The plan to escape...

As an officer of the Kriegsmarine I of course have some knowledge of signalling and seafaring. I also have some experience of the coastlines of Ireland and Wales from my time on board U boats, before my transfer to S-boat command in 1943.

I am always prepared to do my duty for the father land but I am dubious about joining any escape attempt. Surely anyone can see all hope of winning the war is lost so are we not safer to sit out until the end? Yes like any man I wish to return home to see my family safe but this talk of Ireland does not provide much promise of bringing me closer to them.

As I myself have done no more than my duty and broken no rules of war I hold no fear of judgement like you seem to have sir. Perhaps if we might know your name and the nature of your fears we could be in a better position to gauge our desire to assist you? Until such time, or I see the rewards of escape outweighing ththe danger I shall reserve judgment and count myself out of this foolish idea.

Oberleutnant zur See
Reinhard Vogt

If the allies win the war, former U boat commanders will be used as their slaves once they get their hands on our new, advanced boats, as their own technology is years behind that of the fatherland and your knowledge would be of great use to them. Many of the allies class the glorious victories of our Kriegsmarine as crimes as well. Noone is safe from the so called "justice" of the victors.

Your assistance in helping your fellow countrymen escape will be enough. There is no need to put yourself into a position of discomfort if you would prefer to sit out the war.

However, I ask you this, do you think that, whichever way the war ends, you will be able to look back with pride on your actions if you didn't assist us? Would you be able to look your wife and children in the eyes and tell them you did your best for your country?

Though you live in relative comfort now, do you think that the English will treat you well with the influence of the Americans and Soviets? Capitalist and Communists unite? I think not. Imagine what an influence that dog Stalin must be having on the English right now, imagine if your family are taken under his control at the end of the war! I have heard the Soviets are taking large swathes of land back from our compatriots in the East. Would you be able to look in the mirror and say to yourself, "I did as much as I could"?

Join us, even if you do not make the journey with me, you will at least be free to make your own choices and face freedom with pride and honour, rather than skulking back to our glorious nation beaten and emasculated.

Be brave.

Heil Hitler!

If the allies win the war, former U boat commanders will be used as their slaves once they get their hands on our new, advanced boats, as their own technology is years behind that of the fatherland and your knowledge would be of great use to them. Many of the allies class the glorious victories of our Kriegsmarine as crimes as well. Noone is safe from the so called "justice" of the victors.

Perhaps you know something I do not but I fear you overestimate the capabilities of our once mighty U-boat fleet. There was once a time when our wolfpacks savaged the enemy at will but the enemy has defeated all our attempts to regain the upper hand. It was for that reason I chose to transfer to Schnellboots for my own command( for I was not in command of any Uboats on which I served. No less dangerous perhaps but at least we met the enemy on equal terms.

However, I ask you this, do you think that, whichever way the war ends, you will be able to look back with pride on your actions if you didn't assist us? Would you be able to look your wife and children in the eyes and tell them you did your best for your country?

I did what was asked and more. I do not feel duty bound to do any more for the Fatherland and especially not Herr Hitler. You speak of honour and pride as if they really matter. A dead man feels no pride. I would rather live to see my home again.

However your talk of the bolsheviks does worry me. I too hear rumours of their advances in the East and fear for my family's well being. I do not know what I could do to help or how getting to Ireland would make any difference but perhaps I should do something.....

However your talk of the bolsheviks does worry me. I too hear rumours of their advances in the East and fear for my family's well being. I do not know what I could do to help or how getting to Ireland would make any difference but perhaps I should do something.....

Then join us, or leave your children to slaughter and your wife to a life of shame and depravity.

I will think on the matter. This is not a decision that can be taken lightly.

Even if the war looks set to end soon, who is to say we shall be released? The Allies demand unconditional surrender, and who knows what that means for officers of the Third Reich.

This proposal gives us some control over our destiny and succeed or fail, it will be an adventure and an end to the tedium of this place.

I am an officer of the Luftwaffe and have some knowledge of radio and field telephone operation, but I also have experience of dinghy sailing on both rivers and at sea and have crewed sailing ships from before the war. I had basic infantry training when my unit was transferred from ground control to a Luftwaffe Field Division.

I would like to volunteer my services for this operation.

Even if the war looks set to end soon, who is to say we shall be released? The Allies demand unconditional surrender, and who knows what that means for officers of the Third Reich.

This proposal gives us some control over our destiny and succeed or fail, it will be an adventure and an end to the tedium of this place.

I am an officer of the Luftwaffe and have some knowledge of radio and field telephone operation, but I also have experience of dinghy sailing on both rivers and at sea and have crewed sailing ships from before the war. I had basic infantry training when my unit was transferred from ground control to a Luftwaffe Field Division.

I would like to volunteer my services for this operation.

Noted.

As an offizier in the Pioniere, I have knowledge of blowing Scheisse up! The new Germany (should it be allowed to exist) will need men like us, and we need to return to the Fatherland immediately, to fight off the Red horde.

Fortunately, I have an excellent command of the English language, having been partly educated over here. I am working on forging identification papers as we speak.

Long live Germany!

