Orr, Andrew Neilson (Flying Officer)

3 AM 17 4 1943, Attacked by Night Fighter

3 AM 17 4 1943,Baling out of rear gunner position

Halifax BII aircraft DT 773 was shot down by night fighter pilot Lt Joseph Nabrich III/NJG101 returning from an operation against the Skoda armaments factory in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. Pilot Flight Lieutenant Dowse gave the order to abandon the aircraft and stayed at the controls. Flight Lieutenant Dowse was not able to get free himself and went down with his bomber. The Halifax crashed crashed in the dry lake bed of Max Eyth in the Hofen district of Stuttgart, Germany.

The crew survived and were taken Prisoner of War

The drawing show Flying Officer Orr baling out of his rear gunner position. He apparently injured his leg as he baled out.

3:10 AM 17 4 1943, Found by German Authorities

According to Flying Officer Orr, only ten minutes later he was on the ground and being captured by German Authorities. This image shows him landing on solid ground on Texel Island; and a very Dutch looking thatched roof house in the background. This image is a odds with his receipt of the Goldfish which occurred in November 1942 when his crew ditched in the ocean near Valencia Spain.

36 Hours in Cooler at Dulag Luft, 18th & 19th of April 1943

Dulag Luft is a processing centre just north and west of Frankfurt. Most downed allied airmen were processed and interrogated at Dulag Luft and then transferred to a Prison Camp.

North Compound

This is a layout map of the north compound at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan and Bellaria Germany (after 1945, Poland). Bellaria was a second camp located about 5 miles from the main camp at Sagan. Flying Officer Orr remained at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan. The north compound is the place from which the "Great Escape" took place in late March 1944.

Bar to Freedom

"The Wire" represented imprisonment. Many prisoners commented on "the wire".

Bellaria Design on Verdunkels

We don't really know what this drawing by Flying Officer Orr represents. But we do know that it is extremely well done. Bellaria is the location of second camp for Stalag Luft 3. Verdunkel refers to "dark" in German, it may also refer to "obscured". It was a term used to describe the paper that was used to cover the windows for black-out purposes in wartime. This image does not contain the characteristic page number of the YMCA diary book. It may be "verdunkel" paper.

A cartoon perhaps? An idyllic representation of a place that the prisoners wonder about. May have gotten a few laughs!

The Pit (Tidy Version)

"The Pit" is a highly derogatory term for what appears to be a reasonably nice space (given that it is a prison camp). Is there is something that we do not know about this room?

Escape

Transcription of prologue: "Originally copied from the wall of a cell in which would be escapes served sentences of solitary confinement for their aborted escaped attempts. Flight Lieutenant Boctel [likely Brettell] was among the band of RAF officers ruthlessly shot when recaptured after escaping from the north compound Stalag Luft 3 on 25th of March 1944"

"F/LT Gordon E Brettell died Danzig 133 squadron RAF 29 March 1944."

Flight Lieutenant Brettell had two escape attempts. March 1943 -- he was recaptured and spent time in solitary confinement. March 1944 (Great Escape) -- his group got as far as Danzig (Gdansk). They were recaptured and executed on March 29, 1944

Photos, right click to open in larger size

There are many photos taken inside prison camps. The prisoners smuggled in cameras, radios and other tools. The prisoners were extremely resourceful