Gunner Martin Henry Winterburn
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3324/174
Name: 4801255 Gnr. Winterburn, Martin Henry.
Unit: Royal Artillery, No.6 Commando, 1st Army.
Captured: Mateur (Tunis), December 1942.
Escaped: Oppeln (Germany), 25th June 1944.
Left: Naples, 29th July 1944.
Arrived: U.K., 13th August 1944.
Date of Birth: 6th August 1916.
Army Service: Since 24th October 1934.
Peacetime Profession: Kitchen porter.
Private Address: 70 Ward Street, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.
1. Capture:
I was captured at MATEUR (TUNIS) on the 19 or 20 Dec 42. I was wounded in the elbow.
2. Camp in which imprisoned:
Transit Camp in SICILY Dec 42.
CAMPO 70 (FERMO) Dec 42 - Mar 43.
CAMPO 65 (BUSSETTO) Mar - Sep 43.
STALAG VIII B (LAMSDORF) (GERMANY 1:100,000, Sheet 117, 6703). 15 Sep 43
Also working parties at:
BLECHHAMMER (SILESIA) (Sheet 117, 1981). Feb 44.
OPPELN (Sheet 117, 9615). Mar 44.
3. Attempted Escapes:
(a) From BLECHHAMMER. In Feb 44 I was with a working party employed at an oil refinery at BLECHHAMMER (Sheet 117, 1981). I had no papers, so meant my escape to be in the nature of a reconnaissance for future attempts. I escaped with a man named "Texas", an American deserter from the U.S.A. Navy, and now in the S. African Forces. We were jumping trains, and "Texas" fell off and was injured. Later he was caught and taken back to Stalag VIII B, where he was given 14 days' cells. I was caught at OPPELN (Sheet 117, 9615), taken to the prison there, and questioned by the Criminal Police. Then I was taken back to BLECHHAMMER, and confined in a dark cell for 30 days. On release, I was put in a labour battalion, (Kgf-U-Bau, Bn.21) I refused to work, saying that I was a Corporal, and was sent back to Stalag VIII B. In Mar 44 I was sent to work at a stone quarry near OPPELN.
(b) From Quarry near OPPELN. I stole civilian clothes, and traded chocolate and cigarettes with the guards for money. About the middle of Mar 44 I got away from the quarry and hid in the woods till darkness fell. I travelled by train from OPPELN to BRESLAU (Sheet 104, 3264), and in BRESLAU I managed to steal a bicycle on which I rode to FRANKFURT-AN-DER-ODER (Sheet 66, 6901). I left the bicycle outside the city, and went by train to STETTIN (Sheet 38, 7021). I was arrested in the station, and sent back to Stalag VIII B, at the end of Mar 44.
4. Escape:
In Stalag VIII B I managed to obtain an Ausweis with photograph and temporary identification papers made out in the name of Marcel FLAMMING. I was to pose as a Belgian electrician, and to travel openly as a foreign worker. I had myself sent to a working party at OPPELN, on 5 Jun 44, while I was still awaiting trial for the previous escape. I worked at the warehouses of a civilian food distribution centre, belonging to the firm of "RIGOL WALUGA". I met two other men who were planning to escape, one of whom was awaiting Court-Martial. We bought civilian clothes from a Pole at OPPELN, and sold our few valuables, some food and cigarettes to the guards for German money. I had about 300 Rm. out of which I paid the Pole for my clothing. We had obtained suitcases, which we hid in the bath-house.
On 25 Jun 44 we went to the baths, which were situated out of sight of the sentry position, and changed our clothes. We had stolen the key of the postern and walked out, making our way to the station, where we bought tickets for BRESLAU (Sheet 104, 3264). I was going to KLAGENFURT (AUSTRIA) (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 7B, D 28) and the others to COLOGNE (GERMANY 1:100,000, Sheet 94B). At BRESLAU we changed trains and separated. I travelled on the BERLIN-VIENNA express via BRESLAU, OPPELN, RATIBOR (Sheet 127, 1250), MORAVSKA-OSTRAVA (CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1:75,000, Sheet 4060) to VIENNA (GERMANY 1:250,000, Sheet O 49, X 49). I could understand and speak enough German to pass muster when asked for papers on the train.
I arrived in VIENNA at about 0820 hrs on 26 Jun 44, and changed from the SUDBAHNHOF to the OSTBAHNHOF, where I took a ticket to KLAGENFURT. I had time to spare, so went by tram into the city, where I was caught in an R.A.F. raid and had to spent 1½ hours in a shelter. I noticed considerable damage in an area which was cordoned off.
My train left at about 1100 hours. There was no control on this train, but a civilian woman questioned me and asked where I was going. My papers appeared to satisfy her. I arrived at KLAGENFURT in the evening, and went into the hills, where I destroyed my papers and spent the night.
I was heading for the LOIBL PASS on the Austrian-Yugoslav border (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 7B, D 26) and reached the River DRAVA (Sheet 7B, D 27) towards evening on 29 Jun 44. There was a railway bridge and a foot-bridge across the river, both of which were guarded. The river was about 300 yards wide and fast flowing, with built-up banks. I kept the bridge under observation until dark, when I entered the river. The strong current carried me downstream a long way before I was able to cross to the far side.
Next day I met a French P/W working party. An old man noticed the tattoo marks on my hands, and I declared myself as an English officer and asked for the Partisans. He said they were about 12 miles away, but later I found that they had gone into the hills after blowing up some bridges.
For two days it poured with rain, and I asked for help at a farmhouse. They directed me to a Gasthof near the LOIBL PASS where I found a girl who spoke English. She had worked in Baker Street, in LONDON, and I had difficulty in convincing her of my status, as I had told her I came from LONDON, from the King's Cross district, which I know only vaguely. She wanted me to give myself up, and said she would inform the police. I saw a patrol in the distance, so took myself off to the hills.
That night the rain drove me to look for shelter and I had in a shed attached to the Gasthof. When I awoke the girl brought me bread and milk, and told me to leave at once. She gave me directions for crossing the pass. In the mountains I was fired on by a patrol, but got away unhurt. After dark I was hidden under a bridge in the valley, by some Slovene women and later at night the daughter of one of the women took me to the Yugoslav Partisans. I had no means of identifying myself, but as I recognised the Partisans' weapons, battledress, and gas capes as being British, they seem satisfied.
We had fights with the patrols, and later I met two British Intelligence Officers, an English S/Ldr. R.A.F., and two Corporals of the Royal Corps of Signals. I spent two days with them, in the district South of LJUBLJANA (YUGOSLAVIA) (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 7B, D 31) and wanted to stay there, but a wireless message ordered me to go to ITALY. I was guided by a Russian girl, and after two days we met a patrol of British, American and Russian officers and men, who sent me with a runner. Fifteen days later I reached liberated territory and went on alone to TOPLICE (YUGOSLAVIA 1:250,000, Sheet Y2, D 88), where I met a Captain (Hussar Regiment) who kept me for three days. I was then sent by lorry to a point about 50 miles from TOPLICE, with some American Air Corps personnel. We joined some New Zealand and American air crews, and were flown to BARI on 25 Jul 44. From there we went to NAPLES and sailed for U.K. on 29 Jul 44 arriving at LIVERPOOL on 13 Aug 44.