THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

Donald Miller's Masters of the Air is about 8th air force, but dedicates a chapter+more to pilots and aircrew who were prisoners of war or interned in neutral countries. Some of the stories are pretty graphic and even seasoned reader like my self got somewhat disturbed by one story about certain Swiss prison camp. Some individual experiences of escaping, camp life and forced marches are covered in this book too.

Perato wrote: "
Donald Miller's Masters of the Air is about 8th air force, but dedicates a chapter+more to pi..."

Its a pretty good book, I really enjoyed it.

Masterfully woven individual histories that taken together tell the larger story of the men with silver wings. From what I understand this is the book on which the next installment in the Spielberg/Hanks collaboration is based. 2022?

A very proud day for me and my little book. Number 5, ahead of the Bible, and Crime and Punishment!!! Incredible. https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

Marc wrote: "A very proud day for me and my little book. Number 5, ahead of the Bible, and Crime and Punishment!!! Incredible. https://www.theguardian.com/books/202..."

Well done!

Rona wrote: "Masterfully woven individual histories that taken together tell the larger story of the men with silver wings. From what I understand this is the book on which the next installment in the Spielberg..."

I am currently working as a researcher for that project.

I recently finished



This an older account, the copywrite is 1950, and is a first hand account of the events depicted in the 1960s movie starring Steve McQueen and James Garner (among others)

The author participated in the preparing of the tunnels, but was not one of those who actually got out of Stalag Luft III in the early spring of 1944.

Spoiler Alert - There was no really life Steve McQueen character, though Americans did participate in the planning, digging and other tasks associated with the tunnels and the escape attempts. The American's were transferred to their own compound before the escape was attempted. In fact most of the characters in the movie are composites of real people. However, the leader of the escape attempt, Big X - Roger Bushell was a real person.

Many of the events in the movie are real, including the main escape tunnel being short of the woods. They movie tends to compress the time frame. In actuality, the digging of the tunnels and other preparations for the escape took the better part of a year.

For me this was a 4+ star read and every bit as good as the movie.

Sounds good, thanks for providing those details Happy, I am sure a few group members will find it of interest.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Marc wrote: "A very proud day for me and my little book. Number 5, ahead of the Bible, and Crime and Punishment!!! Incredible. https://www.theguardian.com/books/202......"

Congratulations Marc.

Escape, Evasion and Revenge: The True Story of a German-Jewish RAF Pilot Who Bombed Berlin and Became a POW
Marc H. Stevens

happy wrote: "I recently finished



This an older account, the copywrite is 1950, and is a first hand account of the events depicted in the 1960s movie starring Steve McQueen..."
Donald Pleasance who played blind Colin was an actual POW in Stalag III during the war.

Here are some titles that I haven't seen mentioned -

At the Fifth Attempt: An Escape Story

The Seventh Escape

A Crowd Is Not Company

They Have Their Exits: The Best-Selling Escape Memoir of World War Two

Escape From Corregidor

Escaper's Progress: The Remarkable POW Experiences of a Royal Naval Officer

You'll Die in Singapore

Paths to Freedom

Bale Out!: Escaping Occupied France with the Resistance

Some good titles there!

Colin wrote: "happy wrote: "I recently finished The Great Escape

Donald Pleasance who played blind Colin was an actual POW in Stalag III during the war..."

I think I remember reading that somewhere, but I admit it didn't come to mind while I was reading :) Neat factiod

Japanese occupied Taiwan
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-5...

I would suggest Five Years to Freedom, by James N. Rowe, whom I knew.

SERBIA 1941-42

I have just finished reading IRREGULAR ADVENTURE by Christie Lawrence, the original British escape artist. A Commando captain, Lawrence was captured at the Battle of Crete, escaped, recaptured within sight of the Turkish border, escaped, and was finally betrayed to the Gestapo by a mad Serbian warlord dying of tuberculosis.

Book review: https://mwalkeristra.blogspot.com/

From Halik Kochanski's Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945.

From the category of “You-Learn-Something-New-Each-Day.” Kochanski has a chapter entitled “Escape from Occupied Europe.” She divides the presentation into two categories: escapees and evaders. There is an entire genre of literature about Allied soldiers, sailors, and airmen escaping from POW camps, but I was unaware of the significant numbers of Allied evaders – those who were never captured. After the Battle of France, Dunkirk, the fall of Greece, and the seizure of Crete, there were thousands of British soldiers on the loose who managed to find their way home or to Egypt, Turkey, or Switzerland. In France, British, Belgian, French and Polish troops went south to cross into Spain or to embark on small boats from Marseille or other coastal towns. A priest, Father Christian Ravier, cared for 1,000 British soldiers who hid in forests throughout the Somme region. Eventually he was captured by the German and sentenced to be shot, but Resistance fighters rescued him from prison.

