The success attending an audacious attempt of a party of 47 English prisoners of war to escape from their confinement in Germany was described by Pte Frank Woodfield, brother of Mrs Naomi Blackabey, whose husband keeps a stationery and hairdressing business in High Town Road.
He is in the Northumberland Fusiliers and was one of the escaping party. He was captured on March 21st last in France, and for the following six months did not get on very well, the chief trouble being due to lack of food. After a time, however, he had a stroke of good luck and fortune has smiled upon him, on the whole, ever since.
Pte Woodfield (pictured) was seen to work on a farm at Oberbruch and, although food was still scarce and meat unobtainable, life there was fairly comfortable. In the early days of the present month rumours about revolution in Germany and of the armistice proposal reached the prisoners with whom he was working, and on November 9th the sentries removed all the epaulettes from their tunics.
This was enforced by the revolutionary Socialists, who shot those who refused to comply with their demands. On the following day they were told that the Socialists were coming to take complete charge of affairs and, fearing lest they should be sent back to a big camp, the prisoners considered what they should do.
The decision, amazing in its coolness, was to pack up and walk off to Holland. And it was done the same night, the frontier being reached at 9.30. A German officer was accosted on the way but, instead of taking them back or interfering in any way, allowed them to proceed.
The party reached Roermond at one o'clock the next morning – the memorable morning of the Armistice. They later were sent to Rotterdam, and set sail for England at three o'clock on the Saturday afternoon.
After a circuitous cruise of about 280 miles, they sighted Spurn Head and were soon ashore at Hull. Here the party were greeted with a tremendous reception, packets of tobacco, sweet meats and other dainties being showered upon them by cheering crowds.
Pte Woodfield and the gallant 46 are to be congratulated upon the success of their exploit.
[Pte Woodfield was born in Lilley on August 23rd, 1891. He was serving with the 25th Northumberland Fusiliers when captured at Bullecourt in France on March 21st, 1918. Following repatriation he married Victoria Ellen Daisy King in Luton in the summer of 1921 and they had a son, Ronald. They lived most of their married life in Belmont Road, Luton, Frank working as a boot repairer and residing there up to his death in April 1977 at the age of 85.]
[The Luton News: Thursday, November 28th, 1918]