...... continuing our stories of the men but saving the best bits for the book by Robyn Ford
It was generally agreed by the prisoners that it was hopeless to try breaking out alone. The Schweidnitz POWs agreed to leave the tunnel and travel in pairs. A previous story tells of Harker, Fryar, Copeland and Rickards
On the night of March 19, 1918 Harker partnered with Lt George Carman Atkins, Fryar partnered with Lt Henry Kramm Bush and Captain Frank Neville Hudson left with Rickards.
Lt George Carman Atkins 1896 to 1975
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| Lt George Carman Atkins |
Atkins was a Canadian from Ontario Canada. He was the son of Reverend Thomas James Atkins and commenced his career as a banker. He signed his attestation on 8/2/1915. His initial attempt to signup was thwarted after 3 1/2 months because he did not have his guardian’s consent. Determinately he waited and then in October 1916 he enlisted in the RFC Special Reserve. He proceeded overseas fought in the Battle of Messines which occurred around 7 June to 14 June 1917.
On 19 July 1917 Atkins was lost (missing) while patrolling in a Nieuport Scout. His record shows him arriving at Karlsruhe POW Camp in the company of fellow tunneller George Augustus Avey. later he was Limburg with Avey and later at Freiburg with Lindsay and Avey before their transfer to Schweidnitz. Atkins made several escape attempts over his time held captive.
During the tunnel escape and he was entombed and was saved by the gallant effort of the English Air Force man George Harker who was small enough to crawl through the collapsed tunnel and bring him to safety.
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| Part of the report about Harker and Atkin's (sic) escape and the aftermath |
Atkins too, was mentioned in the ‘escapes’ Gazette of the 11th December 1919 for valuable services whilst in captivity.
We dont often see the medals earned by these men. This is typical of the medals and buttons worn by Atkins post war.
He married Mary Edington Boyd in May 1921 having returned to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in 1919. They had two children. Sadly, his youngest son was Killed in Action in Canada in World War II.
Captain Frank Neville Hudson 1897 to 1922
Frank who was born in Kent was initially part of the Buffs East Kent Regiment. but completed his track flight training. By November 1915. He became part of the Royal Flying Corps. Called ‘Babe” because of his age, Hudson was a Royal Flying Corp ace.
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| Captain Frank Neville Hudson |
He was wounded in action in France in 1916 having been
forced to land in a crippled BE 2C after engine damage from a Fokker attack. This action earned the 18 year old a Military Cross.
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| Report of his Bravery in the London Gazette 30th March 1916 |
Later he was wounded again on 13 July1917. He received a headwound from shrapnel on a reconnaissance mission. He and others were recorded in communiqués on 26 September 27th of September and 14 November for brave performance.
Later he was posted to the Squadron 54 which was flying
with Sopwith Pups and was credited with 6 aerial victories.
When his plane was shot down between Bruges and Ostend by a German Jaspa 20 he crash landed on enemy territory and was taken as a POW.
As with the others he was taken to Karlsruhe POW camp. He also passed though Linberg, Triers (where he met Rickards) and where he was one of the signatories in Rickard’s Skizzen note book. subsequently to Schweidnitz with Rickards a few weeks before the tunnel escape. Despite this short stay he was one of the 24 escapees through the tunnel with Rickards as his partner. Upon recapture he was sent with the others to Holzminden for court martial and punishment by the Germans.
After the war he was mentioned in reports for valuable services “conspicuous gallantry and skill” whilst in captivity. After repatriation back to England in December 1918 he stayed with the RAF and was posted to Number 6 Squadron in the Middle East- Baghdad East flying Bristol F 26 fighters which were reconnaissance aircraft.
When he crashed and died at age 24 after only 6 years flying, he had survived several crash landings, POW camps, an escape and the 1919 influenza until his luck run out. He is buried in Ma’asker Al Rachid RAF cemetery just outside of Baghdad. He never married- he was too busy having adventures.
Lt Henry Kramm Bush 1896 to 1980
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| Lt Henry Kramm Bush |
At the beginning of the war Henry served in RAMC for 10 months with the 16th General Hospital in France. He had enlisted as a private whilst being under age after growing up in St Johns South East Lewisham.
He returned to England and took a commission in the 20th Battalion Royal Rifle Corps Kings Liverpool in December 1915. Having a German background Henry had a special skill useful in the fighting which was the ability to speak German. He was engaged to listen to German discussions in the trenches at night. It was a risky task and he had to remain very flat to avoid being seen especially when Germans resorted to using star shells to illuminate the enemy area.
Bush became a POW after a particularly tough battle. He had lost nearly 40 man and was returning alone with another man. In dense fog he inadvertently walked into enemy territory. Thus he was captured.
Bush wrote home that at Gutersloh POW camp he was courteously treated. His request from home was for foodstuffs to be sent. He arrived at Schweidnitz POW camp on 19 January 1918 with Asquith and Burrows, two fellow escapees. Subsequent to his escape on 19th March 1918 with Captain Fryar he spent the rest of the war in Holzminden.
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| Part of a report about the escape of Lt Bush and Captain Fryar |
The 1939 register shows him living with his wife Doris who he married in 1921 and working for a wholesale druggist. I suspect this was the family business. This register taken at the beginning of World War II shows he was an ARP warden part time and a company secretary. He died in Worthing on 28 July 1980.
