List of attempts to escape Oflag IV-C
Below is a list of attempts to escape from Oflag IV-C, the famous prisoner-of-war camp.
| Color Key: | |
| No color | Detected before escape |
| Green | Successful escape |
| Orange | Escaped but recaptured |
| Red | Injured/Killed during escape |
1941 escape attempts[edit]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 18 | Lt. B Cazaumayou Lt. J Paillie |
French | Tunnel | Detected |
| March ??? | Flt. Lt. W. Gassowski Flt. Lt. W. Gorecki |
Polish | Cut bar in canteen | Detected |
| March ??? | Lt. A. Boucheron Lt. J. Charvet |
French | Canteen window | Detected |
| April 5 | Lt. J. Just Lt. R. Bednarksi |
Polish | Escaped from train en route to Königswartha Hospital | Recaptured Kraków, Poland |
| April 11 | Lt. A. Le Ray | French | He hid in a park during a game of football. | Successful Escape |
| April 25 | Lt. K. Dokurno Lt. P. Zielinski Lt. S. Bartoszewicz |
Polish | Ceiling above canteen | Detected |
| May 8 | Lt. P. Allan | British | Escaped inside mattress | Recaptured Vienna, Austria |
| May 8 | Lt. J. Hyde-Thomson | British | Escaped inside mattress | Detected |
| May 9 | Lt. M Chmiel Lt. M. Surmanowicz |
Polish | Hid in German quarters | Detected |
| May 10 | Capt. P. Reid Flt. Lt. H. Wardle |
British | Tunnel | Detected |
| May 12 | Lt. M. Chmiel Lt. M. Surmanowicz |
Polish | Bedsheet rope | Detected |
| May 13 | Lt. J. Just | Polish | Escaped from solitary confinement | Recaptured Rhine river |
| May 17 | Lt. C. Moura Lt. R. Boutellier |
French | Over roof of kitchen house | Detected |
| May 20 | Lt. J. Just | Polish | Escaped from Villingen Hospital | Recaptured Württemberg |
| May 29 | Lt. Col. G. German Capt. P. Reid Capt K. Lockwood Capt H. Elliott Capt. R. Barry Capt. R. Howe Capt. J. Lados Capt. C. Lewthwaite Flt. Lt. N. Forbes Flt. Lt. H. Wardle Lt. P. Storie Pugh Lt. G. Wardle Lt. Z. Mikusinski |
British / Polish | Canteen tunnel | Detected |
| May 31 | Lt. R. Collin | French | Hid in rafters of park pavilion | Successful Escape |
| May ??? | ??? | Polish / French | ??? | Detected |
| June 9 | Lt. P. Mairesse Lebrun | French | Hid in rafters of park pavilion, dressed as civilian | Recaptured Grossbothen |
| June 18 | Lt. P. Odry | French | Hid in rafters of park pavilion | Recaptured Gross Sermuth |
| June 25 | Lt. E. Boulé | French | Attempted to walk out disguised as a woman. | Detected |
| July 1 | Lt. P. Mairesse Lebrun | French | Vaulted over barbed wire fence | Successful Escape |
| July 2 | ??? | Polish | Hole in chapel | Detected |
| July 16 | Lt. J. Stepniak | Polish | Escaped from hospital | Recaptured Kraków, Poland |
| July 18 | Lt. Tatistcheff | French | Through wire from Schützenhaus camp | Successful Escape |
| July 20 | Capt. H. Elliott Capt. J. Lados |
British / Polish | Escaped through Terrace House | Detected |
| July 23 | Capt. J. Lados | Polish | From solitary down west side of castle | Recaptured Swiss border |
| July 28 | Lt. A. Thibaud Lt. R. Perrin |
French | Through an air shaft into Kommandantur, then as workers through gate. | Recaptured Leisnig |
| July 31 | Flt. Lt. F. Flinn Lt. P. Allan Lt. T. Elliott Lt. Cheetham Lt. Middleton Lt. Hyde-Thomson Lt. Barton Lt. Arcq Lt. Verkest Cadet Officer Karpf |
British / Polish / Belgian | "Toilet Tunnel" | Detected |
| July ??? | ??? | French | Tunnel in French quarters | Detected |
| November 17 | Cadet ensign J. Hageman Cadet ensign F. Geerligs |
Dutch | Disguised as members of the league of German girls | Detected |
| August 4 | Flt. Lt. D. Thom Lt. J. Boustead |
British | Walked out dressed as Hitler Youth | Detected |
| August 13 | Capt. D. Dufour Lt. J. Smit |
Dutch | Hid inside well | Recaptured Singen |
| August 14 | Capt. W. Lawton | British | Park walk with orderlies | Recaptured Zschirla |
| August 15 | Lt. Gerrit Dames | Dutch | Through hole in park wire, intended as diversion for Hans Larive and Francis Steinmetz escape. | Detected |
