inspiring and heartwarming story! i’m really glad i read this - i love how they focused on the camaraderie and hope of the prisoners of war and not so much the atrocities, whilst also not downplaying them. i’ve read a couple of different fictional ww2 books but this non-fiction has really inspired me to pick up more memoirs and true accounts, they really were very brave.

my only problem really was the writing - it gets quite repetitive (not in terms of the story but it has many repeating sentences two pages apart, the same metaphors being used every chapter, etc.)

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My career choices were limited- I could become a prisoner, an escape artist or a corpse."

William Ash went half way across the world to fight against the Nazis when his country, the United States was still neutral. He just could not sit at home knowing the a just war was being fought and do nothing. His first attempt to join the Canadian military was a failure. He was too skinny. He went back across the border, gorged himself for a week and weighed in with success. "The fact that so many of us Americans who volunteered in World War II before the United States entered the war lost our citizenship for the privilege of getting shot at in the interests of freedom, reamins to this day one of the least reported and least glorious chapters in the history of our early neutrality in the conflict." Ash decided this fight was more important than his citizenship. So he left the United States, trained in Canada and fought for Britain.

After intensive, though short training, William Ash became a fighter pilot. Finally in his own plane, a Spitfire, "I didn't dwell on the science too much, since I figured if I did, I might plummet to earth in a burst of logic," he was in the war. This is his story, the story of a fighter pilot shot down, captured, tortured, put in solitary confinement and always always attempting to escape. It is told with an unbelievable amount of levity in the midst of the horror."

Shot down in France, he is able to live for two months in various homes in Paris before his capture in June 1942. The self sacrificing people in France who were willing to help this American attempt to hide and get back to fighting risked their lives and some were tortured and killed for it. Ash tells of meeting up after the war with the 16 year old girl whose family helped him move him to the next safe place. She was found out, captured, tortured as only the Nazis could and when Ash sees her, she will not live long beyond that day.

Severely beaten by the Gestapo daily, for weeks, Ash is taken by the Luftwaffe to their own concentration camp. Having been already tortured by the Gestapo, the Luftwaffe seemed like a real treat."Because I had been through some fairly tough times, I honestly did not find conditions all that bad in the camp, and some of my more sensitive colleagues used to accuse me of being unreasonably cheerful just to annoy them. I agreed that the food was lousy, but pointed out that the prices were very reasonable."

The food? Green, slimy, vile-smelling thing that pretended to be cheese. "Most people could not even approach it, never mind put it in their mouths. I manfully munched my way through buckets of the stuff, with a sort of grim fascination and amusement at how each mouthful was worse than the previous one. But man can not live on green liquid alone... I found ( another equally vile 'food') it in the form of Klipfish. Klipfish is a delicacy virtually unknown even to my generation. It was made of those parts of a fish which would be best kept to itself, punted into a sort of extrusion. This had then been dried out some decades earlier, at the time of the First World War, into something resembling wood shavings... things got even worse. It had to be soaked in water for about a week, by which time it developed both the consistency and smell of wet dog hair, but it tasted much worse. The next step was to cut it into slabs, fry it, and then, in most cases, hurl it out the hut door in disgust. And that was its one great advantage."

This is what Ash was able to get from other prisoners to bulk up in preparation of his first Great Escape. The first among many.

There have been a few WWII books that, although full of harsh reality of the cruelty of the Nazis, they read as pure hope- this is one of them. If you enjoyed Unbroken for it's ability to remain hopeful in the midst of such brutality; you have to read this book too.

You always know a real hero by the way they are able to convey the horrific, grueling experience in a self deprecating and humorous way. William Ash is a true hero.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II has always been one of my favorite reading topics, probably because I was born just a few months after the war ended. I've read hundreds of books about the war, and some of the most compelling stories were about Allied POW experiences. Books like Free as a Running Fox and The Colditz Story showed just how determined many POWs were to escape. When co-author Brendan Foley offered me a review copy of Under the Wire, I was glad to accept.

