Free as a running fox,

by T.D. Calnan

"My altimeter read 31,000 feet and I was flying just 500 feet underneath the critical condensation level. My Spitfire was leaving o give-away trail of white vapor, but an enemy fighter above me would necessarily leave a long plume of condenation behind it, visible for miles. Nothing below me would have the speed to catch me, so I felt safe." So began what should have been a routine reconnaissance flight for RAF pilot Tommy Calnan over Brest to photograph the results of a heavy bomber attack on two German battleships, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, docked in the harbor. But he was nailed by flak and badly burned before he was able to bail out. On landing, more dead than alive, he was captured and sent under heavy guard to a hospital. Once his sight had been restored and his wounds almost healed he was sent to the first of several German prison camps he was to be held in until the final days of World War II. He set about devising a means of escape at once. This fantastic but true account shows what one ingenious and courageous man was capable of accomplishing in the face of tremendous odds.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

323 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[JD · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this book was not as enjoyable as other POW stories centering around the Stalag Luft III, especially after finishing "Wings Day" recently, which was a much better and more detailed book. More background detail would have helped this book immensely, as sometimes fellow prisoners are only mentioned by their surnames. Far from the best POW book out there, and I would recommend getting a different one.

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written narrative of a senior British pilot, captured by the Germans half-way through the war. Calnan was one of those warriors we need during war, smart, dedicated, and fearless. He repeatedly planned escapes and made several, from different German prison camps, dedicating his every thought to how best to harass the enemy and continue the fight. Though he made it home only when the Germans gave up (and that by escaping the dangerously undisciplined Red Army,) his efforts cost the Germans time and money, many times more than Calnan's value as one flyer. This is why it was officially an obligation of POWs to attempt escape: enthusiastic efforts like Calnan's force the enemy to assign men to guard, chase, and transport the POWs, men who could otherwise be used at the front.

[William Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps one of the lesser-known WWII escape tales, though Tommy Calnan's tale forms part of the fascinating saga of British and Allied airmen in the Stalag Luft III compounds.

In its pages we meet again Eric Williams and Mike Codner of the Wooden Horse escape, and other names - Charlie the "ferret" - that have entered the lore of Stalag Luft III. Of the Great Escape of the North Compound little is said, but it is clear that the East Compound inmates knew quickly of that escape, and learned with horror of the fate of the fifty who were recaptured and shot.

Calnan tried many escapes, and his story typifies the attitude of many airmen of that time, committed to escape both for personal and for military reasons.

The story was published much later than the "classic" tales that surfaced in the forties and fifties, but still feels cut from the same cloth.

[Theo Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former RAF Wing Commander T.D. Calnan wrote his account of wartime captivity and and escapes when he himself was in middle age, considerably after the events which he conveyed. Yet he made them fresh and immediate, and vividly puts his readers in the cockpit of his photo-reconnaissance Spitfire when he's shot down while on a mission. He conveys the helplessness and dependence of a badly burned enemy airman, cared for by compassionate German hospital staff, and his concern for a hopelessly disabled fellow prisoner who would die in captivity. His odyssey through the POW camps, his escapes, recaptures, and dicey dealings with German police, are all recorded with astonishing immediacy. And after all that, he returns to England at war's end by unauthorized means....to spend his first night back at home maddeningly confined to barracks. An amazing account, supremely well-told.

[Stephen Gordons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, true story of a British POW's attempts to escape German confinement in the Second World War. I have read this book several times and still enjoy it.

[Clay Olmstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done! The amazing story of one man's adventures as a POW in WWII. I have to say that I have never known anyone with such a passion for freedom. The title refers to the freedom that a fox feels while he's being hunted; for Calnan, that little bit of freedom was all he could get, but that was enough for him to repeatedly risk his life. An inspirational story, one that makes a person think about what they would suffer for freedom. It's a great story, well told but in need of a few drawings, photos, maps and some editing to add some critical explanations. I would give it a 3.5, but of course that's not an option.

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read of the will to fight carried out throughout most of WWII from inside POW camps. A classic WWII escape storyline told by a man who lived it.

[Judi Kling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished Unbroken and the hubby suggested that I might like this book. I did, but it is very different. The writing is a little rougher, the story interesting, but not heart wrenching like Unbroken. A quick read.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War II escape literature.

[Roy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My junior high library was filled with books such as this. This was one of my all-time-favorite POW camp escape books. I suspect it was a reference for the movie "The Great Escape".