Poignant diary of prisoner of war at famous Great Escape camp unearthed
AN illustrated diary kept by a Prisoner of War held at the infamous Great Escape camp has been unearthed.
RAF officer Joseph Gueuffen's journal includes a touching tribute to the 50 Allied airmen murdered by the Nazis for taking part in the mass break out in 1944 during World War II.
The captain lists the names of all those killed, including Roger Bushell who masterminded the escape, alongside a drawing of an imaginary memorial for them.
There is also his harrowing account of the 'death march' the PoWs were forced to make from the camp in Poland and into Germany in temperatures of -20C.
The diary also contains some amusing sketches poking fun at the German 'goon' guards.
There are also several drawings of fictitious pin-up girls the men drew to make light of their predicament.
And amusing extracts from joke letters supposedly received by the PoWs were also written into the journal to relieve the tension.
One reads: "I have married your brother and I am so happy to be in your family as I'll be able to see you often."
The 113 page diary has now emerged for sale with US-based Lion Heart Autographs who expect it to fetch £10,000.
It dates from September 1944 to February 1945.
Gueuffen served in the RAF's 609 Squadron and was shot down during a bombing raid over Germany in 1943 and held captive at Stalag Luft III.
During that time he received the grey-blue, linen-covered diary that was issued by the Red Cross.
He was kept in Block 109, a barrack that played an integral part in the Great Escape of March 24, 1944.
His diary contains several sketches of the accommodation at the camp and the three-tired bunk beds they slept in.
One of the most eye-catching drawings shows the camp guard's watch tower - or 'goon box' as it is described, showing their contempt for their German captors.
It is dated January 25, 1945, and annotated 'just two days before moving'. This is a reference to the 'death march' from Sagan in Poland to Spremberg in eastern Germany to avoid the advancing Russians.
There is also an unpublished poem titled 'Escape'.
It reads: "If you can quit the compound undetected, and clear your tracks, nor leave the smallest trace.
"And carry out the programme you've selected, nor lose your grasp of distance, time and space, escape."
The prisoners clearly missed female companionship as there are drawings of scantily clad pin-up girls.
The Real Great Escape
The mass breakout from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III became famous, in part, due to the 1963 film featuring an all-star cast including Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, which although based on real events was heavily fictionalised.
The camp was built in 1942 and was selected as a site because its sandy soil made it difficult for prisoners to escape by digging a tunnel.
RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell came up with the plan for a mass escape from the camp’s north compound.
His plan involved digging three tunnels – Tom, Dick and Harry – so that if one tunnel was discovered the guards would not suspect other tunnels were also being dug at the time.
Bushell planned to get over 200 prisoners out from the camp, all wearing civilian clothes, escape equipment and forged papers.
Dick was eventually abandoned and used to store soil and supplies as well as a workshop for the other tunnels.
The tunnels were dug about 30ft below the surface and were only about 2ft square.
Tom was discovered by guards in September 1943.
Harry was eventually ready in March 1944.
Many of the German guards, who were anti-Nazi helped the escape plot by giving the prisoners items and assistance to help their escape.
It had been hoped to get 200 prisoners out of the camp but of those only 76 made it out
Of those that escaped, 73 were captured and half of those were shot.
Per Bergsland, Jens Muller and Bram van der Stok all escaped successfully.
One coloured pencil drawing is of a woman in a swimsuit standing atop a map of Britain facing a prisoner wearing swimming trunks and soaking his feet in an imaginary swimming pool.
The diary is being sold by the auction house having previously resided in a private collection in Paris, France.
David Lowenherz, director of Lion Heart Autographs, said: "This rare diary documents camp conditions and the murderous aftermath of the Great Escape.
"Richly illustrated, it belonged to the Belgian-born, British Royal Air Force officer, Joseph Gueuffen.
"The well-preserved volume documents prison life and also details the forced march of 2,000 PoWs to another camp as the war drew to a close.
"It is 113 pages contain texts, maps, diagrams, and 43 colourful cartoons and drawings by Gueuffen and other, mostly British, captives.
"This is a remarkable, unpublished record of one of the most memorable events of World War Two."
Gueuffen joined Belgium's air force in 1933 and was first taken priosner while fighting the Axis powers in Morocco in September 1940.
He was held captive at Stalag 2B in Hammerstein, Germany, but escaped in July 1942 and fled to Britain after passing through Spain and Portugal.
Gueuffen was one of nearly 2,000 Belgians who served in the RAF, joining 609 Squadron in July 1943.
He returned to England in May 1945 and left the RAF as a captain the following year.
The sale takes place on Wednesday.
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