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The One That Got Away
From The Great Escape to The Colditz Story, readers have become familiar with the many stories of British wartime escapes. But what of German prisoners in British hands? Did they try as persistently as their British counterparts to escape? Did they bait their guards with similar ironic humor and with horseplay often carried to dangerous extremes? Were similar epics of courage and endurance enacted unknown to us on our own soil and on the surrounding seas? How were our prisoners fed, interrogated, guarded? In other words, how did we treat them?
These questions are all answered in the first book to tell the full story of Franz von Werra, a Luftwaffe officer escaping in England, set against the background of our own familiar countryside, and with our own countrymen-police, soldiers, home guards, shepherds, bus conductors and booking clerks playing the unfamiliar roles of pursuer and sometimes unconscious abettor of one of the most ingenious and brazen of all escapers. Based on von Werra's own account, this exciting story provides a fascinating insight to the war from the German point of view.
256 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 1956
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 14, 2017
The author did a very good job in separating fact from fiction in his account of Von Werra's escapes during World War 2 and his flight back to Germany, even though in many instances there was just not witnesses to Von Werra's exploits. It is also interesting to see what Von Werra himself told about his adventures and how far he stretched the truth or just simply made up stories. Very enjoyable book and well written.
March 9, 2015
This was very different from most POW books that I have read in that the escaper was a German Luftwaffe pilot, Franz von Werra and his last successful escape was made from a train in Canada.
When this book was written, von Werra had already been killed in a plane crash which happened some months after his successful return to Germany. The authors however, did have access to a manuscript which was originally done by a ghost writer for von Werra and which had later been reworked by von Werra and his wife.They also spoke with many people who had contact with von Werra during his time as a prisoner in England and referenced many original documents to help in piecing together the true story in as complete a way as possible.
Von Werra was apparently a man of great charm and also a man not hesitant about embellishing his stories to show himself in the best light possible. He claimed to be an ace pilot who had single-handedly shot down on one occasion a spitfire, three Hurricanes and also destroyed 5 planes on the ground. He was rewarded for this with a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Although this story received great press in Germany, no such incident had ever been recorded in England and it seemed to be just one of von Werra's fairy tales. Through out the book the authors document many instances where what he said and what actually happened were quite different.
What made von Werra so interesting though was his intelligence and keen desire to escape and get back to Germany. From very early on after his capture he took careful note of everything that was going on around him. He paid particular attention to British interrogation techniques, not just on himself, but also those experienced by other POW's he encountered until he had a very complete picture of exactly how the British went about extracting information from their captives. He also listened carefully to the stories of others who had been captured, including naval officers and gleaned much useful information to take back with him to Germany. Captured in 1940, he had been ill-prepared in his training for dealing with security issues upon capture. This was not unique as most German pilots had little or no security training and often flew with personal letters, documents, diaries and maps which were very useful to the British. According to the authors, "It was to transpire that the information the British gave Von Werra was of far greater importance than anything he could have told them - if he had been willing to do so." "In the end, there was at that time, no German better informed about British interrogation methods than Oberleutnant Franz von Werra. This fact was to acquire an immense significance and to have far reaching consequences for both the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe."
Von Werra made three escape attempts with varying degrees of success. The boldest was perhaps when he attempted to pass himself off as a Dutch pilot who had crash-landed and needed to get to an aerodrome so he could be picked up and flown to his home base. He managed to fool men at the local railroad and the local police and was actually sitting in a brand new Hurricane almost ready to take off before he was captured. Had he flown out with this Hurricane, the Germans would have had access to it before it had ever been flown in combat.
Ultimately, most POW's were transferred to Canada to get them out of the way of fire and reduce the heavy demand on local food supplies, guards etc. Von Werra was quite excited about going to Canada as he felt there would be great opportunity to escape to the then neutral USA and make it back to Germany from there. This is in fact what he managed to do, diving headfirst out of a train window during midwinter and then managing to cross the St. Lawrence River to the US. Because he had actually gained entry (albeit illegally) he was allowed to contact the German consulate and speak to the Press. Other POW's managed to reach the US but typically were handed back over the the Canadians very promptly. Von Werra was released on bond which (on advice from the consulate) he defaulted on, escaping to Mexico and then through South America, Africa and finally back to Germany. Once there he was a very busy man.
