Franz von Werra: German Pilot and International Escape Artist!

Franz was often accused by his superiors of “engaging in boisterous ‘playboy’ behaviour”. Franz had a pet lion called Simba, so his superiors were certainly not far from the truth!

In September 1940, Franz was shot down over England and captured. By mid-October, he had already escaped 3 times! However, he was caught back on each occasion.

A Master of Successful Escapes

In December, he escaped a fourth time, managed to blag his way through a military aerodrome pretending to be a Dutch officer and was only stopped in the nick of time: He was sitting in a British fighter plane, trying to figure out the controls!

In January 1941, the Brits, possibly tired of running after him, sent him to Canada alongside many other German prisoners. His ship was barely moored, and he bundled into a train that he jumped out of a window and escaped again!

From America to Mexico: An Incredible Journey

He somehow managed to cross into America and made his way into New York where he handed himself over to the police. He was imprisoned for entering the country illegally, contacted the German consul that paid his bail and while the American and Canadian governments were working on an extradition agreement, Franz made his way to Mexico! From there, his escape led him through Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, and Rome. Von Werra finally made it back home to Germany in April 1941.

The Final Flight

In October 1941, Franz took off on a practice flight. His plane suffered a catastrophic failure and he crashed. This time, he did not survive. His final tally was 21 victories, including 8 on the Western Front. He is also the only Axis prisoner of war to have managed to escape from Canada and successfully made it back to Germany.

– RBM