The German Great Escape

Revealing a largely unknown and remarkable prison escape of the Second World War, this historical recount examines the event that took place on Island Farm, a small patch of land in south Wales. In March 1945, this island became the scene of the largest prisoner-of-war escape in Europe when over seventy German prisoners tunnelled to freedom. In addition to prisoners of war, the escapees included numerous high-ranking German and Nazi figures awaiting trial at Nuremburg.

On 10 March 1945, 80 German POWs escaped from the Island Farm Camp in Bridgend, south Wales. This is the story of the camp. It held senior German military figures prior to the Nuremburg War Trials. Within months of their arrival the escape was made. All but one was recaptured in the subsequent manhunt, and a tense period for the authorities was complicated by a local man''s attempt to shift the blame for his wife''s murder on to an escapee.

Phillips''s narrative also explores the regime under which the POWs were kept, and their reception by the public in south Wales. Viewing the the war through the focus of Island Farm, he produces a fascinating story of human interest within the historical context.

Peter Phillips runs a PR and marketing company. He is the author of Humanity Dick, a biography of Richard Martin.