| August 15 | Lt. Hans Larive Lt. Francis Steinmetz |
Dutch | Hid inside well | Successful Escape |
| August 20 | Lt. Kroner | Polish | Escaped from Königswartha Hospital | Successful Escape |
| August 21 | Lt. P. Durant | French | Park walk with orderlies | Recaptured Colditz |
| August 23 | Capt. Machiel van den Heuvel Capt. N. Hogerland |
Dutch | Cut bars in canteen window | Detected |
| August 28 | Lt. A. Neave | British | Walk towards gate disguised as German officer | Detected |
| August 29 | Lt. R. Mascret | French | Escaped from Schneckwitz Hospital | Recaptured Mainz |
| August ??? | Capt. P. Reid | British | Escaped through window of solitary confinement | Detected |
| September 1 | Lt. Col. G. German Sqn. Leader B. Paddon Maj. A. Anderson |
British | Tunnel through kitchen basement | Detected |
| September 19 | Maj. Cornelis Giebel Lt. Oscar Drijber |
Dutch | Hid inside well | Successful Escape |
| September 25 | Lt. A. Boucheron | French | Escaped from Zeitz Hospital, recaptured then escaped en route to Düsseldorf prison | Successful Escape |
| September 28 | Lt. Proutchenko Lt. Jurowski Lt. Wbcholzew |
French | Through wire from Schützenhaus | Recaptured Schaffhausen |
| October 6 | Lt. P. Storie-Pugh Unknown Dutch officer |
British / Dutch | Over roofs | Detected |
| October 7 | Lt. H. Desjobert | French | Attempted to climb park fence | Detected |
| October 7 | ??? | British | Tunnel in British wash house | Detected |
| October 14 | Lt. P. Odry Lt. Navelet |
French | Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital | Successful Escape |
| October 15 | Lt. J. Charvet Lt. P. Levy |
French | Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital | Recaptured Aachen |
| October 22 | Lt. G. Diedler | French | Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital | Recaptured outside hospital |
| October ??? | ??? | French | Tunnel from quarters | Detected |
| November 8 | Lt. M. Leroy Lt. M. Lejeune Lt. Verlaye |
Belgian / French | Cut wire of park fence | Recaptured outside castle wall |
| November 22 | Lt. G. Wardle Lt. Wojchieckowski |
British / Polish | Hidden inside well | Detected |
| November 23 | Flt. Lt. D. Donaldson Flt. Lt. D. Thom |
British | Over roof of Kellerhaus | Detected |
| November 23 | Capt. J. Rogers Capt. C. Lewthwaite Lt. G. Wardle Lt. A. Neave |
British | Disguised as Polish orderlies | Detected |
| November 25 | ??? | British | Tunnel in British quarters | Detected |
| November 25 | Lt. M. Girot | French | Through main gate dressed as orderly | Recaptured Frankfurt |
| November 28 | Giles Romilly | British | Dressed as orderly | Detected |
| December 12 | Lt. Charles Douw van der Krap Sub Lt. Frits Kruimink |
Dutch | Park under pile of leaves | Detected |
| December 15 | Capt. E. Steenhouwer Lt. J. baron van Lynden |
Dutch | Dressed as German officers | Detected |
| December 17 | Lt. J. Durand-Hornus Lt. J. Prot Lt. G. de Frondeville |
French | Escaped into fog on trip to dentist. Prot KIA: 29 January 1944, Mount Belvedere |
Successful Escape |
1942 escape attempts[edit]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 5 | Lt. A. Neave Lt. A. Luteyn |
British / Dutch | Under theatre out of guardhouse as German officers | Successful Escape |
| January 6 | Lt. H. Donkers Lt. J. Hyde-Thomson |
Dutch / British | Under theatre out of guardhouse as German officers | Recaptured Ulm station |
| January 9 | Lt. de Bykowitz | French | Jumped from train to Riesa | Detected |
| January 14 | Flt. Lt. F. Flinn | British | British snow tunnel on canteen roof | Detected |
| January 16 | Lt. R. Madin Lt. J. Paille Lt. B. Cazaumayou Six other officers |
French | The "French Tunnel" | Detected |
| January 20 | Capt. Dr. Le Guet Padre Jean-Jean |
French | Ran away during private Sacrament of Confession | Recaptured Frankfurt & Saarbrücken |
| January 20 | Cadet Officer C. Linck | Dutch | Inside postal service sack | Detected |
| January 21 | Capt. P. Reid Lt. A. Orr-Ewing Lt. W. O'Hara Lt. Mackinsie Lt. J. Boustead Lt. E. Harrison |
