The Great Épinal Escape
eBook - ePub

The Great Épinal Escape

Indian Prisoners of War in German Hands

  1. 256 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Great Épinal Escape

Indian Prisoners of War in German Hands

About this book

On 11 May 1944, just four weeks before D-Day, sixty-seven American heavy bombers dropped 168 tons of bombs on the sunlit French town of Épinal on the Moselle river. Unbeknownst to the aircrew of the 'Mighty Eighth', this was the temporary home of over 3, 000 Indian prisoners of war – and these bombs had just taken down the walls.

The escapees took food and clothes and set off for the border. If they could make it to Switzerland, neutral territory, they would be safe. But between them and their goal were thousands of Nazis, collaborators and over 100km of French countryside.

The Great Épinal Escape is the incredible story of the most successful escape of the Second World War. It is the story of how, during a period showcasing the worst of humanity – a period marked by brutality, bloodlust and fascism – ordinary people were able to demonstrate the best of humanity: resilience, support and a warm welcome. Ultimately, it is a story of hope.

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Yes, you can access The Great Épinal Escape by Ghee Bowman in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. List of Illustrations
  6. Map
  7. Indian Army Ranks
  8. Glossary
  9. Prologue: An Unknown Story
  10. Part I: Background
  11. Part II: Épinal
  12. Epilogue: The Greatest Escape?
  13. Appendix 1: The 500 Épinal Escapees
  14. Appendix 2: Before and After Épinal
  15. Acknowledgements
  16. Bibliography
  17. Notes
  18. Picture Section