Upate..

OK here’s the latest..

I spoke at length with my Dad this morning.

My Dad has read Herbert Williams book Come Out. Wherever You Are
from cover to cover. He absolutley insists that the Royal Navy
captured some of the escapees at sea…well out of sight of land.
An event not mentioned in the narrative.

He recalls that while there were prisoners at large,
all officers were issued side arms, and that at night
all servicable aircraft had their engines disabled by removing a vital ignition
component (rotor maybe?) as a precaution against theft.

As a pilot he recalls distinctly having to orbit the stolen vessel until ships arrived to take the escaped prisoners into custody. Dad says that the sight of numerous Navy ships converging on his location from all directions and from below the visible horizon is not easiily forgotton. Apparently it was quite an impressive sight as seen from the air.

Perhaps Royal Navy records might shed some light on this omission.
Any ideas about how I might locate offical records of this particluar event?

Thanks
Tom

Aha!

Tom, are you sure that the escapees were POW’s from Island Camp? A group of several internees from the Isle of Man were rounded up in almost exactly the same manner you described. Any more info?

It sounds as if this might be the answer.
Any thoughts about where I might look for more information?

Thanks
Tom

update

I have seen the BBC account of the March escape and I have just finished reading the book Come Out Wherever You Are about this escape.

The odd thing about it is that my Dad insists that some of the escapees where rounded up at sea..headed for Ireland…in a stolen tug (or tender).

Apparently they were discovered by search aircraft and finally apprehended by the Royal Navy (March 12 1945).

This event does not appear to be mentioned in either the book or the TV documentary.

Can anyone shed some light on this puzzle ???

Thanks,

Tom

More information

Any idea about where the book can be obtained?

The title is

German POWs’ great escape revisited

Robin Turner, The Western Mail

It doesn’t seem to be available in Canada.

Thanks
Tom