Lie in the Dark and Listen

by Ken Rees, Karen Arrandale

Life is pretty dull for Ken Rees these days. At 17 he craved danger and excitement; fast planes and cars; rugby, speed and women. Then war came and by the age of 21 he had already trained to be a pilot officer; flown 56 hair-raising bomber missions, by night over Germany; taken part in the siege of Malta; got married; been shot down into a remote Norwegian lake; been captured, questioned by the Gestapo, then sent to Stalag Luft III, where he participated in and survived the Great Escape and terrible forced march to Bremen.

Now he lives relatively peacefully in Anglesey and in finding time to research and write his memoirs with Karen Arrandale has vividly recreated what it was like to be in charge of an air crew at such a tender age with responsibility for a large and expensive aircraft going 300 miles behind enemy lines, at the same time avoiding flak and enemy fighters and witnessing other comrades being shot down out of the sky.

Ken's story has it all, excitement, accuracy, pace and drama and he describes events which have largely passed into legend as the former Kriegies - his friends and colleagues - pass out of this world.

Wing Commander Ken Rees is one of the few remaining Great Escapers and has been interviewed extensively for newspapers, radio and television, not least during his appearances on programmes like 'Behind the Wire'.

He is an excellent raconteur with many contacts in the RAF, PoW groups and the rugby world, having in the past captained London Welsh and trialled for Wales.

Genres: War, History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, British Literature, Aviation, Autobiography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2004

About the author

Wing Commander Henry Kenneth 'Shag' Rees, Royal Air Force

WWII bomber pilot; shot down over Norway, captured by the Germans and sent to the PoW officers' camp Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany (now Żagań, Poland) where he helped build the escape tunnel used in what became known as the 'Great Escape' of 24 March 1944 which was the basis for the 1963 film based on Flight Lieutenant Paul Brickhill's 1950 memoir; post-war RAF pilot, instructor, and station commander.

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie in the Dark and Listen: The Remarkable Exploits of a WWII Bomber Pilot and Great Escaper gives a first hand view of the Second World War as described by Wing Commander Ken Rees. Rees describes his experiences from the time he joined up to become a pilot, through his training, to his efforts as a bomber pilot in the war. Rees also describes life as a POW and his part in the Great Escape.

This book contains two parts. The first section of this book, describes Rees' early years with the military. In this section, the author candidly describes how a Welsh farm boy managed to claim a spot as a pilot; his training trials and triumphs; and his many missions in Europe and Africa. The second section of this book, describes Rees' experiences as a POW. In these chapters, Rees describes daily life in POW camps and the various escape efforts. Rees also participated in the Great Escape and describes both the preparation for and the aftermath of this famous event.

Lie in the Dark and Listen: The Remarkable Exploits of a WWII Bomber Pilot and Great Escaper is an extremely valuable work. The stories contained in this book range from comical through heroic to bone chilling. The author has done an amazing job at sharing a complete three dimensional representation of these events allowing the reader insight into the both the silly and the serious aspects of these experiences. Beyond the amazing insight into the lives of those serving in the World War II, this book entertains, rivets, and terrifies the reader from start to finish.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read THE GREAT ESCAPE by Paul Brickhill then TALES will make a nice companion. Each brings something to what it was like to be an escapologist in LUFT STALAG III. The Tunnel, the boredom, lack of food, the small war with the guards, the feeling of separation from family, loved ones, and the war beyond the barbed wire. Rees' story is more personal, as if he was sitting across and recalling each moment from the time his plane crashes to when he finally returns to his wife and resuming the honeymoon interrupted by the flight that put him behind wire for more then 2 years.

[Kelvin Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie in the dark and listen by H Ken Rees.

An exceptionally good read that recounts World War 2 conditions as a pilot flying bomber aircraft. He goes on to relate his experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Lufft 3 and gives an excellent description of life and activities within this camp. He was extremely lucky not to be one of the 50 who were murdered by the Germans.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has devoured virtually every book about Luft III, I cannot recommend this to someone who isn't already very interested simply because it is so unbearably boring. The story itself is, as expected, incredible, but it's not told in an incredible way.