Wartime Courage:

Resistance has three components – intelligence, sabotage, and aiding service personnel to evade capture. or to escape. Nancy Wake, in occupied France, was active in all three; and Jack Champ escaped. A member of the sixth division, he was captured in Greece, later taken to notorious Colditz.

There are seventy books about Colditz already. The Diggers of Colditz focusses on Australians imprisoned there. It was a very heavily guarded castle, just south of Leipzig, near the centre of Germany. Once out of the prison you still had to get out of Germany. Those sent there had already attempted escape from other prison camps. The Germans mistrusted the Australians; the Pommies saw the Aussies as tough, rough and admirable. Colin Burgess helps Jack Champ tell the latter’s own story. Included are satisfying sketches of other Australians and their escape bids. We are often on tenterhooks, always impressed by their determination, industry and courage. The chronicle starts with the original capture, describes camp life, details escape attempts and ends with liberation by the Americans.