SAS Great Escapes: Seven Great Escapes Made by Real Second World War Heroes

In wartime all men and women perform their duties, but certain individuals do real outstanding acts of gallantry and rightly are rewarded with decorations because they were incredible, and at the conclusion of hostilities they are remembered for their acts by friend and foe alike. In the Second World War the SAS, and the Commandos, were the best of the best fighters, but of all the formations Damien Lewis once again reiterates the primary difference of the first with any other units, as laid down by their pioneering founder David Stirling, was that behind enemy lines rank was an insignificant feature; rather, it was the ability for each individual to freely take on decision-making responsibilities, acting on them, and constantly when necessary modifying them in the face of ever growing dangers to achieve some or eventually all the planned objectives.In his latest tome of around 310 pages on the SAS, Lewis focuses on seven great escapes, each totalling between 35-59 pages, and though his selection is not explained, as they date from Operation Colossus on the island of Sicily in February 1941 to the end of the European War fifty-one months later, it might be argued are a representative sample of their successful adventures around the Mediterranean, with one case featuring the war in Greece, two in North Africa, three in Italy, and finally one again in France.By focusing on successful evasions Lewis excludes mentioning much about David Stirling who did not break out from Oflag IVC at Colditz; nor about the Earl George Jellicoe, or Robert “Paddy” Mayne who never fell captive, not even about Lt John Steel “Jock” Lewes who was killed in December 1941.The one in Greece, Capt Roy Farran’s 600 mile sea journey aboard a caique from Athens to Alexandra in August 1941 might be compared to the first successful “home run” from Colditz castle in Saxony by Lt Airey Neave in January 1942, showing that even for the SAS captivity never meant “for you the war is over”; this endeavour provided others subsequently with a worthy role model to emulate, and gave the new hush hush department for escapes, MI9, with useful basic unthought of information which all escapees needed in the field.The two in North Africa during 1942-43: the first involving Cpl John “Jack” Byrne in Operation Squatter, a preliminary attack on Tobruk prior to Eighth Army’s Operation Compass; the second with Lt Thomas Langton’s march across the desert unknown to him during the Alamein battle, and the one in France with F/O Lew Fiddick (RCAF), Capt Henry Druce and Lt Col Brian Franks in Operation Loyton around Moussey, in the Vosges, all show how important language skills and the ability to get on with the locals, and why the element of luck, which one can never plan in war – whether meeting the sympathetic eager local or being at the right location at the right time, is always vital.The three in Italy are unique as it testifies the historical difference in behaviour of the locals to foreign POWs before and after the fall of Mussolini and the armistice in September 1943: prior to the fall any help proved virtually impossible as was always in Germany throughout all the War, whereas afterwards Lewis showed here that any assistance was much more forthcoming, but only expected from contadini, farm labourers, which means it is likely he has still not become acquainted with old landed anti-Fascist Liberals with British / American relatives, like Iris Origo in Tuscany (War in Val d’ Orcia: War Diary 1943-44, 1999, & Caroline Moorehead Iris Origo: Marchesa of Val d’Orcia, 2014).The change in the War, with battles being fought by invading forces, up the Italian peninsular, meant a change in the role of escaping SAS POWs: after his escape from PG 78 at Sulmona Lt George Paterson transformed his pragmatic SAS skills more as a SOE agent working with partisan resistance between the borders of Switzerland and Italy; Sgt John “Gentleman Jim” Almonds, veteran of the failed attack on Benghazi harbour in Operation Bigamy in September 1942, and of PG 70 Monte Urano at Porto San Giorgio in the Marche region, supplied immediate details of minefields he had crossed not far from the frontline useful to prevent permanent injury or death to other comrades; whereas Lt James Hughes, the sole survivor of the successful Operation Pomegranate, the preliminary attack on San Egidio airfield in January 1944 immediately prior to the Anzio landings, became the first informant of the secret Kommando Order issued in October 1942 that contrary to the Geneva Convention any belligerent in uniform or civilian clothes, henceforth referred to as a “saboteur”, would be shot, becoming an essential detail when tracing the unexpected disappearance of so many fighters behind enemy lines. All these minor personal incidences are like pieces of a jigsaw, but taken together they became vital in the development and speedy successful conclusion of the war.More interesting to me, however, but not properly