Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 8, 2021 0:07:17 GMT 12
THRILLING STORY
ESCAPE FROM CAMP
NEW ZEALAND SERGEANT
BET WITH ENGLISHMAN
(United Press Assn.—Elec. TeL Copyright.) (Special Correspondent) (Received Dec. 1, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30.
Life was dull at the Aumale internment camp, in French North Africa. There had been no attempts at escape since the guards fired at one man who was attempting to get away and other prisoners flung empty bottles in an attempt to divert fire—which they did by attracting it to themselves.
Bored by the inactivity Sergeant C. Belcher, of Amberley, bet the English crew with whom he had baled out when forced to bring down a bomber, that he would escape.
“I have 200 francs here to say that you will not,” said an Englishman. “Okay,” replied the New Zealander. “It is as good as mine.”
Sergeant Belcher carried out tour operations as navigator and had observed that too many people had known about other attempted escapes. He therefore confined his helpers to three. He took a small compass, a water bottle, a loaf of bread, a cooking pot and some money, but unfortunately a map was not available. He arranged his bed to appear as if he was sleeping in it. Just before “Lights Out” he arranged to be one of three men walking up and down outside the quarters. Then quickly he dived into a hollow while another took his place strolling up and down.
Almost Discovered
A guard came up and planted himself a few feet from the hole, forcing Sergeant Belcher to crouch there for two hours until the guard was changed, when the New Zealander moved slightly closer to the barbed wire where he had previously made a hole. He had to lie there for another two hours. Once the guard shone a torch seemingly in his face, but did not notice him.
Then, when the guard was changed, Sergeant Belcher clambered up a drainpipe to the roof top, walked along the top of a wall until he reached a telegraph post, and slid down it.
He was out, but now to reach Melilla, in Spanish Morocco. He travelled 200 miles in a fortnight and reached Novi, which was still some 300 miles from Melilla. Sergeant Belcher had been an omnibus driver in Christchurch before he joined up but had previously worked on his father's sheep farm. He was a seasoned deer-stalker. This now proved him in good stead. He guided himself by the stars and kept off roads, using mountain tracks. Arabs chased him with a lantern all one night. He soon ate up his bread, so he stole grapes and pumpkins, making soup from the latter in the cooking pot.
Chased With Shotgun
Once an Arab chased him with a shotgun while he was attempting to get grapes. He sometimes bought bread from Arabs to eke out his meagre rations. Travelling mostly at night, be often boarded buses as they were reaching a hill-top. He walked through at least nine tunnels, one three miles long. Sometimes it poured heavy rain and he felt very lonely, his thoughts often going to New Zealand.
Then came an incident that forced him to give up. Tired, he sat down to wash his feet in a stream and then found shelter under some bushes, where he gratefully smoked one of his last cigarettes. It was so pleasant and warm and he was so weary that he dropped off to sleep. He woke up with a start, to find that an Arab had stolen his boots and water bottle. There was no alternative but to walk six miles on a bitumen road in his bare feet to an Arab village, where he bought a pair of Arab shoes. He began to get very thirsty and soon bad water gave him dysentery, but he reached the sea at a town named Churchill.
Treated as Spy
Sergeant Belcher lay for two days on the beach hoping to recover, but still felt very ill, and therefore decided to give himself up to the French police at Novi two miles distant. They treated him as a spy and flung him into a bare cell without attention. Later they interrogated him, attempting to find out details of where Wellington bomber aircraft engines were made. They were very angry when he refused the information.
He was next taken to Algiers, where, handcuffed and chained, he was returned to Aumale. He was then sentenced to a month’s solitary confinement, while all the other prisoners were confined to barracks for eight days. Sergeant Belcher finished his solitary confinement at Laghouat camp, and was later sent to hospital.
This escape is regarded as the best of all the British interned men in French North Africa, which nobody has excelled. And the 200 francs? Sergeant Belcher has not collected them yet. “But I am going to stay with my English pal during my leave, when we will spend the winnings. He is one of the best. “And then? I guess I will apply to do another tour of operations.”