Hauptmann Wolfgang Steiner

Apologies Mein Herren, I should have identified myself.

Oberleutnant Max Fricke, 16th Luftwaffe Feld-Division.

I should share with the group that I had actually started on escape preparations myself before this plan was hatched. I have replaced the buttons on my old field blouse with new ones carved from wood, and have managed to dye it dark brown with a mixture of treacle and tea obtained from the camp kitchen. It now looks very like a 'Marks und Spencer' wool countrymans jacket with patch pockets. Coupled with my dark blue Luftwaffe trousers, it is a very passable civilian outfit.

I have traded a number of useful items with the guards over the last year in exchange for models I have whittled from wood. Toy tiger tanks seem very popular.

Cheers
Martin

In the main forum, the alarming prospect of having to forge ID papers etc has been mentioned. Does anyone have the slightest idea of how to do this? Are there websites where you can get repro ID cards made?

Poor old Max Fricke has at best a rudimentary command of English, however having served in Spain during the Civil War I have hit on the brilliant idea of pretending to be Spanish. Ex dock worker from Barcelona. I had thought about Polish or Czech, but then a wicked interrogator might ask me to write something down... pero Espanol no es una problema. In South Wales a dodgy German accented 'Spanish' accent might well pass muster.

And thus is born my cover story, Jorge Buenavista, Spanish ex-Republican dock worker. Just need an id card and a pass for the docks.

Cheers
Martin

I have some skills in the art of producing and printing documents. I had assumed the escape commitee would already have such matters in hand but I can assist if needed.

All skills will be gladly received.

We need someone with cartography skills and if there are any with tailoring experience, that'd be handy.

I also need people with language and dialect knowledge. I'm not over-familiar with the Welsh nuances.

I have some experience of preparing maps, albeit more for military operations than cross country marches (terrain and critical feature analysis). I still occasionally manage to read the contour lines upside down, ahem.

Max

I have overheard the guards in other sections of the camp discussing the British Volksturm , the 'Home Guard'. It seems that in many cases these soldiers merely wear an armband over the civilian clothes, and from the discussion it seems there is much variety and different patterns.

It should be simple enough to manufacture such Home Guard armbands as they are just printed or woven letters on khaki cotton material. They might come in useful if we need to bluff our way into the docks or other installations, particularly if we obtain weapons en route, yet easy to conceal about our persons.

What do you think?

wrt the general plan, we do not necessarily require the services of a U-Boat (which would necessitate some form of radio communications to co-ordinate). If we can steal a yacht I can sail us to southern ireland, it isn't far and the navigation is simple. In both cases we would need to get into the docks to obtain a boat though.

Max

It may be worth an attempt but I would be warry of it. Is your knowledge of English and this 'home guard' good enough to convince them? If you are discovered who is to say they will not take you for a spy and have you shot? The talk I have heard of these badges is very confusing anyway. These English love their regulartions on badges and you are certain to make them incorrectly!

As for a yacht do you really think it will be that easy? That the English will simply let us sail off into the sunset? They will expect this sort of thing and will patrol the area by air and sea. Are you so certain of you navigation as well? I would expect to end up in the North of Ireland if left to the Luftwaffe to navigate, if not North America...
No we should stick to the original plan, a U-boat is the best option to avoid detection. If we have to steal a boat it should have engines so that we are not at the mercy of the treacherous Irish Sea and can cross quickly to out run any pursuit.

At least if the Luftwaffe navigates we won't end up spending the entire war sitting in port in millions of Reichsmarks worth of useless battleship.

Bridgend is only a few miles from the sea, but we will have to take pot luck as to what type of boat we can steal. iirc there are only small fishing villages on the coast nearby, the big port is up the coast at Port Talbot, but that is likely to be heavily guarded. Porthcawl is nearer but smaller and the village downstream from here is just a hamlet. Certainly when planning bombing raids, Port Talbot was on the target list but the other two places weren't.

Your point is taken about being shot as a spy, however if we do not actually fight in our Home Guard 'uniforms', the British are unlikely to shoot us.

Ideally we will need to arrange to rendezvous with the U-Boat before escaping, with final details confirmed once we are free. Could this Garfield Davies help with the intial contact? Failing that we will have to obtain a radio, call Germany and then lie up while one makes its way to Wales, assuming they don't think it is a trap.

Max

It wouldn't be stuck in port if the Luftwaffe had done its job like that fat oaf Goering promised. Instead it has been left up to the Navy to take the war to the English.

Regarding a U-boat I would expect the escape commitee to have already made some preliminary arrangements. Otherwise why have they gone as far as mentioning it to us? Who ever this Ehlert is it appears he may have alot of influentce for a mere hauptmann.

Your knowledge of the area sounds as though it may be of great use to us Max. Perhaps you Luftwaffe types are not quite as useless as I expected.

Reinhard

I have it on authority that a u-boat is being prepared for our extraction and will be with us soon, I am awaiting a specific date.

Whilst I appreciate your attention to detail Vogt, it may occur to you to think outside the seafaring box once in a while. My rank in camp in Hauptmann, it helps me avoid unnecessary interrogation by our captors. What would a lowly Hauptmann know about the inner workings of the Fatherland?