Almost immediately after his return he was attached to the Intelligence Branch of G.A.F. operations staff where he spent weeks writing reports later released.
about his experiences and detailing all he knew about British interrogation techniques and treatment of POW's. He wrote a 12 page booklet dealing with all of this which became a basis for the Luftwaffe standard guide to aircrew and POW security which was still in use in July 1944. He toured various German POW Camps to examine their security and reference to these visits was made in some British books such as Reid's "The Colditz Story" which indicates that after his visits security was indeed tightened up. Many Allied airman captured testified to having been exposed to interrogation based on the examples that the British had set with von Werra.
This book tells a fascinating story of the flamboyent Franz von Werra and is well worth reading. It was also the inspiration for a film with the same title which was later released.
When this book was written, von Werra had already been killed in a plane crash which happened some months after his successful return to Germany. The authors however, did have access to a manuscript which was originally done by a ghost writer for von Werra and which had later been reworked by von Werra and his wife.They also spoke with many people who had contact with von Werra during his time as a prisoner in England and referenced many original documents to help in piecing together the true story in as complete a way as possible.
Von Werra was apparently a man of great charm and also a man not hesitant about embellishing his stories to show himself in the best light possible. He claimed to be an ace pilot who had single-handedly shot down on one occasion a spitfire, three Hurricanes and also destroyed 5 planes on the ground. He was rewarded for this with a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Although this story received great press in Germany, no such incident had ever been recorded in England and it seemed to be just one of von Werra's fairy tales. Through out the book the authors document many instances where what he said and what actually happened were quite different.
What made von Werra so interesting though was his intelligence and keen desire to escape and get back to Germany. From very early on after his capture he took careful note of everything that was going on around him. He paid particular attention to British interrogation techniques, not just on himself, but also those experienced by other POW's he encountered until he had a very complete picture of exactly how the British went about extracting information from their captives. He also listened carefully to the stories of others who had been captured, including naval officers and gleaned much useful information to take back with him to Germany. Captured in 1940, he had been ill-prepared in his training for dealing with security issues upon capture. This was not unique as most German pilots had little or no security training and often flew with personal letters, documents, diaries and maps which were very useful to the British. According to the authors, "It was to transpire that the information the British gave Von Werra was of far greater importance than anything he could have told them - if he had been willing to do so." "In the end, there was at that time, no German better informed about British interrogation methods than Oberleutnant Franz von Werra. This fact was to acquire an immense significance and to have far reaching consequences for both the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe."
Von Werra made three escape attempts with varying degrees of success. The boldest was perhaps when he attempted to pass himself off as a Dutch pilot who had crash-landed and needed to get to an aerodrome so he could be picked up and flown to his home base. He managed to fool men at the local railroad and the local police and was actually sitting in a brand new Hurricane almost ready to take off before he was captured. Had he flown out with this Hurricane, the Germans would have had access to it before it had ever been flown in combat.
Ultimately, most POW's were transferred to Canada to get them out of the way of fire and reduce the heavy demand on local food supplies, guards etc. Von Werra was quite excited about going to Canada as he felt there would be great opportunity to escape to the then neutral USA and make it back to Germany from there. This is in fact what he managed to do, diving headfirst out of a train window during midwinter and then managing to cross the St. Lawrence River to the US. Because he had actually gained entry (albeit illegally) he was allowed to contact the German consulate and speak to the Press. Other POW's managed to reach the US but typically were handed back over the the Canadians very promptly. Von Werra was released on bond which (on advice from the consulate) he defaulted on, escaping to Mexico and then through South America, Africa and finally back to Germany. Once there he was a very busy man.
Almost immediately after his return he was attached to the Intelligence Branch of G.A.F. operations staff where he spent weeks writing reports later released.
about his experiences and detailing all he knew about British interrogation techniques and treatment of POW's. He wrote a 12 page booklet dealing with all of this which became a basis for the Luftwaffe standard guide to aircrew and POW security which was still in use in July 1944. He toured various German POW Camps to examine their security and reference to these visits was made in some British books such as Reid's "The Colditz Story" which indicates that after his visits security was indeed tightened up. Many Allied airman captured testified to having been exposed to interrogation based on the examples that the British had set with von Werra.