WAIKATO TIMES, 1 DECEMBER 1942
ESCAPE FROM CAMP
NEW ZEALAND SERGEANT
BET WITH ENGLISHMAN
(United Press Assn.—Elec. TeL Copyright.) (Special Correspondent) (Received Dec. 1, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30.
Life was dull at the Aumale internment camp, in French North Africa. There had been no attempts at escape since the guards fired at one man who was attempting to get away and other prisoners flung empty bottles in an attempt to divert fire—which they did by attracting it to themselves.
Bored by the inactivity Sergeant C. Belcher, of Amberley, bet the English crew with whom he had baled out when forced to bring down a bomber, that he would escape.
“I have 200 francs here to say that you will not,” said an Englishman. “Okay,” replied the New Zealander. “It is as good as mine.”
Sergeant Belcher carried out tour operations as navigator and had observed that too many people had known about other attempted escapes. He therefore confined his helpers to three. He took a small compass, a water bottle, a loaf of bread, a cooking pot and some money, but unfortunately a map was not available. He arranged his bed to appear as if he was sleeping in it. Just before “Lights Out” he arranged to be one of three men walking up and down outside the quarters. Then quickly he dived into a hollow while another took his place strolling up and down.
Almost Discovered
A guard came up and planted himself a few feet from the hole, forcing Sergeant Belcher to crouch there for two hours until the guard was changed, when the New Zealander moved slightly closer to the barbed wire where he had previously made a hole. He had to lie there for another two hours. Once the guard shone a torch seemingly in his face, but did not notice him.
Then, when the guard was changed, Sergeant Belcher clambered up a drainpipe to the roof top, walked along the top of a wall until he reached a telegraph post, and slid down it.
He was out, but now to reach Melilla, in Spanish Morocco. He travelled 200 miles in a fortnight and reached Novi, which was still some 300 miles from Melilla. Sergeant Belcher had been an omnibus driver in Christchurch before he joined up but had previously worked on his father's sheep farm. He was a seasoned deer-stalker. This now proved him in good stead. He guided himself by the stars and kept off roads, using mountain tracks. Arabs chased him with a lantern all one night. He soon ate up his bread, so he stole grapes and pumpkins, making soup from the latter in the cooking pot.
Chased With Shotgun
Once an Arab chased him with a shotgun while he was attempting to get grapes. He sometimes bought bread from Arabs to eke out his meagre rations. Travelling mostly at night, be often boarded buses as they were reaching a hill-top. He walked through at least nine tunnels, one three miles long. Sometimes it poured heavy rain and he felt very lonely, his thoughts often going to New Zealand.
Then came an incident that forced him to give up. Tired, he sat down to wash his feet in a stream and then found shelter under some bushes, where he gratefully smoked one of his last cigarettes. It was so pleasant and warm and he was so weary that he dropped off to sleep. He woke up with a start, to find that an Arab had stolen his boots and water bottle. There was no alternative but to walk six miles on a bitumen road in his bare feet to an Arab village, where he bought a pair of Arab shoes. He began to get very thirsty and soon bad water gave him dysentery, but he reached the sea at a town named Churchill.
Treated as Spy
Sergeant Belcher lay for two days on the beach hoping to recover, but still felt very ill, and therefore decided to give himself up to the French police at Novi two miles distant. They treated him as a spy and flung him into a bare cell without attention. Later they interrogated him, attempting to find out details of where Wellington bomber aircraft engines were made. They were very angry when he refused the information.
He was next taken to Algiers, where, handcuffed and chained, he was returned to Aumale. He was then sentenced to a month’s solitary confinement, while all the other prisoners were confined to barracks for eight days. Sergeant Belcher finished his solitary confinement at Laghouat camp, and was later sent to hospital.
This escape is regarded as the best of all the British interned men in French North Africa, which nobody has excelled. And the 200 francs? Sergeant Belcher has not collected them yet. “But I am going to stay with my English pal during my leave, when we will spend the winnings. He is one of the best. “And then? I guess I will apply to do another tour of operations.”
WAIKATO TIMES, 1 DECEMBER 1942