developed, was to learn that “Jimmy” Hughes had run into a proper organized escape committee led by A Force, which operated through MI9, the Rome line, the Vatican, meaning “The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican”, alias Mons Hugh O’ Flaherty (FM Lord Carver The IWM Book of the War in Italy, 2001, Sam Derry The Rome Escape Line, 1960). Lewis states almost in passing that there were four generals, an air vice-marshal, an English lord and an US consul involved. Those mentioned VIPs, all POW inmates of Brig. Douglas Stirling cited by the author included: Lt Gen Sir Richard O’Connor, DSO & bar, Lt Gen Sir Philip Neame, VC, Maj-Gen Sir Adrian Carlton de Wiart, VC, Vice-Air Marshal Owen Boyd, OBE, and Lt Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly, at the special PG 12 at Vincigliata castle, Fiesole near Florence (Countess Hermione Ranfurly To War with Whitaker, 1994).This means contrary to general histories the authorities were making moves behind the scenes to repatriate some of the 50,000 Allied POWs; the problem was Hitler foresaw that without his friend and real personal ally Mussolini Italy and her ilk would quickly switch sides as they had in 1915, and when the order was given to march the German forces were almost allowed a free hand to goose step quickly down the length and breadth of Italy and occupying the capital.I also found in 1944 a sense of fraternity and chivalry between German paratroopers and members of the SAS, in the story of Jimmy Hughes, with the doctor and major at the military hospital in Perugia eager to protect the enemy against the dreaded Gestapo. At this time of the war it was not their aim to ingratiate themselves to the possible victors, perhaps a feeling of humanity among combatants rather than outright murder. The difference between the good German and the criminal.There are a few minor errors of fact hurriedly overlooked that Damien Lewis should tweet or iron out. First, he correctly states on p. 33 the Milizia (MVSN) was the Blackshirt force – similar to the Nazi SA, and when the Fascists took power it became an official national force which operated in parallel to the Italian Royal Army. But then he calls them the Fascist youth, and that is incorrect. The Fascist youth movement (ONB) was claimed to be modelled on the Boy scouts even the wearing of a uniform: beginning at 6-8 years Romulus & Remus wolf cubs (Figli/e della Lupa), Balilla & Little Italian girls (Piccole italiane) 8-13, Avanguardisti & Giovani italiane 14-18 (Young Pretorian vanguard & Young Italian girls), and finally 18-21 Young Fascist University students (GUF).Second, on p. 159 he describes the Italian Carabinieri as armed policemen, which is a vague comment and technically incorrect. The Carabinieri although in North Africa, have always been a separate military armed force for internal defence, with its own history at home but also abroad in wartime, and though perform policing duties, are not considered a police force. In World War Two, and in particular in this tome, 400 Carabinieri parachutists of the 1st Royal Carabinieri (Tuscania) battalion, commanded by Maj, Alessi in the Afrika Korps (DAK) were sent in to hold up the Allied advance in December 1941 at Eluet el Asel. The force was annihilated, with only 23 surviving. This act of gallantry, by Italian diehards, was only recognized even by Italians themselves decades later. In the national Civil War after 1943 they presented themselves as honest good fighters against fanatical local Fascist and foreign Nazis fighting alongside both the Allies and partisans.Third, and finally, the author presents Porto San Giorgio as in the province of Fermo. That would be correct these days since the formation of the province in 2004, but at the time Fermo had not been organized as a province; it was part of a larger district in the region.Aside for my rather harsh comments, the book I should stress is well written, informative both for the general and younger readers and very entertaining to be represented and enjoyed by a wider audience on the small and large screen just as much as The Great Escape with Steve McQueen was years ago.It should be a vivid reminder, however, to certain British – Tony Blair for one, and EU politicians that despite human rights it would be foolish to encourage all servicemen, and now women, as well as the disabled to join the elite forces, particularly because the weak, and those with physical disabilities become a greater risk to the safety and harmony of the rest of the team. The elite must survive, to achieve their intended objectives, and do not need additional costly painful distractions.Their achievements instead must be recognized, praised, rewarded, and always remembered by future generations. The stories and memories recounted here are in the hearts and minds of successor veterans and later writers, like Andy Mcnab and Chris Ryan of the first Gulf War; they form a real link with the unit’s heroic glorious past and the present.Be proud of their achievements when you read this.

