Missing The Boat: War Stories of Thomas Alan Dirkin

112 just about getting out of the camp. It was about being able to get through hundreds of miles of enemy territory undetected, to survive the climate, lack of food and adequate clothing, about getting across borders and so much more. For most POWs this was unrealistic if not impossible. Ken Scott Philip Baker well said Sir, and as for exaggeration relating to old Horace, I am a ghostwriter and only write what these boys tell me. I worked with Horace for 18 months, we got his book published and soon thereafter he died. However, he was always adamant that he broke out of the camp at least twice a week. He was a POW for five years, do the maths. And I agree, a real escape is about making it through hundreds of miles of enemy controlled land. Horace never ventured more than a few miles from his billet. Brian Cummins Philip Baker my dad Horace Cummins was also in a quarry at Lamsdorf. He said there were no fences, local girls used to come round to chat up the prisoners. He had a very dark tan and the girls asked to speak to the "Kleine schwarz" the little black man Stuart Brrown I think so my dad carried on an affair with a woman called Magdalene Kubasik - we only discovered shortly before he died. Dave Lovell Guy Dirkin in Anna Wickiewicz 's book 'Captivity in British Uniforms Stalag VIIIB (344) Lamsdorf' she writes 'the British very often organized escapes, many of which were successful. In 1940 alone 248 British managed to escape. A mere 96 of them were recaptured. In 1041, 243 escaped, in 1942 90 escaped, in the 1st quarter of 1943, 1043 ........ In total according to official figures, up to 2nd January 1945 3,259 British POWs undertook to escape. It is worth noting with appreciation that 467 of them were successful.' It's an amazing book, buy a copy of you can Philip Baker Dave Lovell I'm not sure though how many of those escapes were from the main camp and how many fromWorking Parties. Brian Cooper Thomas Allan [S] Dirkin is the only Dirkin POW listed in published War Office lists. A German POW Record Card exists for him so that would hopefully record each of his punishments. If he completed a liberation questionnaire (The National Archives Series WO 344) he should have detailed his escape attempts. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/det.../r/C16746077 David Hunneybell