It's the remarkable story of American Bill Ash, who grew up in Texas during the Great Depression, then volunteered to fight the Germans even before the U.S. entered the war. Joining the Canadian air corps, then shipping out to England in 1941, Ash had his share of aerial combat before his luck ran out and his Spitfire was shot down over northern France in 1942. Spending the next three years in a series of POW camps in Germany, Poland, and Lithuania, Ash became an expert "escapologist," despite the dangers and the risk of being captured and beaten or killed by the Gestapo. As a result of failed escape attempts, Ash became a regular resident of the "Cooler," the infamous solitary confinement cells in the POW camps.

Under the Wire is an absorbing account of life in the POW camps, including the endless planning for escape by men like Ash who went stir-crazy when cooped up behind barbed wire. At best, life in the POW camps was a miserable experience, with inadequate food and medical care, frigid winters in ramshackle huts with little winter clothing, and the maddening aggravation of lice, bedbugs, and fleas.

POWs came up with some remarkably ingenious ways to escape, but to me the most intriguing were the tunnels. The logistics required, plus the excavation of the tunnel itself, were amazing feats, with the detailed planning and preparation of civilian clothing, forged documents, maps, and compasses, while doing all of this under the watchful eyes of the guards. Reading about the actual tunneling was downright claustrophobic, with men working long hours in total darkness in near-suffocating conditions, facing the constant threat of cave-ins, just to advance the tunnel a couple of feet a day. All of this, knowing that only about one in a hundred escapees actually hit a "home run," meaning they made it back to England.

My hat is off to men like Bill Ash who - even after being shot down - continued to wage his own private war against the enemy.

[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am trying to recall how I stumbled on this non-fiction book – I just did a quick search of www.newsfromme.com and verified Mark Evanier recommended it. It took me three weeks to get through it but I am very happy I did. It takes a while for me to get through a book like this because it is a time in history that is so depressing for me. How an entire country like Germany could go insane and decide to slaughter half the population and take over by force the other half is sad, frustrating, and chilling. It makes me angry. It makes me hate the people who could do this. They were a country fueled by hate and they tortured people as badly as any society in history (although they share company with others of their ilk). So enough about the backdrop of the story, this is a story of a hero. A true hero. An ordinary person who decided he hated bullies. He hated them enough to give up his American citizenship and cross the boarder into Canada so he could join the war effort before the rest of his country came to their senses and realized bullies don’t leave you alone just because you leave them alone. The first part of the book is his life before the war (the depression hit him hard enough that he became a hobo – wow), the next part is how he became a great fighter pilot, the last half is how he became an escapologist with enough thrills and escapes that if you put them in one movie nobody would believe it. He is obviously the model for the Steve McQueen character in the Great Escape although in point of fact that was one escape he didn’t take part in. This is a five star book of a five star person. Read this whenever you want to put your life in perspective and realize how amazing we have it. Read this whenever you want to remind yourself for as many bullies and evil empires as the Nazis there are heroes and survivors like William Ash. A hard read for people like me. A must read for everyone.

[Christopher Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book, but I did.
It details the Second World war experiences of a Texan, born in 1917, who joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 and flew Spitfires before being shot down in 1942 and becoming an inveterate escaper from POW camps.
Because of his nationality, frequent long spells in solitary confinement following escape attempts, and close friendship with several of the Great Escape escapers he has been offered as a possible model for the Steve MacQueen character in the film. However, he was not involved in that one.
Actually the real story is more fascinating.

There are lots of things I didn't know. For example, how amazingly casual they were about life and death, wandering around occupied Paris, working as a farm labourer, all while on the run, then being in the hands of the Gestapo. And about the "death marches' at the end.

He comes across as incredibly likeable (British officers don't always) and it's a wonderful story. I'm glad to say he's still alive, aged 95, and lives in England.

