Wing Commander Ronald Robert Stanford-Tuck

Name: 37306 W/Cdr. Roland Robert Stanford-Tuck, D.S.O., D.F.C. (2 Bars)

Unit: Biggin Hill Base, Fighter Command, R.A.F.

Captured: Marquise, 28th January 1942.

Escaped: Braunsdorf, 2nd February 1945.

Left: Naples, 3rd April 1945.

Arrived: U.K., 4th April 1945.

Date of Birth: 1st July 1916.

Army Service: Since 16th September 1935.

Peacetime Profession: R.A.F. Officer.

Private Address: Claremont, Garrick Close, Walton-on-Thames.

1. CAPTURE:

I took off from Biggin Hill in a Spitfire aircraft at 1545 hrs on 28 Jan 42 on a 'rhubarb'. After I had attacked a train near BOULOGNE, the aircraft was hit by light Flak. The engine stopped immediately and I crash landed near MARQUISE (N.W. EUROPE 1:250,000, Sheet 1, G 7663). The aircraft was surrounded by Germans and I was captured at once.

2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED:

DULAG LUFT (OBERURSEL) 30 Jan - 10 Feb 42.

OFLAG IX A/H (SPANGENBERG) 12 Feb - 15 Apr 42.

STALAG LUFT 3 (SAGAN) 15 April 42 - Mar 44.

STALAG LUFT 3 (BELARIA) Mar 44 - 27 Jan 45.

3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES:

(a) From Apr 42 until Dec 42, I worked on the construction of three tunnels in the East Compound of Stalag Luft 3, Sagan.

(b) From 20-30 Mar 43, F/Lts. MARSH, MARSHALL and FLOODY and I inspected all the sewerage in the Compound with a view to tunnelling through one of the drains. This proved to be impractical.

Three sites for tunnels were selected on 15 Apr and work was commenced on the traps covering the entrances. These were completed by 5 May and work on the tunnels proceeded under my supervision in collaboration with S/Ldr. BUSHELL.

On 25 Jul it was decided to concentrate all efforts on one of the three tunnels which headed West. This tunnel was discovered by a 'ferret', during roll call on 8 Sep, when it was 240 feet long and beyond the perimeter fence. This tunnel was constructed at a depth of 23 feet below the surface.

From then until 15 Sep, work continued at good speed on one of the other tunnels which ran North from the Compound. On 15 Sep, it was decided to cease work for a time owing to the activities of the German Abwehr Department following the discovery of the other tunnel. At this stage this tunnel was 110 feet long.

Work recommenced about 12 Jan 44 and continued until 24 Mar when the tunnel was "broken" well beyond the perimeter fence. It was then 334 feet in length and had been constructed 24 feet below the surface. About seventy officers escaped during this night [24 Mar 44] and it was learnt, subsequently, that fifty had been shot. I was moved to the BELARIA Compound shortly before the completion of this tunnel.

The scheme was that a louse would be found in the camp and genuine delousing parties would pass out of the gate of the North Compound along the main road outside the camp to the Vorlager of the East and Centre Compounds for delousing. The distance between the gate of the North Compound and the entrance to the Vorlager of the East and Centre Compounds was about 200 yards. These parties would be escorted by German guards. The intention was that an apparent delousing party, accompanied by imposter Germans, would pass through the gate of the North Compound during the German's lunch interval. We hoped to arrange to have genuine delousing parties take place in the forenoon of the selected day and that the German Lager Officer would say that no more delousing parties would leave the Compound until about 1430 hrs.

It was also planned that a decoy party of senior officers would follow almost immediately behind the main escape party in order to attract the attention of the guard in the sentry tower near the gate, who had a clear view of the main party on the journey between the two compounds. This was to enable the main party to escape into the woods before reaching the entrance to the Vorlager of the East and Centre Compounds. The party of senior officers would be a genuine escape party if conditions allowed.

On 12 Jun 43, just after the German guard on the gate was changed at 1400 hrs, the main party of escapers started to assemble at the main gate of the North Compound accompanied by two imposter German guards, F/Lt. R. DE-WEVER, Belgian Air Force, and P/O. GEESINK, Dutch Air Force, both of whom were fluent German speakers and equipped with the necessary forged passes and German uniforms made in the camp. In addition to these two, the party consisted of twenty seven officers picked by S/Ldr. BUSHELL and myself for certain escaping qualities which they possessed. They wore civilian clothes, made in the camp, under their uniforms and greatcoats. Included in this party were:-

F/Lt. STOWER

F/Lt. CANTON

F/O. MACDANIELS and

F/O. SKINNER, Eagle Sqn.

