FlightLieutenant Bram Van Der Stok
National Archives catalogue reference- WO 208/3320/95
Name: F/Lt. Bram Van Der Stok.
Unit: 41 Squadron, A.D.G.B.
Captured: 12th April 1942.
Escaped: 24th March 1944.
Left: Gibraltar, 10th July 1944.
Arrived: Whitchurch, 11th July 1944.
Date of Birth: 30th October 1915.
R.A.F. Service: Since 14th September1941.
O.T.U.: No.1 (Hawarden)
Conversion Unit: Nil.
Post in crew: Pilot.
Peacetime Profession: MedicalStudent.
Private Address: Dutch Headquarters,Arlington House, Arlington Street, London.
1. Capture:
I took off from TANGMERE in aSpitfire aircraft at 1200 hrs on 12 Apr 42 on a sweep over FRANCE. I becameseparated from my formation and was attacked by a formation of enemy fightersnear ST. OMER (N.W. EUROPE 1:250,000, Sheet 1, H 15). My aircraft got out ofcontrol and I baled out at approximately 16,000 ft.
I landed in a field North of ST. OMERand contacted some French people, but they refused to help me, as Germans wereclose by. I was captured about five minutes after landing.
I was taken to ST. OMER aerodrome,where I was interrogated and introduced to the pilot who claimed to have shot medown. I was then taken to a house in ST. OMER, where I spent the night. Thishouse is specially reserved for the detention of captured airmen. I was searchedand asked some questions and sent on the following day (13 Apr) to DulagLuft, where I arrived on 14 Apr. I was interrogated before being allowed toenter the camp, but I refused to answer questions on military matters. Noattempt was made to force me to answer questions. I remained in Dulag Luft until27 Apr.
On 27 Apr I was sent to Stalag Luft 3(SAGAN) with a party of approximately 70 Air Force personnel. I was put into theEast compound.
2. Attempted Escapes. STALAG LUFT3 (SAGAN).
(a) About the middle of Jun 42 F/Lt.PALMER and I intended to make an attempt to cut through the perimeter fence ofthe East compound at night. On the way from our barrack to the fence we werepicked up by a searchlight from one of the control towers. We were able to getback to our barrack without incident, and the Germans did not succeed indiscovering our identity.
(b) On 12 Mat 43 Lt. Cdr. SCHAPER andI hid in the Vorlager. We had succeeded in getting into the Vorlager from theEast compound in a delousing party and we were not missed when the partyreturned to the compound. We were wearing Russian greatcoats and caps. Under thegreatcoats we were wearing German Luftwaffe uniform and had on civilian clothesunder the uniform. We hid in the roof of the lavatory used by the Russians andwe remained there throughout the night.
F/Lt. HILL and a Belgian officer(name unknown) were attempting the same method at the same time as Lt. Cdr.SCHAPER and myself. They were hiding in the same roof. F/Lt. HILL and theBelgian officer were discovered during the night. A further search of thelavatory was made early next morning, and Lt. Cdr. SCHAPER and I werediscovered. We were able to save our money and papers, with the exception ofSCHAPER's Soldbuch. The money and papers were got back into the compound bygiving them to a Russian who was in the lavatory at the time of our capture. Wewere punished with 14 days' "hard".
(c) On 11 Jun 43 a mass escape fromthe North compound was organised. There were two parties. A delousing party hadbeen arranged, and an hour before this party was due to leave the compound asimilar party was formed up and they walked through the gates with twoGefreiters (escapers in German uniform) in charge. A few moments later a partyof six senior officers walked through the compound gate with me. I was dressedas an Unteroffizier. The six senior officers were Col. GOODRICH, Lt. Col.CLARKE, both of the U.S.A.A.F., W/Cdr. DAY, W/Cdr. TUCK, S/Ldr. JENNINGS, andF/Lt. KUCZGINSKY. The fake delousing party succeeded in getting clear of thecamp, but were all re-captured later. My party was stopped a the second gate, asthe guard recognised me. I was able to hide my German money, but my false Germanpapers were found. The senior officers were punished with seven days in thecells. I was held pending enquiries for 48 days and then punished with ten days'"hard".