This book tells a fascinating story of the flamboyent Franz von Werra and is well worth reading. It was also the inspiration for a film with the same title which was later released.
May 2, 2020
It would be easy to mistake the story of Franz von Werra as a gripping work of fiction, and indeed it part is. Burnt and Leasor have undertaken a study of the story, using Werra's own unpublished account and the witnesses on the British side who were involved. Much of the sentiment is familiar to the more common stories of British prisoners of war, the need to escape, and cause disruption to the hostile forces.
What is most galling about the story is that von Werra is an evident liar, and he was clearly caught out in his early interrogations. Courage and great daring was demonstrated on all sides during the war, but there is something dirty about being recognised for a falsehood - both his initial attacks on British airfields, right through to his reselling of the various escape attempts.
This account sets the fiction, and the truth of the contemporary story within its real historical context, and regardless of Werra's enthusiasm for a story, ultimately he did jump from a moving plane, he did successfully escape. Highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in the exciting stories of escape of prisoners during the war.
What is most galling about the story is that von Werra is an evident liar, and he was clearly caught out in his early interrogations. Courage and great daring was demonstrated on all sides during the war, but there is something dirty about being recognised for a falsehood - both his initial attacks on British airfields, right through to his reselling of the various escape attempts.
This account sets the fiction, and the truth of the contemporary story within its real historical context, and regardless of Werra's enthusiasm for a story, ultimately he did jump from a moving plane, he did successfully escape. Highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in the exciting stories of escape of prisoners during the war.
May 22, 2025
A fantastic view into the life of Hanz von Werra a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during his capture, internment and escape while serving in numerous British prisoner of war camps. The book reads like a fictional novel, highly recommend to anyone interested in both ww2 fiction and non fictional writing.
September 29, 2025
This is a very inspiring book about a outstanding German pilot of WWII who was shot down but time and time again escaped once captured. Lots of intrigue. I love reading about war books and this is a good one, not found in any of our state of Maine public libraries. Therefore, I purchased it and will pass it along to other family members who love such books.
Based on a true story.
Based on a true story.
January 11, 2021
Having just reread this book, I think the thing that comes across most strongly to me is the sheer decency of so many people on the allied side. While recognising the absurdity of the blanket generalization that allied = good and axis = bad (every country has its angels and monsters), one cannot imagine that von Werra would've got anything like the same treatment if he were an RAF pilot in the hands of the Gestapo.
The saddest thing though is that this sort of decency seems to be disappearing from modern life.
So this book is a profile not only of a complex character, but of a different time, which for all the trauma that the world was at war - the most destructive the world had ever known - still had its positive side. From some it was 'the best years of my life' and perhaps that serves as some consolation for people today, beset by the Covid pandemic. Even in crisis, people manage to find good things in life!
The saddest thing though is that this sort of decency seems to be disappearing from modern life.
So this book is a profile not only of a complex character, but of a different time, which for all the trauma that the world was at war - the most destructive the world had ever known - still had its positive side. From some it was 'the best years of my life' and perhaps that serves as some consolation for people today, beset by the Covid pandemic. Even in crisis, people manage to find good things in life!
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July 26, 2022The famous true story of the war's ONLY successful German POW escapee. He didn't succeed on his first attempt and the Brits were confident that he wouldn't. His strong determination to succeed is amazing and seemingly against incredible odds he does !! The story is so engrossing that one forgets he is the "enemy" and find yourself holding your breath, willing him to succeed. !! This was an exciting read but very informative about the life of fighter pilots and the differences in training and thinking between the German & British fighter pilots: also very revealing about the politics of war..An easy read, like reading a novel !!
February 28, 2010
Excellent story with some surprising insight into the British POW system. Von Werra's actions (and those of his captors) sometimes reads a bit Keystone-Cop-ish and other times like a tale from the days of knights traveling afar. Reading this, it is sometimes hard to imagine that there was an actual, killing war afoot.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews