Sagan

July 21 2019

Stalag Luft III in Words and Pictures

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Stalag Luft III in Words and Pictures

While genuine artifacts from Stalag Luft III seldom appear in salesrooms, with so little having survived the forced evacuation, a great way for people to connect both with the story and the era is through antiquarian books. Books that were actually published at the time it all happened, or shortly after. Below are some of the earliest works about the camp, and by flipping through their pages, often foxed and edges worn, there is no denying that you feel just that one step closer.

Spotlight on Stalag Luft III – Scangriff (1946)

Privately published, 1946 – Hardback. 48pp. POW Accounts, Sketches and Photographs.

Published privately in 1946, it was the first book on Stalag Luft III and The Great Escape. This makes it perhaps the rarest and most collectible of all. Indeed, only a couple of copies are known to have passed through the salesrooms in recent years. It is also noteworthy as being the first publication to feature the artwork of Ley Kenyon, the most prominent of all the Kriegie school of artists. Reproduction prints of his Stalag Luft III sketches went on to become part of the prestigious Royal Collection in 1977.

Scangriff was the third POW newspaper in Stalag Luft III, along with The Kriegie Times and The Circuit. Its unusual name was conjured up by mixing the word scandal with the title of a German newspaper, Der Angriff.

The paper was the brainchild of F/Lt Mark S. Winston whose Stirling bomber (BK714), was shot down over Rostock, Germany on April 20th, 1943. Among those involved in Scangriff were F/Lt Paul Brickhill and F/Lt Ley Kenyon. Immediately after the war, they set about creating a book to chronicle their time as POWs, and even more significantly, serve as a tribute to The Fifty. The last page of the book features a promotional piece for a then forthcoming book, Escape to Danger by Paul Brickhill.

: Spotlight on Stalag Luft III - Scangriff (1946)

: First Publication of Ley Kenyon's Drawings

Kriegie Life – Carl H. Holstrom (1946)

Privately published, 1946 – Hardback. 33pp. Sketches and Watercolors.

A graduate of the Pratt Institute in New York, Carl Holstrom created some of the most iconic POW art in Stalag Luft III. Whether through pencil or watercolors, he captured the essence of both the men and the environment with the flair of a master. In his book Kriegie Life, he presents some of his finest works, taking the reader on a visual journey into life behind the wire.

: Kriegie Life - Carl H. Holstrom (1946)

: Drawing by Carl Holstrom

Escape to Danger – Paul Brickhill and Conrad Norton (1946)

Faber & Faber, 1946 – Hardback. 341pp. Photos and illustrations.

The first published work by Paul Brickhill, Escape to Danger is a compendium of POW life and escape stories from WWII. Events in Stalag Luft III occupy much of its contents, and it lays the groundwork for what in only a few short years would become The Great Escape, the abiding account of that historical event. The book was co-authored with fellow Australian Stalag Luft III veteran Conrad Norton.

: Escape to Danger - Paul Brickhill and Conrad Norton (1946)

: What to look for in a First Edition

The Great Escape – Paul Brickhill (1951)

Faber & Faber, 1951 – Hardback. 263pp. Photos and illustrations.

This was the book that defined The Great Escape legend and became the basis for the 1963 movie with Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson et al. From its opening dedication to The Fifty and introduction by American Stalag Luft III POW George Harsh, through the highs and lows of digging the 3 tunnels, the escape itself and its bloody aftermath, the book had that classic formula that would inspire readers worldwide. The book also met with critical acclaim, not only for the epic nature of the story but the quality of its writing.

“For there is present all through it, as well as in its outcome, the authentic strain of tragedy.”

The Listener

: The Great Escape - Paul Brickhill (1951)

: What to look for in a First Edition

July 15 2019

Watch of Great Escape hero sells at auction for staggering $246,000

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Watch of Great Escape hero sells at auction for staggering $246,000

A 1940 Rolex Oyster wristwatch belonging to a Stalag Luft III POW has sold for $246,194 (£165,000) at a UK auction house. Hans Wilsdorf, founder of the Rolex watch company, came up with a novel sales tactic during World War II. He allowed British POWs to purchase his renowned timepieces on credit. The were supplied through the auspices of the Red Cross, with payment due once the war was over.

The original owner of the watch in question was RAF airman F/Lt Jack Williams. On 7 April 1942, his aircraft, a Boston III (Z2194), was shot down near Dunkirk following a bombing raid on a power plant in northern France. From there he found his way to Stalag Luft III and became involved in the scheme that would come to be known as The Great Escape.

Williams was among the 220 men chosen to take part in the actual escape on the night of 24 March, 1944. Having drawn an early position, he did indeed get free before the attempt was discovered. Prior to making his way out down tunnel Harry, Williams entrusted his prized watch to fellow crewman and POW in Stalag Luft III W/O Don Wilson for safekeeping.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post in April 2008, W/O Wilson recalls the words of his friend that night. “I know I’ll not get away, I couldn’t possibly get away so I’ll probably see you in the next fortnight” …. “But if by any chance I do, would you kindly take my two wrist watches home.”

Alas, true to his original instincts, the RAF flyer was recaptured and became one of the 50 escapees who found their way into the infamous pile of red X files compiled by SS-Gruppenführer Arthur Nebe. He was subsequently shot by the Gestapo, along with the other forty-nine unfortunate men.

Only around 200 of the distinctive black faced Chronograph model were made in the early 1940s. Rolex also provided a more modestly priced model, the ‘Speed King’, which was more popular among the POWs. Due to its significant connection with Stalag Luft III, the model has come to be known as The Escaper model.

As for the auction itself, bids flooded in from all corners of the world, the USA, Switzerland, and South Africa to name just a few. Staff at the auction house in Buckinghamshire were forced to man two phones at a time just to keep apace with the bidding. When the hammer finally fell at $246,194, the excitement in the room left no-one in any doubt that a little piece of militaria, not to mention horological history, had been made.

OTHER STALAG LUFT III AUCTION NEWS

In New York, an escape map with a connection to Stalag Luft III sold for $3,125 (£2,354) at auction. While the map was listed as circa March 1945, after The Great Escape, the cache of the connection was sufficient to coimmand such a respectable figure. The origin of the item, which measured 12″ x 19″. (30.5cm x 48.5 cm), was quoted as “possibly Stalag Luft III/Stalag XIII-D,” with the artist believed to Bob Neary.

The map belonged to RAF Pilot Tom Bird DFC, whose Lancaster II (LM476) was shot down by Schräge Musik, the term used for upward cannon fire from German fighters, during a bombing mission over Berlin in April 1944. He eventually found his way through the gates of Stalag Luft III.

In later life, he went on to chronicle his WWII exploits, including his time spent in Stalag Luft III, in an excellent book, aptly titled A Bird Over Berlin.

Tony Bird DFC - Author of <i>A Bird Over Berlin</i>

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