Warrant Officer Robert James Alexander
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3328
Name: 979955 W.O. Alexander, Robert James.
Unit: 218 Squadron, Bomber Command, R.A.F.
Captured: Neutral ship at sea 13th August 1941.
Liberated: Munster, 14th April 1945.
Left: ?, 24th April 1945.
Arrived: U.K., 29th April 1945.
Date of Birth: 20th May 1916.
Date of Enlistment: 29th February 1940.
Post in crew: Navigator.
Peacetime Profession: Manager.
Private Address: 32, Bellgrove St., Glasgow, E.1.
OTHER MEMBERS OF CREW
W/Cdr. FLETCHER (pilot) (killed)
F/Sgt. GRAIL (front gunner) (killed)
Sgt. DODD (2nd pilot) (killed)
Sgt. BRIDEWELL (wireless operator) (killed)
Sgt. SPONG (rear gunner) (P/W)
1. CAPTURE.
We took off from [?] in a Wellington aircraft at 2300 hrs, on 3 Aug 41. Before we reached the target, the aircraft was hit by Flak. The aircraft caught fire and the pilot gave the order to abandon aircraft.
I baled out at 0200 hrs. on 4 Aug and landed in a field near [?] close to our aircraft which was burning. I had landed near a house and several people were gathering near the aircraft so I threw away my parachute and crawled away from the vicinity. Some time later I buried my harness and mae west.
I hid in a ditch until 2100 hrs. on 4 Aug, when I discovered from a signpost that I was 9 km. South of BREMEN. I decided to go to [?TTIN] and I made a detour of the outskirts of [?] and hid in a barn. I remained there until 0600 hrs. on 5 Aug when I left the barn, after having appropriated a civilian jacket, which I had discovered. In one of the fields near the farm I obtained a peaked cap from a scarecrow. I found a bicycle and I carried this on my shoulder.
I walked to the river WESER and then turned South along the Western river bank. I crossed over the river by a bridge with a stream of workers going to a factory on the other side. I passed the factory and walked along a main road until I came to the outskirts of BREMEN, where I began walking East across country. I noticed a lot of German soldiers in the vicinity so I hid in a field until about 2200 hrs.
I then made my way to a main road and began walking along it. I saw a bicycle outside a public house and I stole it. I then cycled along an Autobahn towards HAMBURG until about 0500 hrs. on 6 Aug, when I hid in a barn until 1000 hrs. I then resumed cycling along the Autobahn.
Soon afterwards I was stopped by two German officials, who asked me what I was doing on the Autobahn. I speak fluent German and was able to answer their questions without difficulty. They asked where I had come from, where I was going to, where I was born, etc. They then asked me for my identity papers and I stated that I had left them at home. At this stage I lost my temper and said that I was sorry I had been cycling along the Autobahn, but I did not know that this was forbidden and that I wanted to get to HAMBURG quickly. In answer to my question, they directed me to the ordinary to HAMBURG, which crossed the Autobahn at this point. I thanked them and rode off along the ordinary road. I cycled throughout the remainder of that day and the next two days and nights, resting from time to time.
I arrived in HAMBURG about 0600 hrs. on 9 Aug and joined the stream of workers entering the town from the outskirts. I rode to the Eastern outskirts and hid in a clump of bushes until morning. About 2200 hrs. I began to ride along the Autobahn towards LUBECK. I rode at night and hid in barns and haystacks during the day until I arrived at LUBECK about 0700 hrs. on 11 Aug.
I cycled from LUBECK and located the docks. I discovered that the dock area was unfenced, but that guards were located at intervals of approximately 200 yds. from the perimeter. I cycled to the outskirts of LUBECK and hid in a graveyard until 2350 hrs. I then returned to the dock area and after removing my boots, I went on board a ship. It was not flying any flag. I hid behind a boat on the dock, but I was not satisfied with my hiding place. I went to the ship's galley and stole some bread and jam, which I ate. I also took a slab of cake which I put into my pocket. I then left the ship and hid in a shed in the garden of a house on the outskirts of LUBECK. I was discovered by a gardener during the following afternoon. I told him that I was a Swedish sailor and that I had lost my ship. He appeared to accept my story and advised me to go to the police. I said I would do so and left the garden. I then returned to the cemetery where I had previously hidden. I remained there until evening when I again went to the docks and discovered a small ship flying the Swedish flag. I removed my boots and went on board. I hid under the bowsprit and at 0600 hrs. on 13 Aug the ship sailed.
I remained hidden and at 1100 hrs. I was amazed when a boy member of the ship's crew placed a tureen of soup near me. The boy did not speak. I ate the soap. At 1500 hrs. the same boy came to my hiding place in order to get a pot of paint. He saw me and appeared to be very startled. I did not speak. He went away and returned a few moments later with another boy, who also appeared to be very surprised when he saw me. The two boys then informed another member of the ship's crew who also had a look at me. No one spoke to me and I did not speak to them. The three of them then went away. I left my hiding place and approached the ship's captain who was in his cabin with one of the members of the crew who had seen me. I attempted to speak to them in English and German, but they did not understand. The captain then sailed and said "MALMO".