I cannot remember the names of the others. Some little time was spent by GEESINK and WEVER, playing their parts of German guards, assembling and counting the delousing party.

Whilst this was taking place, the decoy party of senior officers:-

Col. GOODRICH, U.S.A.A.F.

Lt.-Col. Robert CLARK, U.S.A.A.F.

S/Ldr. JENNENS, R.A.F.

F/Lt. KUSTRZYNSKI, Polish Air Force.

and myself, was being assembled by F/Lt. VAN DER STOCK, Dutch Air Force, who was disguised as a German Luftwaffe Unterofficier. VAN DER STOCK was in possession of forged papers giving him authority to take the party of senior officers to the Kommandantur for an interview with the Kommandant.

At the propitious moment, the main party moved off through the double gate of the North Compound, having passed the sentry without incident and turned right on the road outside the camp. The decoy party of senior officers now passed through the first gate of the Compound but, due to the fact that the first German sentry on the second gate did not recognise VAN DER STOCK personally as one of the Unterofficiers of the camp, we were kept between the two gates while he was taken to the Guardroom, a few yards distant, for questioning.

In the meantime, GEESINK halted the main party on the road between the North Compound and the entrance to the Vorlager of the East Compound and counted it. After having done so, he observed that VAN DER STOCK had been taken to the Guardroom and that five of us senior officers were between the two gates. GEESINK then marched the main party along a haulage road in the wood opposite the camp between the gate of the North Compound and the entrance to the Vorlager of the East Compound. When the party was about seventy five yards from the main road, it dispersed into the wood.

As I had previously discussed with S/Ldr. BUSHELL, in the event of a hitch regarding my party, the sentry in the tower overlooking the main road would, and in fact did, have his attention centred on my party thus enabling the main party to disperse.

When VAN DER STOCK was taken into the Guardroom, the Guard Commander telephoned Hauptmann BREULIE in the German Officers' Mess, who immediately became suspicious as he was aware that no meeting of the senior officers and the Kommandant had been arranged. Hauptmann BREULIE and several of his staff immediately came to the gate of the North Compound. My party was taken into the Guardroom and stripped. Before this took place, I was able to throw my false papers etc. back into the Compound.

Hauptmann BREULIE was fairly gloating over the fact that we had been caught and I agreed with him when he stated that it was useless for any of us to attempt to escape. However, a few moments later he was called to the telephone in the Guardroom and informed that a large delousing party had just left the North Compound, but failed to arrive in the East Compound Vorlager. At that moment Oberst VON LINDEINER, the Kommandant, arrived at the Guardroom and both he and Hauptmann BREULIE realised what had taken place, i.e. that my party had been a decoy for a much larger party which had previously gone through the gate. The two of them lost their tempers and attached full responsibility to me and informed me that my days were numbered.

My party of six was taken to the cells in the Vorlager of the East Compound where the others remained for ten days. I served a sentence of fourteen days.

On the night of my arrival in these cells, I met F/Lt. G.B. FLOCKHART, (S/P.G.(-) 1833).

During the course of the next week or so, I learned that all the members of the main party had been recaptured.

This escape of twenty nine Air Force officers caused considerable activity in the German Security Organisations throughout Germany and details of the escape were broadcast over the German radio.

(d) Approximately half way through Dec 43, F/Lt. KUSTRZYNSKI, Polish Air Force, and I attempted to escape from the North Compound at Stalag Luft 3, SAGAN. Our scheme was to hide ourselves in a horse drawn cart which removed the rubbish from the Compound and deposited it outside the camp area. The escape was planned by myself and stage-managed by S/Ldr. BUSHELL.