In the East, the story was the Poles. Thousands of Polish troops fled into Romania and Hungary after their country’s fall. Many made it to Turkey – which turned a blind eye to most of the evaders in transit. Poles traveling through Turkey made it into Polish military formations in the Middle East. Thousands of Poles crossed Yugoslavia, then into Italy, and eventually escaped via Marseille or through Spain.

Manray9 wrote: "From Halik Kochanski's Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945.

From the category of “You-Learn-Something-New-Each-Day.” Kochanski has a chapter entitled “Escape ..."



Thank you, I just requested it.

In case you know a few good autobiographies by such fugitives who managed to escape, please let me know.

Manray9 wrote: "From Halik Kochanski's Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945.

From the category of “You-Learn-Something-New-Each-Day.” Kochanski has a chapter entitled “Escape ..."

Very interesting post MR9. Great story about Father Christian Ravier, glad to hear that the Resistance managed to save him from execution.

Sailor's Heart. This is about WWII escape of a different kind. Three men fight for their country in the Arctic Convoys, then for their sanity and dignity in a psychiatric facility set up by the British Admiralty to treat cowards, malingerers and poltroons. Based on true events.
I am delighted to report that the audiobook version of my last book is now available (from Dec 23rd). It has sold well in paperback and Kindle formats and readers had asked for this new format. Available on Audible.com and I have a number of discount/promotional vouchers to give away to US and UK goodreads members, so just get in touch if you are interested.
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sailors-...

Paul wrote: "Martin, is there a link to that article you wrote? I'm interested to read it."

Sorry Paul, cant remember if I replied to your message. Apologies if I did not. I was not able to send the link, as it was a newspaper article. Let me know if this works.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/...

PS The book has just been released as an audio book and I have a few giveaways if you listen on Audible.com. Just let me know.

Here is a new book covering Australian airmen as POW's in Stulag Luft III during WW2; "Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" by Kristen Alexander.

Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III by Kristen Alexander

"Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" - Of course the Great Escape is covered in the book during which five Australian POW's were murdered by the Germans after their recapture. I was not aware that the Kriegies built a memorial at Stalag Luft III to honour those killed during the breakout.

Stalag Luft III Memorial:
https://www.stalagluft3.com/great-esc...

POW Hut 104 at Stalag Luft III:
https://memorials.dva.gov.au/Memorial...

"Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" - A bit more on the memorial at Stalag Luft III to honour those killed during the breakout:

"Sealed inside the prisoners' memorial vault, the escapers' ashes remained undisturbed for some months. The kriegies did not remove them when they evacuated the camp in late January 1945. Later, the vault was ransacked by Russians apparently in search of gold. Two of the cement covers were broken. The urns were taken out and opened. Some, along with their lids were shattered; many were unidentifiable. Scattered ashes intermingled on the floor; including those of Jimmy Catanach. The eagle emblem was removed."

Sometime later action was taken by the Missing Research and Enquiry Office (MRES);

"Major John Da Silva who had visited Sagan in February 1946 and discovered the disturbed vault, recommended the urns be relocated 'to a more secure resting place'. By November 1948, the MRES had retrieved the remaining urns, fragments, and scattered ashes. Under the auspices of the IWGC, they were reinterred in the British Military Cemetery (now Old Garrison Cemetery), Poznan. The ashes of those whose urns were intact were placed in separate plots. Ashes which had been strewn on the memorial vault's floor - like of Jimmy Catanach - were scattered in a collective grave; individual headstones gave the illusion of separate burial."

Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland:
https://www.ww2cemeteries.com/pol-poz...

https://www.49squadron.co.uk/the_ceme...

"Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" - One of those POW's murdered by the Germans was an Australian Spitfire pilot, Albert Hake. In the book the author quoted a very moving letter from Albert to his brother-in-law in regard to his wishes that if he died during the war that he wanted his wife, Noela (Noel), to remarry:

'If I don't come back, I want Noel to marry again …. It was my wish … Noel is still young and a type that should be married … for such a girl to live out her life unmarried would be a crime.' Albert told his brother-in-law that if he could not convince Noela to remarry; 'I would "turn on my heel" now and retrace every step. Hang the consequences. I'm prepared to sacrifice a lot, but not that much. One life is enough, not two.'

Warrant Officer Albert Horace Hake:
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/63...

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" - One of those POW's murdered by the Germans was an Australian Spitfire pilot, Albert Hake. In the book the author quoted a very moving letter f..."

A shameful act -- just one of many -- by the Germans.

Very moving Rick. thanks

Added to my wish list.

"Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III" - The author mentioned the study conducted by Adolf Vischer who identified a 'neurosis' among Great War POW's which he called 'barbed-wire disease'.

Barbed-wire Disease:
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/20...

