Flying Officer J. F. Otten
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3325/4
Name: J/15498 T/F/O Otten, J.F.
Unit: R.C.A.F., 38 Squadron, R.A.F., M.E.A.F.
Captured: Patras, 28th March 1942.
Escaped: Chieti, 26th September 1943.
Arrived: U.K., 9th November 1943.
Date of Birth: 14th February 1921.
R.A.F. Service: Since 28th May 1940
Peacetime Profession: Student Graduate.
Private Address: 47, Quebec Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
On 28 Mar 42 I was engaged on a torpedo strike on ships anchored in the harbour at PATRAS, GREECE. At 0100 hours that day I crashed into the sea off the coast of PATRAS. I was captured to taken to hospital in PATRAS. I remained there until 27 Apr 42 when I was moved to the civilian gaol on the outskirts of the town. On 29 Apr 42 I was taken by sea to BRINDISI, and thence to CAMPO 75 (BARI) where I stayed for some weeks. On 5 Jun 42 I was moved to CAMPO 65 (GRAVINA). On 18 Dec 42 I was transferred to CAMPO 21 (CHIETI), (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 29, C1415) and remained there until my escape.
In Jun 43 we had started a tunnel which was to run beneath the wall of the compound. We had dug about twenty feet under the wall by Sep, but after the Armistice we all believed that our days in prison camp were over, so we abandoned the project.
After 8 Sep 43 we had no guards for several days. We were under the orders of our S.B.O., Lt.-Colonel MARSHALL, and were not allowed to leave the camp. On the night 19/20 Sep 43 the Germans moved in and took over guard duties. At 0500 hours, 23 Sep 43, the Germans roused the camp and proceeded to evacuate the prisoners, taking the Americans first.
We knew that the Germans could not complete the evacuation in one day, so six
members of the original thirty Allied P/W concerned in the making of the tunnel,
gathered supplies of food, etc, and took them down into the excavations. At 0600
hours, 24 Sep 43, I, with five British Army officers, went down into the tunnel
and we were sealed in. We stayed there until about 1600 hours, 26 Sep 43, when
we returned to camp and discovered that the guards had left. There was only one
sentry stationed at the front gate, so we climbed the wall at the back of the
camp, and got away at 2130 hours. Outside the camp we divided into two parties,
Capt. J.D. MACKAY, and Lieut. D.T. BOURHILL, (both R.A.) (S.P./G.(IT) 1797)
staying with me, and the other three going off together.
We were able to obtain civilian clothes from the peasants and set off on foot through the mountains, heading S.E. towards the Allied lines. We spent some of the nights in barns, and finally met Allied troops at MONTAGANO (Sheet 36, H 53), on the evening of 13 Oct 43. We were taken to TARANTO where we were separated, and after going to BIZERTA and ALGIERS I was finally flown back to the U.K., arriving on 9 Nov 43.