On the appointed day, F/Lt. KUSTRZYNSKI and I, dressed in camp-made civilian clothes, hid in the cart and were covered by a wooden structure which we had made with the assistance of F/Lt. GREENWAY. We were able to get into the cart while the driver, a German civilian, had been taken away to a latrine to be given a woollen jersey by one of the orderlies engaged in loading the cart, as arranged the previous day between he and the German driver. Meanwhile, the other orderly quickly covered the wooden structure, under which we were hidden, with a little rubbish which he had prepared in the cart. When the driver and the other orderly returned, we were completely concealed. The two orderlies proceeded to load the cart whilst the driver stamped it down. After some time the wooden structure covering us started to collapse despite the fact that we had supported it with our hands and knees. After a few moments it collapsed completely and crushed us against the bottom of the cart. It was obvious that we were going to be injured or suffocated, so I was compelled to shout to the orderlies to get us out. After a few seconds delay, they did so by pulling up the sliding back of the cart. We then ran to a nearby barrack, where we disposed of our civilian clothes etc.

The German civilian driver, when he realised that we had got clean away, did not report the incident and subsequently he personally destroyed the remains of the wooden structure. It was not possible to repeat this method of escape as this was the only cart coming into the Compound. The driver was too frightened to leave the cart on future occasions, or to collaborate with us.

In my opinion, the failure of this escape was my responsibility in that I omitted to calculate the weight of the rubbish, with the result that the wooden structure was too weak.

(e) On 27 Mar 44, P/O. Maxwell ELLIS escaped from Stalag Luft 3, BELARIA, assisted by my organisation.

This officer was recaptured on 28 Mar and taken to GORLITZ prison, where he met a large number of the officers who had escaped from the North Compound of Stalag Luft 3, SAGAN, and who were subsequently shot. Upon his return to the BELARIA camp, I took a detailed statement from him and committed it to memory. I feel that I can assist this officer to make a full statement.

A tunnel was constructed at Stalag Luft 3, BELARIA camp under my direction. The work commenced in Jun 44 and continued until we were evacuated from the camp on 28 Jan 45. The tunnel was then about 54 feet long and had been constructed 4 feet below the surface. The entrance to this tunnel was in a very open position which necessitated slow work. When work ceased, the tunnel was just beyond the perimeter fence, and to my knowledge it is still in existence as the entrance was concealed before we were evacuated. My chief assistants were F/Lts. MASON and PADDOCK.

4. ESCAPE:

When the possibility of being evacuated from Stalag Luft 3, BELARIA Compound, SAGAN, first arose, F/Lt. KUSTRZYNSKI and myself had discussed the chances of escaping at great length, so when we actually received the order, we were both fully prepared with the necessary escaping equipment (maps, compasses, money etc.)

At 2000 hrs, on the evening of 27 Jan 45, we were informed that the whole of our camp, Stalag Luft 3, BELARIA, was being evacuated to an unknown destination in Central Germany. We were told that we had half an hour in which to pack only what kit and food we could carry on our backs.

At 0700 hrs on 28 Jan, with the temperature 10° below zero, we marched out of the camp, 1298 strong, with what limited kit we could carry on our backs and on extremely makeshift sledges. Every officer was issued with one Red Cross parcel as he was checked through the gate and with the food we had saved throughout the past few weeks, the average officer had enough for one week, bearing in mind that we might have to march anything up to 40 km. per day.

At 1700 hrs we arrived at KUNAU (Central EUROPE 1:250,000, Sheet O 52, W 1853), having marched 25 km. from BELARIA with only one rest of half an hour for lunch. There were already several officers who were feeling the effects of fatigue and cold. We now learnt that we would spend one night at KUNAU and leave at about 0800 hrs. on 29 Jan and that we were to sleep in the storage barns of what appeared to be a large sugar beet factory. A strong cordon of German guards with Tommy guns and grenades was thrown around the factory and everybody was then allowed to fall out and choose his bed for the night.

As I had been rather busy on the march and had not had the opportunity further to discuss the matter of escape with F/Lt. KUSTRZYNSKI, I realised that he was not feeling too well. On asking him about this, he informed me that he had dysentery and was running a temperature and consequently felt very weak. However, in spite of this, his spirits were very high and his ultimate view of escape was quite unchanged, in that we would investigate the possibility of obtaining aid, or information from the German, Polish and Russian workers at the beet factory. At this stage I felt very fit, except that my right ear was a little painful and swollen from frost-bite, but I did not consider that it would be any serious hindrance to my escaping.

