ANZAC DAY 2020 -remembering the Schweidnitz POW escape 19th March 1918

It’s ANZAC Day 2020 and we are in “iso” with the Covid 19 scare.  This is an important day for every Australian and NZ citizen remembering not only the slaughter at Gallipoli 1915 but all our diggers.  


We can’t celebrate their sacrifice in all the usual ways (Dawn Service, ANZAC street marches, picnics, drinking and two up at the pub ) It’s made all the more poignant when the Covid virus is affecting the very same people who fought in the wars and because of time going by they are diminishing in numbers.


We don’t forget these service men and women and despite the isolation we must continue the Anzac tradition. So, I’m writing about 6 of these remarkable men.

This year I’ve begun researching a group of 24 Australian, NZ, Canadian and English who fought, were captured, rounded up into POW camps, escaped …..perhaps more than once.  This is real Hogan’s Heroes stuff.


I’ve heard some of the main techniques used to escape by our allied servicemen were tunnelling, dressing as a German guard, a woman or citizen. Well this lot used a spoon!


The Schweidnitz POW escape occurred on 19th March 1918. Twenty-four officers were involved in the escape via a tunnel. 22 were recaptured and were returned to camp after three weeks and were tried by court martial. The Court martial papers make interesting reading. According to a letter from one of the UK escapees, Tarn Harker, “the tunnel was made by excavating with metal spoons, putting soil into mugs – tied with string which was shuttled back and forth. Only one man could work on the tunnel at one time”. They were free for just over three weeks and were heading for Switzerland but succeeded in getting over the border into Austria, before they were recaptured. The escapees split up, used trains and disguises and stole food to survive.

 Escapees 19/3/1918- Recaptured list

I’m still gathering up information on these brave chaps. Amazingly, some served and returned for the next war.


My interest is that relative Mark Strelley Fryer was one of the escapees. He’s from Derbyshire England. I’ve written about him here.


This blog is to honour what I know of the Aussie and NZ escapees so far.  

Many of the Aussie fighters left Australia as part of the Australian Infantry Force. Upon reaching England they were discharged from the AIF and became part of the Royal Flying Corps, were shot down or captured.

Here’s a little bit about Mark’s Aussie and NZ cohorts.

One of the Schweidnitz escapees with Mark Fryar was Gus Avey of NZ.

George Augustus Avey  1892-1976 was a Lt and Captain in the NZ Rifle Brigade 2nd Battalion. He was awarded a Military Cross on 13/12/16 for conspicuous gallantry in action. His war records show him going missing and believed to be in a POW camp from 28/6/1917 at Karloruke. After escaping from Schweidnitz he was transferred to Holzminden. He did assist with the great Holzminden tunnel, but at the time of escape Gus was held in 'confinement'.  In the London Gazette he was commended for gallant conduct in attempting to escape from captivity.

George remained in the Army as a reservist after the war and served again in WWII. On 21st August 1931, George Augustus Avey became the Publican of the Waipa Hotel, Ngaruawahia, New Zealand. His father (George Augustus Avey 1869-1939), transferring the License over to him.

He died in Auckland on 29/9/1976.

NZ er George Augustus"Gus "Avey

Eric Paul Fulton 1891-1982 was a Mechanical engineer from Victoria Australia. After landing in England with the Australian Infantry Force 14^th Battn he was discharged and joined the English Royal Flying Corps.

At Pozieres Lance-Corporal Fulton was wounded in the shoulder, thigh, and right hand, but the Australian casualties were so numerous that he had his wounds temporarily dressed by his comrades and volunteered as a stretcher-bearer. Three weeks later he was being congratulated by Major-General Sir H. V. Cox, commanding an Australian division, for his gallant conduct near Mouquet Farm on August 27 and 28 1916. He rose to the rank of the 2^nd Lt. He too was part of the Schweidnitz POW escape.