[Nicole Marble · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting WWII story by Ash, an excellent writer. Of more interest to me is that time at the end of the war when there was no law, no one was in charge, there was no infrastructure, no food distribution system in place and all the people in Europe - soldiers, farmers, prisoners, children, the wounded - had to survive. I think we should pay more attention to that period of no law to see what people have done and can do.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history and I loved this book. There were some proofreading issues that need to be addressed, but I loved hearing about the amazing survival stories and heroes of the war. I also learned a great deal that I did not know before, especially about the Russian prisoners of war and how horrifically they were treated during the war. Amazing story of survival!

[Marc Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous true story of heroism and persistence by one of the most active POW escapers of WW2

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally engaging read

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had this book for years, BRILLIANT, WORTH more then 5 stars,

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars.
Hardback.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a number of books about the life of Allied prisoners of war and their escape attempts but had somehow never heard of Under the Wire by William Ash and Brendan Foley until I read Mr. Ash’s obituary in The Week earlier this month. I’m so glad I found this book!

Ash’s story of growing up in depression era Texas, living the life of a hobo and then moving to Canada to enlist in the RAF, for which he would lose his American citizenship, is as interesting as is his later adventures as Spitfire pilot and eventual a POW with a talent for escaping. His accounts of his time in and many escapes from German POW camps will seem very memorable to anyone who has seen The Great Escape. While Ash did not participate in the Great Escape, it’s evident that parts of the movie come from his story. The writing in the book is not perfect but it is a delightful and insightful memoir of a true international hero and a man I would have enjoyed meeting.

What I felt were the most notable quotes from the book are listed below.

"The fact that so many of us Americans who volunteered in World War Two before the United States entered the war lost our citizenships for the privilege of getting shot at in the interests of freedom, remains to this day one of the least reported and least glorious chapters in the history of our early neutrality in the conflict."

"Opinion in America, particularly that of the Establishment, was still staunchly neutral, but sympathy for the British was on the rise among working people. This was countered by business tycoons and many newspaper proprietors who were determined to keep America out of the war at all costs, either because they quite liked Hitler or they feared the derailment of their own gravy train."

"Deprived of conversation, company and anything to read, I found that I had time to think. Never before or since have I had such a sustained period to think about myself, the world and the actions of those around me. I had seen heroism and treachery, selfless generosity and animal selfishness. This riot of experiences and emotions kindled in me a lifelong interest in both philosophy and politics, which are both examples of tiny people in a world several sizes too big for them, struggling to make sense of it all. Politically, I came to conclusions which were to stay with me all my life, about the value of real democracy, of the importance of people working together to improve life for everyone, and lastly the necessity to stand up to bullies, exploiters or dictators as hard as possible, as early as possible."

The last sentence says a lot. It’s a shame more of today’s “public servants”/politicians don’t feel that way. Instead a large number of them have become the bullies and exploiters.

[Jennijck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad to say, it was like reading a really good novel. It’s astonishing to think that such things as written, actually was happening in my parents time!! :(.

[Elizabeth Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I approached this book as a courtesy to the author, whose service in World War II deserved, in my opinion, some attention. What a marvelous surprise and delight to find it an entirely engrossing, well-told story of several slices of American History, some of which are not often told.

While the main story chronicles Bill Ash's experience flying Spitfire fighter planes for the RAF, his day of reckoning when he was shot down, and his remarkable experiences hiding from the Nazis in occupied Europe, and then, after captivity, his numerous escape attempts, other aspects of the story were very interesting too. He grew up in Depression-era Texas with a spirit of wanderlust and adventure. As a youth, he joined the transient hobo community, hopping trains and learning to survive with quick wits, creativity, and courage. Little did he know how well this would prepare him for his experience as an escape artist from Nazi prisons.

Unlike many WWII books that recount the horrors of prison camp and the brutality of the enemy, Ash and his co-author, Brendan Foley, have opted for an emphasis on the spirit and resourcefulness of Ash and his fellow prisoners and their ability to find humor even in the midst of their terrible situation. The author's observations about the changing behavior of the Germans as the war got closer to the end was also very interesting.