KUSTRZYNSKI and myself decided to explore independently the possibilities of escape from the factory, but this was a little difficult as guards were posted at various vantage points inside as well as outside the yard and buildings. This necessitated creeping around extremely slowly and quietly. It was not until 0230 hrs that I had finished my reconnaissance. As soon as it was light in the morning, KUSTRZYNSKI and myself discussed the results of our nocturnal snooping and came to the conclusion that KUNAU was not the place to escape from.

At 0900 hrs on 29 Jan, with the weather very cold and snow falling, the whole column was marched out of the yard of the beet factory for the next stage of our journey which was to be GROSSALTEN, about 20 km. South West of KUNAU. The day's march went off quite uneventfully. At 1700 hrs we arrived at GROSSALTEN and were billeted in the barns of a large farm on the outskirts.

On 30 Jan we were informed that we should spend that day and the following night on the farm and leave on the morning of the 31 Jan. We spent the whole day of 30 Jan making contact with various civilians in the farm and trying to fix a contact for an escape. This was unsuccessful.

At 1000 hrs on 31 Jan, the whole column left the farm. We arrived at a large farm on the outskirts of BRAUNSDORF (A 8852) about 1500 hrs. This village proved to be the hiding place that KUSTRZYNSKI and myself had been looking for since the trip started.

Immediately on arrival, KUSTRZYNSKI made contact with a charming family of Russian workers who were willing to help us all they could. The family was composed of the mother, her daughter, a girl of about 20, who did odd jobs around the farm, her son, a boy of 18 who attended some 30 cows and an adopted son, 20 years old, who worked with the son. These farm people all lived in one small room and were decent enough to accommodate KUSTRZYNSKI, myself and four other officers in the same room.

KUSTRZYNSKI and myself spent all the next day (1 Feb) going through the final arrangements of our escape and concealment. The general plan was to conceal ourselves on the farm when all the prisoners left and remain concealed as long as possible in the hope that the Russian advance would overtake us, or if this was not possible, make our way through the German lines and so make contact with the Russians.

On 2 Feb, before most people were awake, I managed to make contact with G/Capt. MACDONALD and told him that KUSTRZYNSKI and myself, in all probability, would not be continuing the journey. He did not seem too keen on this, but when I explained the plan to him, it seemed to change his mind and he finished by wishing us good luck. I then returned to the room of the Russian family where KUSTRZYNSKI and myself agreed that it was time to hide as the German guards were started to bustle everyone into action.

With what small amount of kit we had, we made our way through the crowd and up onto the top of a large pile of straw in the largest barn in the farmyard. We dug a hole in the straw close to the wall about ten feet deep. We then dropped down into this hole and one of the officers above covered us over and smoothed over the surface of the straw to make it look normal. Now started the long wait without making any noise at all as we knew that sooner or later there would be German guards with dogs searching for us. At about 1000 hrs, that is half an hour after concealing ourselves, the noise and shouting outside which we could just hear, started to die down and from this we concluded that they had all left. Now came the somewhat trying period of waiting until 1930 hrs when the two Russian boys were coming to collect us and take us to a different hiding place in a stable where it would be easier for them to come to us with food and drink.

KUSTRZYNSKY's dysentery had, by this time, stopped and he was feeling a little better, but still rather weak and looked pale and draw with rather blood-shot eyes, but his spirits were high as the first part of our escape had been successful. I felt quite fit except that my frost-bitten ear was rather painful, but it had stopped suppurating so I had hopes for it healing quickly.

After the main party left the farm, a party of about eight 'ferrets' with dogs carried out an extensive search of the farm buildings and on several occasions they actually walked over the straw covering us. After this search, the civilians living on the farm also wandered around over the straw searching for anything which the Ps/W may have left behind.

At 1900 hrs we crawled out of the straw and waited for the arrival of the two Russian boys who came at 1930 hrs and gave the pre-arranged password "Are the wheels here" in Russian. They escorted us to a stable on the other side of the farm. We hid in the straw above the stable for about one week and lived on the food we had with us. The two boys visited us each evening in order to bring water and occasional scraps of bread or potatoes, also any news they could obtain about the advance of the Russian forces. The stable was visited frequently by German farm workers during the day with the result that KUSTRZYNSKI and I had to be very still for many hours at a stretch. Consequently, we suffered greatly from the effects of the cold weather. Rats were very troublesome so that one of us had to keep watch throughout each night.