I recently finished reading an advance copy of a book due for publication in October 2023. Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris tells the story of a group of Australian nurses and other women who boarded the merchant ship the Vyner Brook in an attempt to escape Indonesia before the Japanese took control of the area. The ship, unfortunately was sunk and the women who succeeded in making their way to shore faced horrific conditions over the next three years. Morris is telling the story of real women and the author's note at the end was very informative. The novel is clearly well researched. You can read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks for those details and sharing your review Bev, much appreciated.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Thanks for those details and sharing your review Bev, much appreciated."

Thanks AR!

"Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World" - The Japanese and the issue of 'comfort women':

"In Semarang, thirty-five young women were dragged from the camps to the brothel. In Banjubiru, near Ambarawa, the Korvinus sisters saw an unforgettable scene: 'Fifteen women were rounded up for service there, including four girls aged fourteen and fifteen. The camp rose up in outrage, but the Japanese crushed the protest. Then a few Dutch women offered themselves in the place of those young girls. They were ex-prostitutes from the port city of Surabaya. They sacrificed themselves and were taken away. We never saw them again'."

Women made to become comfort women - Netherlands:
https://www.awf.or.jp/e1/netherlands....

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World" - The Japanese and the issue of 'comfort women':

"In Semarang, thirty-five young women were dragged from the camps to the brothel. In Banjub..."

A similar situation was described in the book that I posted just before this. Sisters Under The Rising Sun by Heather Morris.

An April 2025 release:

by Mir Bahmanyar
Description:
Highlighted by the prisoner-of-war escapes that earned them the name “The Houdini Club,” here is the elite combat odyssey of World War II’s “Darby’s Rangers” as never told before—drawing on previously unknown sources and retired Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar’s exclusive, uncensored interviews with the greatest generation of Rangers themselves.

Spotlighting their legendary escapes from German World War II prisoner-of-war camps, so miraculous that this band of jailbreakers was dubbed “The Houdini Club,” military historian and retired Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar delivers a thrilling, personality-driven account of the first United States Army Ranger battalion—from their rugged Ranger training to their battles in North Africa, France, Sicily, and mainland Italy, and (for some) finally back to American shores. Drawing upon unprecedented historical research, his own military-service expertise, and his exclusive interviews and personal correspondence with original Greatest Generation Army Rangers, Bahmanyar has crafted an uncensored work of military history in the tradition of The Longest Day, With the Old Breed, and Band of Brothers.

The Houdini Club captures the personal drama of World War II Special Forces warfare. The men of maverick Colonel William O. Darby’s Rangers had abundant tales of glory, yes, but also tales of misery, fear, and murderous intent. Then, there was the utter exhaustion contrasted by the thrill of combat, the devastating final battle that all but destroyed them, and the ingenuity and sheer determination that made the highly vaunted German Afrika Korps and veteran German Parachute and Panzer units marvel at their guerilla tactics and their prison breakouts.

Published to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, The Houdini Club puts readers on the ground alongside the Rangers who made victory in Europe possible, portraying in gritty detail the lives and acts of one of the American military’s greatest collection of men.

A book that will be sure to interest some group members, thanks for the information Jerome.

A July 2025 release:

by Philip E. Orbanes
Description:
Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England’s top-secret MI-9, and later America’s MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards—delivered by an unwitting Red Cross—to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed “Monopoly X,” was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.

The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program—how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.

A March 2025 release:

by William Geroux
Description:
After the U.S. entered World War II, the American government placed nearly 400,000 German prisoners of war into hundreds of hastily built camps in the United States. Today, traces of those camps—which once dotted the landscape from Maine to California—have all but vanished.

All but forgotten, too, is the grisly series of killings that took place at those camps—Nazi power games playing out in America’s backyard.

Protected by the Geneva Convention, German POWs in the U.S. were well-fed and housed, with most even working jobs, including on American farms. Some were impressed by America’s vast land and bounty—a few would even marry farmers’ daughters. Ardent Nazis in the camps, however, took a dim view of fellow Germans who befriended their captors.

Soon, the killings began. In camp after camp, Nazis attacked fellow German prisoners. Fifteen were sentenced to death for murder by secret U.S. military tribunals. In response, German authorities condemned fifteen American POWs to the same fate. Nazi Germany proposed an audacious fifteen German lives for fifteen American lives.

Drawing on extensive research, journalist and historian William Geroux shines a spotlight on the surprising saga of German POWs in America, a forgotten story of murder and high-stakes diplomacy, and the fifteen American lives that hung in the balance, including a fearless P-51 Mustang fighter pilot, two American intelligence agents, and a hot-tempered lieutenant colonel nicknamed “King Kong.”

Propulsive and vividly rendered, The Fifteen reminds us that what happens to soldiers after they exit the battlefield can be just as harrowing as what they experience on it.

Stars & Stripes trying to identify Army nurse survivors in deteriorating photo from 1949 POW reunion
https://www.stripes.com/history/archi...

Includes link to 1949 interview with survivor, describing, among other things, lead up to Bataan Death March