of my work on the coke ovens was that I was
out of doors and could get a glimpse of the surrounding country.
Spring had come, and the fine weather made me long for freedom.

Three of us got together one night and figured out a way of escape; one
chap known as Blackie, another called Sammy, and myself. Now, as I
said before we worked in shifts, one week at night, the next during the
day. It was during the night shift that we planned to get away; but
there were two things we needed badly--namely, a map and a compass. We
were talking this thing over one night when Sammy said, "I have a
scheme." We told him to get it off his chest. "Well," he said, "I
think I know where I can get a map and a compass; I work with a German
civilian whom I think could be easily bribed." Blackie said, "What
makes you think so?" Sammy answered, "I have worked with this fellow
for three nights, and I have been treating him to some of my lunch, and
he seems to be pretty hungry." Then he said, "We will all save food
from our next parcel issue--chocolate, bully-beef, and biscuits--and I
will take them and see what I can get for them." We all agreed, but we
hadn't much hope of getting what we wanted. In two days along came a
parcel issue and we saved out all we could spare and handed it over to
Sammy. Next day Sammy took it with him, but brought it back when he
came from work. When I saw him I said, "No luck, Sammy." He said,
"Sure--come here and I'll tell you all about it." He said, "I got him
going fine, and he'll bring the map and compass tomorrow." "Then, why
did you bring back the food?" "Oh," he said, "I just showed it to him,
and his eyes stuck out a mile," but I said, "No, Fritzie, this is for
you when you bring the map and compass; so I think I have him." Sure
enough, Sammy went off the next day with his little bag of rations.
About two hours after we got started to work Sammy came along to where
I was working and said, "Jack, I have it." We wanted to have a look at
it right then, for it seemed too good to be true, but when we were
looking at it we were nearly caught by one of our guards who happened
to be passing. We curbed our curiosity, and did not bring out our
treasures again until we were safe in our huts.

Every night we pored over our map and laid plans for our escape the
following week when we would be put on night shift; but before the week
was up I was put on a different job. Instead of shovelling coke I was