About 9 Feb the two Russian boys took us to another farm building, a cowshed, as they had learned that the stable was to be used by a German Unit billeted in the village for the storage of their vehicles.

We remained there until about 11 Feb, when at 1500 hrs the two Russian boys warned us that a column of French Ps/W were to be billeted for a night at the farm. They told us to be prepared to move to another hiding place at short notice. They then left us. At 1900 hrs about 3000 French Ps/W arrived at the farm and some of them eventually stumbled upon our hiding place. I told them who we were and asked them not to tell anyone about our presence. However, within a few moments, KUSTRZYNSKI and myself realised that we could not remain where we were as more and more of those Frenchmen were portraying too great an interest in us. German guards were moving around among those Ps/W, but KUSTRZYNSKI and I picked up our kit and went into the courtyard of the farm where there were no lights but a large crowd of Ps/W.

KUSTRZYNSKI then obtained a jug and went to the farmhouse where he asked the mother of one of the Russian boys for water. She recognised him immediately, despite his beard and decided to hide him. During this time I had waited nearby and this woman took us and hid us in a ham-smoking oven which was opposite the door of her room. She locked the door with a padlock saying that she, or one of the boys, would return when it was quiet. The ham-smoking oven was 4' 6" in height, 5' long and 3' wide so that we could not lie down stretched out, not stand up straight. It was unlighted, but very cold due to ventilation vents in the floor and roof. For sanitary arrangements we were compelled to use one of the vents in the floor. We remained in this oven for thirty six hours and during this period I considered that our morale reached its lowest level due to cold, cramp and pitch darkness.

During the time we were in the oven, KUSTRZYNSKI and I discussed the advisability of approaching the German owner of the farm and telling him that if he would conceal us we would make a favourable report of his conduct to the Russian forces when they arrived. However, this plan was not adopted as at 0600 hrs on about 13 Feb the two Russian boys took us to a barn where we were concealed in a pile of straw.

We stayed there until about 22 Feb, when the battle of BRAUNSDORF and MUSKAU took place. During this time we were almost discovered by a German soldier and three civilians who spent about three hours collecting straw from the barn and loading it into carts. At times they literally stepped on our feet.

On the morning of 21 Feb we heard gunfire in the near distance approaching from the East and North East. From this we gathered that the Russians were about 6 or 10 kms. away from us. At this stage we discussed whether we should make a dash for the Russian lines or remain where we were. We decided to 'stay put' for another day.

On the morning of 22 Feb about 1000 hrs a German gun battery was set up beside the barn we were in and began firing in an Easterly direction. The farm then came under artillery fire from the Russians and about 1200 hrs the German battery evacuated Westwards. The heavy firing around the farm ceased, but was resumed in the direction of MUSKAU which was about 3 km. West from us. From 1200 hrs until about 1500 hrs we heard a considerable amount of small arms and machine gun fire.

There was a temporary lull at 1500 hrs when we observed a very ragged, but well armed, Russian Lieutenant standing in the middle of the farmyard. We ran out to him calling in Russian that we were British pilots who had escaped from the Germans. After his momentary suspicion, he received us in a most affectionate manner. We were taken to the Regimental Commander who questioned us briefly and sent us to the Divisional Commandant at Divisional Headquarters, 4 km. from BRAUNSDORF.

We were taken to various places and at SAATZ (B. 14) on 8 Mar at 0700 hrs we were wakened and told to get ready to travel immediately. In half an hour we left in an open lorry for CZESTOCHOWA (Sheet Q 51, T 63), where we arrived at 1100 hrs on 9 Mar. During the whole of this journey we suffered from the severe cold.

On arrival at CZESTOCHOWA, we met a number of British Army Officers and men who were in the process of being repatriated after their liberation by the Russian forces. We stayed there until 13 Mar, when we were entrained in goods trucks for ODESSA. We arrived at LWOW on 17 Mar and remained there, living in the train, until 20 Mar, when we left for ODESSA. We arrived there at 0800 hrs on 24 Mar and were accommodated in a hospital until the morning of 26 Mar, when we embarked on the 'Duchess of Richmond' which sailed for the U.K. on 27 Mar.

On arrival at NAPLES about 3 Apr, I disembarked and was sent by air to the U.K., where I arrived on 4 Apr.

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