Oliver Philpot - Prisoner of War

Prisoner of War

Philpot was suffering from the effects of the two days in the dinghy and was at first sent to a German military hospital in Oslo. After several weeks he was moved to Dulag Luft I near Frankfurt arriving in January 1942. Only a month later he was transferred to Oflag IX-A/H at Spangenberg. This was brief stay and in April 1942 the RAF prisoners at Spangenberg were all sent to Stalag Luft III at Sagan. Escape was always a thought having first been considered while in the hospital immediately after capture and at Sagan Philpot was involved in more than one escape attempt, in August Philpot was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. In September 1942 Philpot was among a number of prisoners transferred to Oflag XXI-B at Szubin (In his book Philpot uses the German spelling: Schubin) in Poland, the winter of 1942–43 being spent here before the camp closed and all prisoners were returned to Stalag Luft III.

On his return to Sagan Philpot was returned to the East Compound, where he had previously been held, in the interim period most of his friends had been moved to the North Compound. Escape schemes were not as common as they had been in 1942 but Philpot hit upon the idea of inventing an escape character and papers etc. before involvement with any escape, rather than the opposite way round. After some thought he decided that his character would be a Norwegian margarine salesman called Jon Jörgensen. The profession was based on Philpot's own civilian career and the nationality as being common enough to be encountered in Germany but with a reduced likelihood of meeting someone who spoke Norwegian as Philpot did not speak any Norwegian. With the assistance of a Norwegian POW the character was fleshed out even to the extent of making him a Quisling.