3. Escape:
On 24 Mar 44 a mass escape took placefrom the North compound of Stalag Luft 3 by means of a tunnel which had takenone year to construct. I was No.18 in the tunnel, priorities having been workedout by all the people taking part in the escape. Approximately 200 intendingescapers were fitted out with clothing and papers, but I do not know how many ofthem were able to get out. The tunnel was 150 yards in length and wasapproximately 25 ft. below the surface, with a vertical shaft at each end. Arope was placed from the exit of the tunnel to a safe position in the woodsabout 15 yards from the exit, where a controlling officer gave the "allclear" by a tug on the rope.
I got out of the tunnel withoutincident and made my way to SAGAN station, where I had to wait for three hours,as trains were delayed by a raid on BERLIN. A time-table had been worked out,and the controlling officer in the woods gave each man a definite train by whichto travel. This plan was upset by the air raid.
On the way to the station I wasaccosted by a German civilian, who asked what I was doing in the woods. I waswearing the following articles of clothing which had been altered in the camp:-Naval jacket and trousers, an Australian greatcoat, R.A.F. escape boots with thetops cut off, and a beret which had been made in the camp. I was posing as aDutch worker and carrying appropriate identity papers. I told this civilian thatI was a Dutch worker and that I was afraid of the police arresting me for beingout of doors during an air raid. He said "It is all right if you are withme". He escorted me to the railway station.
At the station one of the German girlcensors from the camp, who was on duty there, spoke to S/Ldr. KIRBY-GREEN. Thisgirl was suspicious of him and got a Hauptmann of the German military police toexamine his papers. While this was being done the girl spoke to me. She asked mea number of questions, but I was able to satisfy her. The Hauptmann wassatisfied with S/Ldr. KIRBY-GREEN's papers. During the time I was waiting at thestation at SAGAN I saw the officer who had been No.32 in the tunnel arrive.
The train for BRESLAU arrived atapproximately 0330 hrs on 25 Mar. I travelled (second class) to BRESLAU where Iarrived at 0500 hrs. There was no control of papers. I saw about eight of myfellow escapers there. They were - S/Ldr. BUSHEL,Lt. SCHEIDHAUER, Lt. STEVENS, Lt. GOUWS, F/Lt. STOWER and at least three otherswhose names I do not know.
I purchased a second class ticket forALKMAAR (HOLLAND) (N.W. EUROPE 1:250,000, Sheet 3b, Y 95). I had the necessaryUrlaubschein to do this. I spent the day in two cinemas and in the evening tooka tram to the main station, where I got a train at 2000 hrs for BENTHEIM (GERMAN1:100,000, Sheet 58, 7897). My papers were examined on four occasions during thejourney. I arrived in BENTHEIM at 0900 hrs on 26 Mar. My papers were examined atthe frontier control and I was passed through without incident. All my magazinesand newspapers were confiscated.
I purchased a ticket and travelled bytrain (third class) to OLDENZAAL (HOLLAND) (6498). On arrival in OLDENZAAL Ipurchased a ticket and travelled by train (third class) to UTRECHT (N.W. EUROPE1:250,000, Sheet 2a and 3a, E 29) where I contacted a man. This man provided mewith Dutch identity papers and ration cards, and gave me food and shelter forthree days.
On 29 Mar I travelled by train (thirdclass) to AMERSFOORT (E 4098) where I contacted a man. I stayed with this man athis home until 1 Apr when I travelled by train (third class) to MAASTRICHT(Sheet 3, K 5652). I had an address where I stayed for two days, and on 16 Apr Itravelled by bicycle to ECHT (K 6980) where I stayed at a house for four days.On 19 Apr I went by bicycle to GEULLE (K 6060) and crossing the river MAAS intoBELGIUM at UYKHOVEN (K 5960) escorted by a Belgian. This Belgian gave me aBelgian identity card and a bicycle. I used the bicycle to travel to HASSELT (K3161) where I stayed one night. On 21 Apr I travelled by train (third class) toBRUSSELS.
On arrival in BRUSSELS I went to ahouse where I remained until 24 May. On that day I travelled by train (thirdclass) to PARIS, where I arrived the following day, and continued by train(second class) to TOULOUSE, where I arrived on 26 May. The remainder of myjourney was arranged for me.
Returnto Escape Menu