I left the cabin and saw that several ships of various nationalities were sailing close to the ship I was on. A few minutes later, a motor-launch came alongside and a German in brown uniform came aboard. He spoke to the ship's captain and then came to where I was standing and asked me whether I was British. I stated that I was. He then said "Come with me". I protested, in German, against being taken off a neutral ship, but he forced me to go on board his launch.
I was taken to a German ship where I was stripped and searched. I was provided with a meal and sailors' clothes. At 1200 hrs. on 14 Aug a passing German ship stopped and I was transferred to it. I was taken to WARNEMUNDE, where I arrived at 1500 hrs. and was taken to an aerodrome and put into cells. On 15 Aug I was taken, under escort, by train to Dulag Luft, FRANKFURT.
From the time I baled out at 0700 hrs. on 4 Aug until my capture at 1500 hrs. on 13 Aug, my only food was a few apples and pears, which I stole, and some corn. This was in addition to the bread and cake which I stole from the ship at LUBECK on 11 Aug.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
DULAG LUFT (OBERUSSEL) 16 Aug - 20 Aug 41
STALAG III E (KIRCHAIN) 22 Aug - 11 May 42
STALAG LUFT III (SAGAN) 23 May 42 - Jun 43.
STALAG LUFT VI (HEYDEKRUG) Jun 43 - Jul 44
STALAG 355
(THORN)
Jul - Aug 44
STALAG 357 (FALLINGBOSTEL) Aug 44 - 9 Apr 45.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
a) About Feb 42, I organised the construction of a tunnel at Stalag III E, KIRCHAIN. My chief assistants were:-
Sgt. PRYOR R.A.F.
Sgt. GACON Polish Air Force.
Sgt. CALVERT R.C.A.F.
Sgt. SUGDEN R.A.F.
Sgt. WALKER R.C.A.F.
Sgt. BLACKIE R.C.A.F.
These men engineered the construction of the tunnel under the direction of Sgt. PRYOR. Virtually every man in the camp assisted in some way.
About 3 May, approximately half the Ps/W in the camp were moved to Stalag Luft III (SAGAN), but work on the tunnel continued and it was 'broken' on the night of 11 May. The remainder of the camp was to be sent to Stalag Luft III next day. The tunnel was then over 50 yds. in length and just beyond the perimeter fence. Fifty-two men escaped through this tunnel, but all were recaptured within ten days. Sgt. CALVERT was shot and killed by a German policeman on recapture. (Full details may be obtained from his companion, Sgt. SUGDEN, R.C.A.F.)
I escaped with this party and was accompanied by Sgt. BRECKON, G.P., R.N.Z.A.F., and Pte. STALDER, R.A.M.C. We had no boots, as these had been confiscated by the Germans some months previously, and we wore improvised footwear and wooden soled clogs. We had very little food as the camp had not been supplied with Red Cross parcels for the previous two months. We had no false papers or civilian clothes.
I was third man out of the tunnel followed by BRECKON and STALDER. After leaving the camp area, we walked North East across country until the evening of 14 May. We walked at night and hid in woods during the day. On the evening of 14 May we arrived at the Autobahn from COTTBUS to BERLIN and we walked along it towards BERLIN until the evening of 18 May, when we were 40 kms. from BERLIN. During this time, we walked at night and hid in woods during the day.
On the evening of 18 May, we jumped on to the back of a motor lorry which took us to BERLIN Autobahn ring. We alighted there and hid in a wood until the following evening, when we began walking along the Autobahn. We spent 20 May in a wood and left our hiding place earlier than usual because of mosquitoes. We were seen by a number of children who informed the police. We were captured soon afterwards and taken to a police station. We remained there until 21 May when we were interrogated. On 22 May we were taken by train to Stalag III E. On arrival there we discovered that all the others had been recaptured and that Sgt. CALVERT had been shot.
(b) About 0730 hrs. on 14 Apr 45, W.O's GIBSON, LEAMAN, HUKLE, ANDERSON, FIXTER, HARRISON, all R.A.F., McGEACH, R.C.A.F. and I escaped from the column of Ps/W. just after we had left TRAUEN (German, 1:250,000, Sheet L.53, X 6184). We left the column in pairs and met at a pre-arranged place at 2000 hrs. We hid in a wood until 2300 hrs. when LEAMAN and I went to the farm, where we had stayed at TRAUEN, and attached a piece of paper to the gate as previously arranged between LEAMAN and the farmer. This was to indicate to the farmer that we had escaped and would require to have food left for us in the garden. We then returned to the others in the wood.
At 2300 hrs. on 13 Apr. LEAMAN and I met the farmer and his man. They had a large quantity of food for us. We returned to the wood with it.
On the morning of 16 Apr I was recaptured by two S.S. troops while I was returning from a stream where I had been having a wash. I was taken to the S.S. Commander and during that morning I met nine other Ps/W. (names unknown) who had been recaptured. Later that day we were marched through the woods and handed over to a German civilian at MUNSTER (X 5991). He took us to a French P/W camp, where we remained until the arrival of British forces in MUNSTER on 18 Apr. During this time we were quite free.
On 18 Apr I walked to TRAUEN, where I met the German farmer who had helped us. He told me that the other members of my original party had been evacuated by the British forces.
I made my first contact with the Allied forces near TRAUEN later that day and on 24 Apr I was sent by air to the U.K.