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Colditz - Under New Management by Nicolas Trudgian.
Colditz – a forbidding medieval castle near Leiptzig, Germany - remains one of
the most potent symbols of the Second World War. Reputed to be the Nazis most
escape proof prison, this grim castle is the most notorious PoW camp in history
with the distinction of being the only German prison that had more guards than
prisoners. The castle was specifically used to impound incorrigible, Allied
officers who had repeatedly escaped from other camps but putting so many
experienced serial escapers in one place proved to be a rather questionable
idea. Despite more conventional escape routes gradually being sealed off by the
Germans, members of The Colditz Escape Academy continued to jump, tunnel and
sneak out of this inescapable prison in surprising numbers. Early in the war
Hermann Goering made a public declaration that Colditz was escape proof but he
was to be proven wrong time and time again, and over 300 attempts were made
during the course of the war, with more than 130 prisoners escaping and 31
successfully reaching home. When captured the result was three weeks in the
solitary confinement block, however this didnt stop prisoners inventing even
more elaborate means of escaping, even catapulting themselves out of high
windows and of course the famous design and building of a sophisticated glider.
This new edition, reproduced from a pencil drawing by Nicolas Trudgian, depicts
the imposing castle shortly after being liberated by American troops in April
1945. In the foreground below a Sherman Tank of the 9th Armored Division stands
on watch, close to the sign that was erected by the US 69th Infantry Division. |
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Colditz - Under New Management by Nicolas Trudgian.
Colditz – a forbidding medieval castle near Leiptzig, Germany - remains one of the most potent symbols of the Second World War. Reputed to be the Nazis most escape proof prison, this grim castle is the most notorious PoW camp in history with the distinction of being the only German prison that had more guards than prisoners. The castle was specifically used to impound incorrigible, Allied officers who had repeatedly escaped from other camps but putting so many experienced serial escapers in one place proved to be a rather questionable idea. Despite more conventional escape routes gradually being sealed off by the Germans, members of The Colditz Escape Academy continued to jump, tunnel and sneak out of this inescapable prison in surprising numbers. Early in the war Hermann Goering made a public declaration that Colditz was escape proof but he was to be proven wrong time and time again, and over 300 attempts were made during the course of the war, with more than 130 prisoners escaping and 31 successfully reaching home. When captured the result was three weeks in the solitary confinement block, however this didnt stop prisoners inventing even more elaborate means of escaping, even catapulting themselves out of high windows and of course the famous design and building of a sophisticated glider. This new edition, reproduced from a pencil drawing by Nicolas Trudgian, depicts the imposing castle shortly after being liberated by American troops in April 1945. In the foreground below a Sherman Tank of the 9th Armored Division stands on watch, close to the sign that was erected by the US 69th Infantry Division.
Limited Edition : Signed limited edition of 200 prints. Print paper size 14.5 inches x 12 inches (37cm x 31cm). Price £60.00 Signed by
Major Peter Parker.
Colditz Proof Edition : Limited edition of 76 Colditz proofs. Print paper size 14.5 inches x 12 inches (37cm x 31cm). Price £495.00 Signed by Maj Peter Parker, Maj Gen Corran Purdon, Flt Lt Bill Goldfinch, Maj Mike Edwards, Brig Grismond Davies-Scourfield (deceased), Stf Sgt Murray Shapiro, Prof Peter Hoffman.
ITEM CODE DHM2598
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Colditz - Under New Management by Nicolas Trudgian
- The Signatures
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Major Peter Parker
Joining the Kings Royal Rifles in 1939 he was captured in Calais when it fell to Guderians Panzers and sent to Eichstadt from where he escaped. After further attempts he was sent to Colditz in 1943 until the end of the war having spent almost five years as a PoW.
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Maj Gen Corran Purdon
He joined the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1939 hut was wounded and captured whilst with the Commando's in St Nazaire in 1942. After escaping from Spangenherg and further attempts he was moved to Colditz in June 1943, where he was involved in several escape attempts until liberated in 1945.
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Flt Lt Bill Goldfinch
He transferred to the RAF from the Royal Engineers in 1938 and was on Flying Boats when he was shot down and captured in 1940. After escapes from camps including Slalag Luft I & 3 he was transferred to Coldilz in 1942 until the end of the war.
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Maj Mike Edwards
Joining the Royal Welsh Regiment in I938 he was captured near St Venant in 1939. After escaping from Eichstedt and because of many other escapes, he spent lime in several prison camps before being moved to Colditz in 1943. where he was invoKcd in numerous escape attempts.
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Brig Grismond Davies-Scourfield (deceased)
After joining the Kings Royal Rifles in 1938 he was wounded in France and captured and after hospitalisalion was sent to Posen. He subsequently escaped making it to Warsaw and with the help of the Polish resistance was en route to Switzerland when he was captured after 6 months on the run. Me was sent to Colditz in 1942, escaped in 1943 but was recaptured at the Dutch border and was returned until the end of the war. He died 20th November 2006.
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Staff Sergeant Murray Shapiro
Murray Shapiro joined the army in September 1941, and after training went on active service with the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, moving to Europe in October 1943 for further training in England and Wales prior to the Normandy Invasion. Going into combat a few weeks after D-Day, Murray advanced through France with his unit and was in the thick of the fighting when Von Rundstedt launched his crack divisions at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
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Prof Peter Hoffman
Joining Colditz Wachkompanie in 1942 as a private first class, he was one of around 150 prison guards that manned (he guardroom, gates, towers etc. After the liberation in 1945 he surrendered and was captured and spent until July 1949 as a Russian PoW, eventually reluming to his home town of Dresden.
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