Carry
On scriptwriter Talbot ‘Tolly’ Rothwell had remained particularly close to one
fellow prisoner of war (POW). Peter Butterworth shared his humour and outlook, together they used their ability to construct witty camp plays to the advantage
of all the POWs.
While
plays and sketches were performed, escape was a possibility. The uproar of
laughter easily distilled the rhythmic sound of men digging tunnels.
As
the day’s routine of work and punishment gave way to an evening’s lock-down,
Tolly and Peter would work hard on the next camp show script.
What
the men, and some of the guards, loved most were the double entendres. They
missed the warmth and intimacy of female companionship, and Tolly’s ability to conjure
up magically side-splitting one-liners had them quoting his scripts for weeks
on end.
Slowly
but surely excess earth was moved and tunnels began to appear. The men would
use the opportunity of the weekend camp performances to conceal the earth in
their costumes and release it slowly into piles, while the guards were focused
on the crossed-dressed dames who took centre stage.
They
were then able to smooth it over with their feet and no-one was any the wiser
as the men trooped back to their huts.
One
cold winter’s night, after many months of planning, two teams of six men were
ready to make their break for freedom.
Tolly
and Peter were among those to remain, their services to camp moral and future
escape projects deemed too important to lose.
All
twelve escapees lost their lives. Ten while on the loose, two after being
captured and brought back to camp alive. They were unceremoniously tied and
gagged and dispatched by firing squad. With that, the camp concerts came to
end.
Upon
his return to England, Tolly was airlifted to Devon and to the seclusion of a
Dartmoor-based military hospital. He was weak, his wounds were infected and his
spirit broken.
Within
days of his return his family was at his side. A month later he was allowed
home, many months on he was still haunted by the atrocities he’d witnessed.
Contact the author at editor@brighton.co.uk
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