British | British snow tunnel on canteen roof | Detected |
| January 27 | Flt. Lt. N. Forbes | British | Digging under stage | Detected |
| February 27 | Capt. Gerrit Dames Capt. J. Hageman |
Dutch | Tunnel under terrace | Detected |
| March 2 | Flt. Lt. F. Flinn Cadet Officer C. Linck |
British / Dutch | Escaped on way to Arrest House | Recaptured Colditz |
| March 18 | ??? | ??? | Tunnel in sick bay | Detected |
| March 20 | Lt. H. Desjobert Lt. A. Thibaud |
French | Hid in cart of rubble | Recaptured Colditz |
| April 4 | Flt. Lt. F. Flinn | British | Tunnel in British quarters | Detected |
| April 24 | Lt. P. Manheimer | French | ??? | Recaptured Colditz |
| April 26 | Lt. W. Wychodzew Lt. J. Niestrzeba |
Polish | Escaped from military hospital in Gnaschwitz | Recaptured Singen & Stuttgart |
| April 26 | Sqn. Leader B. Paddon Lt. J. Just |
British / Polish | ??? | Recaptured Leipzig |
| April 26 | Captain L. Rémy | Belgian | Escaped from train station, took boat to Algeciras | Successful Escape |
| April ??? | Lt. J. baron van Lynden | Dutch | Broke into German quarters to steal uniform | Detected |
| April ??? | ??? | Dutch | Hid in pile of leaves in park | Detected |
| May 10 | Lt. D. Gill ??? |
British / Polish | Through the kitchen | Detected |
| May 28 | Lt. M. Girot | French | Replaced French orderly on working party. Girot KIA: Gestapo, May 1944 | Recaptured Frankfurt |
| May 28 | Lt. I. Price | British | ??? | Detected |
| June 2 | Lt. M. Sinclair | British | Escaped from Leipzig hospital | Recaptured Cologne |
| June 8 | Lt. M. Sinclair | British | Escaped from holding cell | Recaptured Cologne |
| June 9 | Capt. W. Lawton Capt. R. Howe Lt. W. O'Hara Lt. E. Harrison Lt. I. Dickinson Lt. V. Parker |
British | In attic above British quarters | Detected |
| June 11 | Sqn. Leader B. Paddon | British | Sent for court martial at Thorn, escaped from work party there. Smuggled out through Gdańsk | Successful Escape |
| June 45 | Lt. R. Bouillez | French | Sent for court martial in Stuttgart, jumped train but found unconscious next to tracks, sent to hospital, escaped from hospital. | Successful Escape |
| July 6 | ??? | Dutch | Dutch tunnel | Detected |
| July 7 | Lt. J. Tucki | Polish | In Polish orderly working party | Detected |
| July 15 | Flt. Lt. V. Parker Lt. M. Keillar |
British | ???, Keillar transferred to Lamsdorf | Detected |
| July 19 | ??? | Polish / Belgian | Tunnel in Saalhaus | Detected |
| July 26 | Capt. M. van den Heuvel Lt. H. Vinkinbosch Lt. Verleye Lt. F. Kruimink Lt. P. Storie-Pugh |
Belgian / British / Dutch | Scullery tunnel | Detected |
| July 26 | ??? | British | Tunnel in senior officers' quarters | Detected |
| August 18 | Flt. Lt. J. Dickinson | British | Jumped wall of exercise yard of Colditz town jail, stole bicycle | Recaptured Chemnitz |
| August 19 | Capt. P. Reid Capt. R. Barry |
British | Delousing shed tunnel | Detected |
| August 20 | Lt. Delarne | French | Park walk disguised as painter | Detected |
| August 25 | Flt. Lt. N. Forbes Lt. K. Lee |
British | Escaped en route to Leipzig for court martial. | Recaptured Leipzig |
| August 28 | Flt. Lt. J. Dickinson | British | Hid underneath bread delivery van. | Detected |
| August 29 | Capt. R. Barry Capt. P. Reid |
British | Solitary confinement: Barry cut through bars, Reid dug tunnel | Detected |
| September 1 | Lt. W. Zelaźniewicz | Polish | Escaped on park walk | Recaptured Podelwitz |
| September 2 | Lt. Cdr. W. Stephens | British | Escaped from Colditz train station (returning from Lamsdorf) | Recaptured Outside Colditz |
| September 7 | Flt. Lt. D. Bruce | British | Hid inside Red Cross tea chest, climbed down outer wall via bedsheet rope. | Recaptured Gdańsk |
| September 8 | Flt. Lt. J. Dickinson | British | Attempted escape while on exercise in the park | Detected |
| September 9 | Capt. W. Lawton Capt. T. Beets Lt. Donkers Lt. G. Wardle |