I do enjoy both escape and evasion and special forces accounts, so I though I would be on to a winner here. Sadly not so.I was quite surprised the speed at which this book was published, coming so soon after Band of Brothers. It felt rushed and incomplete, and sadly not one of his better books on Special Forces 'action'. I parenthesis the word action, because this is what distinguished his earlier books, whereas this book's 'action' was more about the ingenuity and guile of escaping from an enemy, which generally calls for a more restrained narrative. In every chapter there were sections which tried to burst out into his normal writing style, when the storyline did not require it. Additionally there were questionable chronology and factual errors, that a good copy editor should have picked up, albeit they didn't ruin the narrative e.g. Montgomery was noted as a FM when in Italy, but did not earn it until after the Normandy breakout.Having read the source books for a few of the accounts may have dampened my enjoyment of hearing of their escapes for the first time, for I enjoyed the previously unpublished/read accounts the best. Escapes of Almonds, Farran and Byrne were well/better covered elsewhere, see the bibliography for source material. Paterson and Langdon felt like they were left out or follow-ups on two of Lewis's earlier books. Accordingly I enjoyed the Fiddick and Hughes accounts the best of the seven recounted.When Ben MacIntyre wrote his book on the SAS, I earlier commented that it was just ok, but he writes a better book on Intelligence material. So I believe Lewis has similarly found a niche in the Special Forces market, and this foray into escape and evasion was rushed and could have been better, which makes me wonder why his publishers did not delay the date to ensure it was a sure-fire winner. ( Ordinarly all his books have a long pre-promotion and early slam-dunk critical review - this book has been out for 2 weeks and only 3 ratings, and one old audio version review - most unusual. Did the publishers have similar misgivings ?)Good stories, worth relating/reading, just not Damien at his best.

Bit disappointed. Many of the escapes are undertaken by soldiers that were 'affiliated' to the SAS or temporarily taken under their wing in the chaos of a retreat. Some escapees were not even in the SAS at the time, but later joined. I was hoping for seven stories of badged SAS soldiers making daring escapes, and was disappointed. Also, this book only concerns escapes during WWII and most soldiers therefore escape with the help of friendly foreigners or with the help of the local Resistance movement. Not too many 'who dares wins' episodes and examples of 'supermen' on the run. Team work and the help from others is what primarily saw the soldiers back to safety. Definitely no escapee uses a cunningly hidden survival or escape kit, both of which sell well today (but rarely ever used, by anyone).

As a fan of the author, I am not surprised at how well written & enjoyable this book is. A reader of many POW escape books, a few of these stories were familiar to me. But Damien has given them a fresh perspective.This book is so enjoyable & I'm not surprised to see it doing so well.An absolute must read.

Bought as present for my mother, as she likes reading anything to do with the war. She enjoyed reading the factual book and found it very interesting. Would recommend. Thank you.

Not finished the book yet but stories are well written and they do get compulsive...a real page turner!

Tales of heros that read like a fast paced novel. Well researched and a great read

Yet again true stories of the bravest of the best told in such away you feel you're there or one of them