Were they on a strictly numerically equal basis? "We will return 20 men if you send us exactly 20 men"? The reason I ask this is I was listening today to the account of an escaper who escaped after having actually been selected for exchange due to a wound to his leg. In fact, while being transported to be exchanged. (Fl/Lt. Denis Cowley) It's possible that he had some issues with confinement, as after he got to Switzerland he attempted to escape from where he was being held as well. But I wondered if there was a rational explanation for escaping when he had a way home. Like, if he escaped, would the British exchange one less POW with the Germans?
All POW repatriations were governed by Article 68 of the Geneva Convention. To answer one of your questions: The first Anglo-Italian exchange took place in April of 1942. 344 wounded Italian soldiers and 575 "protected personnel" were exchanged for 59 Commonwealth wounded and 69 "protected personnel" at Smyrna. Another example: An exchange between the British and the Germans was to take place in October of 1941. A month earlier the Germans had agreed to exchange 1500 British for a "few dozen" Germans. On 6 October, the Germans announced they would only exchange on a one to one basis. There's a lot of information on this topic. I'll add to this in the morning. Regards, Dave
Where and from what means of transport did he escape? I presume he would have known that in Switzerland he would have been interned? Vitellino
He had been in a German pow camp, and actually escaped from a train in Nice while the group was being transported for POW exchange. You can hear the whole story if you want on the For You The War Is Over podcast (latest episode). He got help from French railway personnel and got to Switzerland, was interned, but eventually escaped from internment (!), Went back into France - this was after D-Day - and was helped by the resistance to eventually reach Allied lines. I'm leaving something out, I know, because he got to the point in Switzerland where he was relatively free and was getting some kind of stipend, I think.
Cowley states in his Escape and Evasion report “My reason for trying to escape from Switzerland after being instructed not to do so by the British Air Attache was that I considered that the charge being brought against me by the Swiss authorities would prejudice all official assistance regarding my repatriation to the UK”. Those charges were in relation to escaping from custody whilst in Switzerland
So while in Switzerland he tried to escape from Swiss custody, whatever that might mean. Presumably he had attempted to cross the border? All POWs who had entered neutral Switzerland were not free men, but evadeés (Edited) . They were put to work, for which they received payment. Will find a page from a file in the TNA and will edit this to post it. After this initial attempt, it then appears that a charge was being brought, hence he was instructed by the British Air Attaché not to repeat his action, though clearly he ignored this advice and got safely out of Switzerland on the second attempt. Vitellino Edited to say that I found these two sheets from WO 32/9895 The National Archives: Treatment of British POWs who escaped to Switzerland 1941-46.
What always puzzles me is how captured medics/nurses were handled. I have conflicting information about the system. An immediate release when safe to do so, sorting and recording with exchange at a later date and being treated as normal POWs and kept. Which is the correct method?
On 18th May Cowley crossed the border at Avusy at at about 2100 hrs was arrested by Swiss Border Guards and taken to a military prison in Geneva where he remained for three days. On the 21st May, whilst left unguarded, he escaped from the prison by walking out of the main gates and went to the British Consulate where he met the Military attache who told him that it would not be possible to get to England. He therefore decided to make for France and set out for La Plaine du Rhone but was caught and again arrested by Swiss frontier guards. He was taken back to Geneva and made an unsuccessful attempt to escape en route. It appears that an allegation was made that during this escape attempt he kicked a border guard in the stomach and it was for this that the Swiss authorities later sought to bring charges. On 8th June he was released from prison and handed over to the British Legation in Berne who accommodated him in a hotel. He remained there until 12th June when he was transferred to another hotel at Glion, near Montreux. It was here, on 28th June, that he learned that the Swiss were to bring charges against him so decided to escape to France, which he reached on 30th June. After being helped by the Maquis he evaded until he met American forces on 14th August.