British / Dutch | Broke into Kommandant's office, cut hole into storeroom, out of storeroom in German and Polish orderly uniforms. | Recaptured Commichau & Dobeln |
| September 9 | Flt. Lt. H.N. Fowler Lt. D. van Doorninck |
British / Dutch | Broke into Kommandant's office, cut hole into storeroom, out of storeroom in German and Polish orderly uniforms. Fowler died March 1944 | Successful Escape |
| September 10 | ??? | British | Subaltern's tunnel | Detected |
| October 14 | Maj. R.B. Littledale Lt. Cdr. W. Stephens Capt. P. Reid Flt. Lt. H. Wardle |
British | Escape through kitchen into German yard, across yard into Kommandantur cellar, out cellar into dry moat. Littledale KIA: August 1944 | Successful Escape |
| October 23 | ??? | Dutch | Attempt at hole under theatre | Detected |
| October ??? | Lt. P. Storie-Pugh Lt. F. Kruimink |
British / Dutch | Over roof of Kellerhaus. Discovered by dog on ground. | Detected |
| November 26 | Lt. M. Sinclair Lt. C. Klein |
British / French | Through well in Kommandantur | Recaptured Tuttlingen & Plauen |
| November 27 | Capt. R. Barry Lt. Aulard |
British / French | Through well in Kommandantur | Detected |
| November ??? | Lt. M. Bissell | British | Tunnel under altar steps in chapel | Detected |
| December 6 | Lt. Z. Kepa Lt. T. Osiecki Lt. A. Slipko |
Polish | Over orderlies' roof | Detected |
| December 14 | Lt. M. Sinclair | British | From Weinsberg after recapture | Recaptured Weinsberg |
| December 15 | Lt. van der Falk Bouman | Dutch | Disguised as German soldier | Recaptured Emmendingen |
| December 19 | CPO W. Hammond. CPO D. Lister |
British | Transferred to Lamsdorf since not officers, escaped from Breslau work party | Successful Escape |
| December 28 | Lt. A. Perodeau | French | Impersonated Willi Pöhnert | Detected |
1943 escape attempts[edit]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January ??? | Lt. Gris Davies-Scourfield Others |
British | Pulpit tunnel under chapel | Detected |
| March 7 | Capt. B. Mazumdar | British (India) | Hunger strike in order to receive transfer, escapes twice from new camp, reaches Switzerland | Successful Escape |
| March 7 | Flt. Lt. J. Dickinson | British | Jumps over wall of exercise area of Colditz town jail. | Recaptured Chemnitz |
| April 5 | Capt. D. Dufour Flt. Lt. A. van Rood |
British / Dutch | Dressed as German officers | Detected |
| April 8 | Capt. Pemberton-How | British | Schützenhaus. In manhole after search. | Detected |
| April 8 | Lt. E. Desbats Lt. J. Caillaud |
French | Over roof of castle | Detected |
| April 28 | Capt. Ion Ferguson RAMC | British | Transfer order granted, Works as doctor at Stalag IV-D certifying prisoners insane. Convinces Germans he is himself insane, repatriated in January 1945. | Successful Escape |
| April ??? | ??? | British | Hole under dentist office chair. | Detected |
| May 1 | Flt. Lt. V. Parker Flt. Lt. N. Forbes Lt. D. Wheeler |
British | "Revier" tunnel | Detected |
| May 11 | Flt. Lt. D. Thom | British | Vaults fence of park | Recaptured outside wall |
| May ??? | Lt. M. Sinclair Lt. G. Davies-Scourfield |
British | Cut hole in park fence wire | Detected |
| May ??? | Flt. Lt. J. Best Lt. M. Harvey Others |
British | Attempted to re-open "French Tunnel" | Detected |
| June 7 | Lt. J.J.L. baron van Lynden | Dutch | During Dutch transfer to Stanislau | Successful Escape |
| June 11 | Lt. A. Perrin | French | Through "witches' walk" | Detected |
| July 8 | Lt. M. Fahy | French | Escapes from hospital in Hohenstein-Ernstthal | Recaptured Kaufungen |
| July 12 | Lt. A. Darthenay | French | Escapes from hospital in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Joined French Resistance. KIA: Gestapo 7 April 1944 | Successful Escape |
| July 13 | Lt. C. Klein Giles Romilly |
Free French / British | Hidden in baggage pile at Colditz rail station | Detected |
| July 13 | Lt. T. Barrott Lt. D. Hamilton Lt. C. Sandbach |
British | Exchanged identities with French officers in transit to Lübeck | Detected |
