BRITISH RADIO TRICK

Evening Star, Issue 24012, 10 October 1941, Page 6

BRITISH RADIO TRICK

KEPT NAZIS FROM SPiTZBERGEN ESCAPES FROM GERMANY The Canadian-Nonvegian-British expedition to Spitzbergen kept up constant wireless communication with German forces in Norway, sending false weather reports and information, and the Germans never discovered the deception until the raid was over. So Canadians stated in a report published on September 10. False messages to Trorasoe, Norway, told of misty, cloudy weather and zero ceiling to keep Nazi planes from making their, regular flights to the islands, the Canadians said. Several days after the radio stations were destroyed frantic messages from tho Nazis' at Tromsoe wore picked up by radio men on one of the expedition’s returning warships. The Nazis were trying to find out what had silenced Spitzbergen. French soldiers and officers, 199 of them, brought to London by the Spitsbergen expedition told of escapes from German prison camps, internment in Russia, and removal to the Arctic islands, negotiated b.v the British Embassy after Hitler attacked the Soviet. Now they are off to a Free French training camp. ARRANGEMENTS MADE. Their escape -from Germany, some said, were effected by making “ arrangements ” with their captors. One officer, speaking perfect English, said: “ It took about three months for three of ns to make arrangements.” “ Don’t ask ns how wo got civilian clothes and so forth,” he added, “ but remember that I say for French chocolate you can buy any Nazi conscience. We bad chocolate—and some money. “ When the arrangements were completed we shaved off onr moustaches, cut our hair short, put on civilian clothes and boarded a train. We chose Saturday for our escape because the trains were crowded. Some officers who had been our captors got on the same train, but never recognised us. We always had our * Hell Hitler ’ ready, [is well as German coins to tip the train men. • TWO SPOKE GERMAN. Two of ns spoke German. One who didn’t kept a German hook open on the entire journey, pretending to read assiduously though he couldn’t understand a word. “ We travelled on nine trains in three days and nights and finally got through the barbed wire and arrived in Russia in weather 20 below zero.” Another Frenchman said he persuaded a German soldier to lend him a bicycle to get to the Russian frontier.