Eric Paul Fulton -Gallantry in the Field

Alan Barrington “Brolga” Hill  1892-1974 was from Warran NSW.  He also went from the AIF to the Royal Flying Corps 29 Squadron. Around Aug 1917 his parents received a cable stating that their son, Lieut. Alan B. Hill, of the Royal Flying Corp., had been reported missing.  

The Sydney Morning Herald on Sat 30 Apr 1921 reported Lieutenant Alan Barrington Hill, of Killowen, Warren, formerly of the Royal Air Force, was mentioned in the London "Gazette" of December 16, 1919, for "gallant and distinguished services" during the war. Hill also served in WWII

Some good news for the family from Hill's  Red Cross file

Alan  Barrington Hill Missing in Action

Ronald Starr Phelan 1893-1953   After obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering he was originally with the 35th Battn of the AIF from 2nd September 1915.

He reached the rank of Lieutenant. Enlisting 2nd September, 1915, and sailing 1st May, 1916' with 35th Battn., was commissioned in England 28th August.

He too moved to the RFC  22Sqn becoming a  Flying Officer 16th April, 1917.

Book of Remembrance, University of Sydney says that "Phelan in a Bristol F.2b figher (serial A7201) was shot down on 17 August 1917 at Passchendaele by LT Hans Georg van der Osten of Jasta 11 (it was the unit's 200th claim). His observer Lt. J. L. Macfarlane was killed, Phelan wounded and taken prisoner. "

After the war he was repatriated at Hull 14th December, 1918, and returned for demobilisation. He was promoted to Lieutenant R.A.F., 1st April, 1918. 

Phelan met Emily Frances Howard in England, while he was a member of the Royal Flying Corps. On May 30 1919. They married in London and he brought her to live in Australia. After a stint working away overseas as an engineer he had to file for divorce.

He served in served both WW I and II.

Roland's record of War Service for University

Lionel Read (AKA Alfred John Lionel Lee) 1893-1937

Lionel was enlisted under the name of Lionel Read (possibly his journalist name to distinguish from his father’s). He was a journalist in his father’s paper in Wellington and was later from Sydney NSW. Lionel Lee enlisted when he was 16 and served with a trench mortar unit. He wanted to fly and he succeeded in transferring to the Royal Flying Corps.

He was a personal friend of the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith having trained with him in Oxford, England during the war for service in the Royal Air Force.

Apparently, he was a distinguished airman. He had several crashes during action, and on one occasion he landed a plane the wings of which had been almost completely shot off by enemy aircraft. German airmen rushed to him, and congratulated him on his airmanship. He was a prisoner of war presumably after being shot down on this occasion.

He was captured at Moorstad and reported missing on 12/8/1917.

His obituaries show him as an energetic and enthusiastic citizen and an avid flyer. He recommended 'Smithy' for a Job with the Diggers' Aviation Company of which Lee was then chief pilot. Later Lee and Kingsford Smith went 'barnstorming' in old Avro planes secured from England, and at several New South Wales country towns many residents made their first flights with these two pilots.

His sudden death at age 43 was attributed to the aftermath of war injuries.

Arthur Wearne 1894-1945

Service no 3381 I believe he was initially an Australian Field Ambulance unit and later Australian Flying Corps 68 Sqn.  Arthur enlisted as a mechanic from Allendale in Victoria. Shortly after being promoted to 2nd Lt on 1/7/1917 he was pronounced missing on 26/7/1917. Having been captured at Ypres, papers showed initially that he was a POW at Karsruke.

Here's a little Christmas message from his Red Cross file.

Lt Wearne was repatriated to Australia from England on 28/2/1919.

German documentation re Wearne's capture

Lest we forget

We Will Remember Them

Author note: A few of us from different countries are joining together to preserve what we can of the story of these escapees and the events of the escape.  If you are related to any of the Schweidnitz POW escapees please contact me. We’d love to hear from you.


#AnzacDay2020
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