| July ??? | Lt. J. Best Lt. M. Harvey Others |
British | "French Tunnel" re-opening attempt | Detected |
| August 10 | Lt. P. Allan Lt. A. Campbell Others |
British | "Whitechapel Deep" tunnel | Detected |
| September 3 | Capt. L. Pope Lt. M. Sinclair Lt. J. Hyde-Thomson |
British | Attempted to impersonate a German sergeant | Detected |
| September 11 | Lt. W. Miller Lt. R. Boustead |
British | Exchanged places with Lt. Stepninc and Lt. Jablonowski during Polish transfer | Detected |
| September 16 | Lt. A. Orr-Ewing | British | As French orderly on exercise | Detected |
| September 30 | Lt. G. Davies-Scourfield | British | Out of yard in trash pile | Recaptured Hildescheim |
| September ??? | ??? | British | "Mayfair Maggies" tunnel | Detected |
| October 7 | Lt. A. Orr-Ewing | British | Out of yard in trash pile | Detected |
| November 3 | ??? | British | Orderlies who escaped from work party at Colditz train station | Recaptured Cottbus |
| November 25 | Lt. J. Rawson | British | ??? | Detected |
1944 escape attempts[edit]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 19 | Lt. M. Sinclair Lt. J. Best |
British | Sixty second rope escape down west terrace | Recaptured Rheine |
| January 28 | Lt. W. Millar | Canadian | Broke into German courtyard, hung from bottom of German truck. Believed killed by SS at Mauthausen in July 1944. | Unknown |
| January 31 | Capt. C. Lewthwaite | British | Hid under trash pile | Detected |
| February 3 | Lt. A. Orr-Ewing | British | Jumps fence, swims across Mulde river | Recaptured Colditz |
| March 17 | ??? | British | "Crown Deep" tunnel | Detected |
| March 26 | Flt. Lt. V. Parker Lt. M. Harvey |
British | From air-raid shelter | Detected |
| April 19 | Flt. Lt. D. Bruce | British | Cut bars on north side of castle, reached wire fence | Detected |
| April 29 | Lt. D. Moir Lt. M. Edwards Lt. D. Wheeler Lt. P. Fergusson |
British | Intentionally sloppy escape attempt in hopes to be placed in town jail. | Detected |
| April ??? | ??? | British | Hexengang corridor | Detected |
| April ??? | Lt. J. Hamilton-Baillie | British | Into sewers through shower drain | Detected |
| May 2 | Lt. J. Beaumont | British | Hidden under blanked sown with leaves | Recaptured 3 km from Colditz |
| May 3 | Lt. G. Wardle | British | Escape through orderlies quarters | Detected |
| May 5 | Capt. H. Elliott Flt. Lt. F. Flinn Lt. J. Barnett Lt. M. Wynn |
British | Faked illnesses, repatriated | Successful Escape |
| May 29 | Capt. F. Weldon Lt. J. Hamilton-Baillie |
British | Out of POW yard into Kommandantur attics, into storeroom on south side of German yard | Detected |
| June 1 | Maj. A. Anderson Others |
British | Dentist chair tunnel | Detected |
| June 13 | Lt. L. Pumphrey Lt. M. Riviere |
British | Tunnel through British kitchens | Detected |
| June 16 | Maj. R. Lorraine Flt. Lt. D. Bruce "Bosun" J. Chrisp |
British | Tunnel through sewers into German yard | Detected |
| July 14 | Flt. Lt. D. Thom | British | Escaped from hospital at Schmorkau | Recaptured |
| September 4 | Lt. M. Sinclair | British | Jumped fence in park, wearing civilian clothes | Detected |
| September 18 | Capt. C. Lewthwaite | British | Park walk under pile of leaves | Detected |
| September 25 | Lt. M. Sinclair | British | Jumps over fence wire in park | Shot dead |
| From 1/1 til 4/15/45 | Flt. Lt. W. Goldfinch Flt. Lt. J. Best Lt. A. Rolt Lt. G. Wardle Others |
British | The "Colditz Cock" Glider | Unused (prison liberated by Allied forces prior to completion of glider) |
1945 escape attempts[edit]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lt.Col. M.B. Reid | British | The oldest British prisoner. Feigned heart disease by smoking heavily and drinking concentrated black coffee prior to medical examination and was repatriated. | Successful Escape |
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
- Escape from Colditz Castle — Article about escape attempts from Colditz Castle