Shot down : a secret diary of one POW's long march to freedom

Annotation. Alex's Wellington, a twin-engine bomber, was shotdown over Germany in 1941. At first hospitalised withhopes of repatriation, he unexpectedly found himselfa prisoner in a German POW camp. Throughoutthose trying four years he was held captive, Alexkept a secret diary. This book reproduces his diaryentries in a fascinating account of all aspects of lifein a wartime prison. He describes being part of the infamous 'LongMarch' during which he and his comrades werestrafed by Allied aircraft; 60 POWs were killedand 100 wounded. Alex escaped the march witha mate, passing through the front lines betweenthe British and German forces to commandeer aGerman mayor's car and drive back to Brussels totake the next aircraft to freedom. Alex's charm and optimistic outlook will buoy thereader throughout, and the camaraderie betweenhe and his captive comrades is always entertaining. This is an authentic World War II adventure -- frombeing shot out of the sky, to incarceration and theultimate triumph of escape and the end of the war Alex's Wellington, a twin-engine bomber, was shot down over Germany in 1941. At first hospitalised with hopes of repatriation, he unexpectedly found himself a prisoner in a German POW camp. Throughout those trying four years he was held captive, Alex kept a secret diary. This book reproduces his diary entries in a fascinating account of all aspects of life in a wartime prison. He describes being part of the infamous ‘Long March'during which he and his comrades were strafed by Allied aircraft; 60 POWs were killed and 100 wounded. Alex escaped the march with a mate, passing through the front lines between the British and German forces to commandeer a German mayor's car and drive back to Brussels to take the next aircraft to freedom. Alex's charm and optimistic outlook will buoy the reader throughout, and the camaraderie between he and his captive comrades is always entertaining. This is an authentic World War II adventure — from being shot out of the sky, to incarceration and the ultimate triumph of escape and the end of the war.