Phil C
05-30-2008, 02:52 PM
Franz von Werra was a German World War II fighter pilot. He was a good one and had distinguished himself early in the war. He was shot over England and captured and set to a POW camp. After several unsuccessful attemps at escaping he was sent to Canada as a POW. The Germans really wanted him back because he was a first rate pilot. He escaped several times but was always recaptured. While on a prison train in Canada he escaped by jumping out of the window in January 1941. He made his way to the United States who was still neutral at the time. While immigration authorities were trying to get him back to Canada for entering the Country illegally the German embassy helped him escape over the border to Mexico and he made his way back to Germany in April 1941 and was a hero. He got honors from Hitler and got married.
He continued to distingush himself on flying missions for the German Luftwaffe. He also commented unfavorable over German POW camps compared to British and it was felt that this helped improve POW conditions for Allied prisoners in WW2.
He disappeared in the Netherlands in October 1941 and it is thought that his plane crashed ironically due to engine failure.
A movie about him was released called "The One That Got Away." Many think he was the only German POW to escape which is an error but this is a good movie and it is shown on TCM once in a while.
He continued to distingush himself on flying missions for the German Luftwaffe. He also commented unfavorable over German POW camps compared to British and it was felt that this helped improve POW conditions for Allied prisoners in WW2.
He disappeared in the Netherlands in October 1941 and it is thought that his plane crashed ironically due to engine failure.
A movie about him was released called "The One That Got Away." Many think he was the only German POW to escape which is an error but this is a good movie and it is shown on TCM once in a while.