The Tunnellers of Holzminden (with a side-issue)Durnford, H. G. (Hugh George)
History
The Tunnellers of Holzminden (with a side-issue)
Durnford, H. G. (Hugh George)
Prisoner-of-war escapes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
Es wird hiermit bescheinigt, dass der Passinhaber vorstehende
Unterschrift eigenhändig vollzogen hat.
STRALSUND, den 1. Mai 1918
DIE POLIZEI-SEKRETARIAT.
I.A.
Kozmin
G. took infinite trouble with the filling up of these passports. He had
acquired a good flowing German hand and he filled the particulars in
himself, with a flourish for the signature of the Police _Leutnant_ at
the bottom. He also filled in the permit-cards. We had each two
passports, one made out as from Stralsund, and the other as from
Schleswig. We should naturally show the Stralsund one in the Schleswig
territory and _vice versâ_.
We were now ready, or as ready as anyone is until the actual time comes
to go, when there are always a thousand and one things to be thought of.
* * * * *
It was arranged amongst ourselves that Ortweiler should have the first
shot, as he stood easily the best chance of effecting escape.
Accordingly, on Monday the 14th October he made his exit. He was well
made up with a false moustache stuck on with some very diluted form of
spirit gum, and fiercely curved at the tips. It was only tow, but it
served its purpose in the dark. Our duty was to patrol the avenue
leading to the main gate between 5 and 6.30 p.m., to mark down what
dangerous Germans had left the camp, and to stop O. if anyone who was
likely to suspect him hove in sight.
I should mention here that from the barrack selected as dressing room to
the main gate is about 200 yards. From the main gate on to the ferry is
another 350 yards. After dark at this time of year various Germans
living in the town were likely to be leaving the island for the night,
and the ferry was thus constantly on the move. Our object was primarily
to avoid the more dangerous Germans, e.g. an officer or the Interpreter,
who knew us all well by sight.
All went well. I gave the signal “all clear” at about 6.30 and G. and I
piloted Ortweiler out, slowing down as he passed us 40 yards from the
main gate. We saw him take out his card and hand it to the sentry, who
then let him through the postern. It had worked! We breathed a sigh of
relief. Just as we were going back, we met the Interpreter homeward
bound for the ferry. He was too close behind O. to be exactly safe, so I
engaged him in conversation. He was in a hurry and I could only think of
something rather fatuous to say, but I held him up a minute or two and
that may have caused him to miss Ortweiler’s particular boat[14].
[Footnote 14: I have since heard that they went over the ferry
together.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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