W E Welbourne

Prisoners of the Third Reich W E Welbourne

Crete, 1 June, 1941: Overwhelming German airborne forces overrun the gallant Allied resistance defending the Greek island of Crete in the World War II Battle for Crete. They capture 5000 hungry and abandoned Allied troops, attempting an evacuation to Egypt. 'Arty' Dawson, an Aussie Sapper in the Royal Engineers, Sixth Division, finds himself an unwilling POW. This gripping true story traces Arty's two breathtaking escape attempts in Greece and his successful final escape to American lines, from deep inside Europe, as German soldiers flee the advancing Russian Front in the closing stages of the Third Reich. Arty's survival is largely due to luck, combined with the cooperation of his comrades, as well as unexpected and significant help from the Red Cross and the heartfelt forces of family love. Importantly, Arty, a quintessential Aussie bloke, raised in the Great Depression years, finds secret love to keep his spirits alive during the darkest of times.