The voice of this book was genuine and honest. Brendan Foley has undoubtedly worked wonders with his journalism skills and his excellent telling of Bill Ash's story. This is a remarkable, fascinating book that shines a spotlight on that small, rare breed of soldiers who were willing to take extraordinary risks for the sake of freedom. I hope they make this into a movie, and I'd go so far to suggest it is a "must-read" for anyone interested in WWII real-life stories.

[Joe Rodeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Under the Wire* is told in sections. 1) depression era hobo jungle, 2) joining the RCAF/air strikes, 3) heros/heroines of the French resistance, 4) 1942-45 life in prison camps.

America was strictly isolationist; and if you signed up in Canada, you forfeited your USA citizenship.

William Ash is a prototype suggesting the Steve McQueen the Cooler King character in "The Great Escape." He never cries or complains of his suffering much. He actually minimizes all that. Nor does he demonize the Germans. The Gestapo were the worst; but the Luftwaffe not so bad, who followed the Geneva Convention. It's more about which guard can be bribed.

Lots of the story is funny in good contrast to the meaner parts, ex. when he is beaten up.
Easy reading. Would recommend for reluctant reader boys or WWII completists.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I had had a mental picture of a Spitfire, but in real life it was much smaller than I expected . . . . A compact, finely engineered bundle of power and grace . . . a Platonic ideal of a perfect aeroplane. From the elegant curve of its wings to the in-line engine tucked away behind its elongated nose, the whole structure had style. Long noses, whether on British gentry, borzoi dogs or Spitfires have always seemed very aristocratic to me."

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a story that follows the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction. If someone had written this book as a fictional account of World War Two, I would not believed half of it. William Ash, along with Brendan Foley, tells the astonishing story of a native Texan (Ash) who moves to Canada to escape the Great Depression, joins the Royal Canadian Air Force before America enters the war, is shot down over France, and spends the next three years in German prison camps where he tries to escape several times. We meet a variety of characters who do their best to still participate in the war effort by keeping the Germans busy chasing escaped POWs.

Occasionally, it gets confusing with all the names and places and dates, but if you stick with it, the final third of the book is beautifully moving and poignant with some excellent writing. I am glad that I started reading this while William Ash was alive (he died in April 2014 at the age of 96). Indeed, he is part of the Greatest Generation and so many of us owe a debt of gratitude to William Ash and the unsung heroes that he writes about.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escape books really aren’t my thing. Or war books or concentration camp books, for that matter. Under the Wire shone in a particular way, however. The author’s humor, for one thing; the positive approach in an extremely difficult situation for another. It’s extremely unusual for me to give 5 stars to a true story or to a war story, but this book deserves them. I was interested until the last page. Good pick, husband!

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - interesting how things worked in a German POW camp. Some of the action reminded me of Hogan's Heroes TV show. Interesting read

[Andy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Ash was an amazing man. He didn't like to stay in prison as a POW, so he made several escapes only to be caught and spend time in solitary for doing so. Easy to read and very engaging.

[Don Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most positive and optimistic books I've ever read , despite the irony of it

[Glenda Vandruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

True and Still Unbelievable

Wow! What a great book. I have read so many WW2 stories but this book gave me so much more information about that truly awful and yet, wonderful (because of positive friendships) time. I had no idea that officers were accorded so many wonderful opportunities as prisoners. And William Ash’s humor is always impressive in these dire circumstances. Absolutely a must-read.

[Aleksandra Mazur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opis umieszczony na okładce z tyłu sugerował że autor ciągle uciekał a tymczasem w książce głównie czytamy o planach ucieczki, robieniu tunelu a realnie autor poza obozem był dwa razy co kłóci mi się z opisem że był nałogowym uciekinierem. Podsumowując zwiódł mnie opis i niestety czytając książę czułam wielkie rozczarowanie

[Iola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I often feel that the generation who fought in WWII were a breed apart. Not many have the courage to do what Bill Ash did, let alone do it the countless times he did! I certainly couldn't or wouldn't have.

[Angela Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read.