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Destination Buchenwald: The astonishing survival story of Australian and New Zealand airmen in a Nazi death camp
The harrowing story of the Allied airmen who experienced the true horrors of Nazism firsthand.
It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen – including several from Australia and New Zealand – were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey which ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.
In conducting his original deep research for this book – now completely expanded and updated – Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. Destination Buchenwald tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship and endurance, when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.
'This was the first book to provide an insight into our experiences as a group of captured allied airmen, betrayed to the Gestapo, tortured and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. I consider it to be one of the best interpretations of the events as it reflects the voices of the survivors and their challenges to stay alive in such dehumanising circumstances.' Sqn Ldr Stanley Booker, RAF (Rtd.), MBE, Légion D' Last surviving member of the Buchenwald airmen
It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen – including several from Australia and New Zealand – were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey which ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.
In conducting his original deep research for this book – now completely expanded and updated – Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. Destination Buchenwald tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship and endurance, when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.
'This was the first book to provide an insight into our experiences as a group of captured allied airmen, betrayed to the Gestapo, tortured and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. I consider it to be one of the best interpretations of the events as it reflects the voices of the survivors and their challenges to stay alive in such dehumanising circumstances.' Sqn Ldr Stanley Booker, RAF (Rtd.), MBE, Légion D' Last surviving member of the Buchenwald airmen
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First published May 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 12, 2020
I was recently made aware of this book, having been previously unaware that this had been where my grandad, one of the airmen, had been held. I knew he had been a POW, but the war was something he never liked to speak of, and we were raised to respect that. Reading the accounts about the atrocities is beyond moving for me. It is a poignant reminder that we should never forget.
February 25, 2023
‘The harrowing story of the Allied airmen who experienced the true horrors of Nazism firsthand.
It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen – including several from Australia and New Zealand – were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey that ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald, they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.
In conducting his original deep research for this book – now completely expanded and updated – Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. Destination Buchenwald tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship, and endurance when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.’
This book was fantastic.
I have a real interest in WWII and have read many books about it, so I was surprised that this story was new to me. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read this book and I prepared myself for an emotional reading experience.
I was expecting an emotional read and that is exactly what I got with this book. Reading about what these airmen went through; as well as the civilians who helped them, was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. While the experiences of the people featured in this book are just a small number of the horrible situations that occurred during WWII, they carry the weight of all the suffering of that time.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that background information was woven into the story for anyone who may not have a lot of previous information about the places and situations that are taking place. This allows for the full scope of the situation these airmen were facing to be understood in a small way.
Colin Burgess has done a wonderful job with this book. The writing was superb; emotional yet factual, the story was perfectly paced, and the historical and statistical information included added to the story instead of slowing it down.
I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book.
Destination Buchenwald by Colin Burgess is a must-read for everyone.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress
It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen – including several from Australia and New Zealand – were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey that ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald, they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.
In conducting his original deep research for this book – now completely expanded and updated – Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. Destination Buchenwald tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship, and endurance when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.’
This book was fantastic.
I have a real interest in WWII and have read many books about it, so I was surprised that this story was new to me. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read this book and I prepared myself for an emotional reading experience.
I was expecting an emotional read and that is exactly what I got with this book. Reading about what these airmen went through; as well as the civilians who helped them, was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. While the experiences of the people featured in this book are just a small number of the horrible situations that occurred during WWII, they carry the weight of all the suffering of that time.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that background information was woven into the story for anyone who may not have a lot of previous information about the places and situations that are taking place. This allows for the full scope of the situation these airmen were facing to be understood in a small way.
Colin Burgess has done a wonderful job with this book. The writing was superb; emotional yet factual, the story was perfectly paced, and the historical and statistical information included added to the story instead of slowing it down.
I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book.
Destination Buchenwald by Colin Burgess is a must-read for everyone.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress
April 14, 2024
A very interesting account of a corner of history previously unknown to me.
January 31, 2023
E - Book, this was an interesting book covering some of the less well known aspects of German Barbarity towards allied airmen in the war.
This book covers the fate of airmen brought down over France and Germany and instead of being treated as POWs they were sentenced as Terror Fliers by the Gestapo and betrayed by a double agent in the resistance they weee sent to Buchenwald concentration camp.
Their paper work stated they were not to be transferred to another camp, they suffered horrendous deprivations and torture and were meant to die in Buchenwald, never to leave a trace.
By sheer luck the majority survived and most ended up being transferred to a Luftwaffe POW camp, all suffered the mental scars of the barbarity they suffered.
This book covers the fate of airmen brought down over France and Germany and instead of being treated as POWs they were sentenced as Terror Fliers by the Gestapo and betrayed by a double agent in the resistance they weee sent to Buchenwald concentration camp.
Their paper work stated they were not to be transferred to another camp, they suffered horrendous deprivations and torture and were meant to die in Buchenwald, never to leave a trace.
By sheer luck the majority survived and most ended up being transferred to a Luftwaffe POW camp, all suffered the mental scars of the barbarity they suffered.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews