Major Heinz Cramer & Franz Von Werra

[Larry]

Franz Von Werra AKA the one that got away, formed a small tunnelling company at the Hayes Camp Swanwick, Derbyshire of which Major Cramer was made Chairman (he had been Gruppen Kommandeur of II/ LG1 until shot down on 17th Sept 1940).

I'm looking for confirmation that Major Heinz Cramer was one of the five men who broke out of Hayes Camp 13 on 17th December 1940.

Names of the others greatly appreciated. Did they all go to Canada after this escape attempt?

NB - Major Heinz Cramer wrote an article published in Flypast Magazine in the UK late 1980s or 1990s concerning his shooting down and I'd like to know which issue it was.

[Chris Goss]

Larry: According to the book, yes. Lt Walter Manhard (6./ZG 76), Lt Ernst Wagner (5./JG 54) and I believe Oblt Johannes Wilhelm (StG 77) were the others. As to this article, was it written by him or about him as there was quite an unsavoury incident after his capture

[Larry]

Thanks Chris; regarding the unsavoury incident do you mean after Cramer was captured on 17th September 1940 or later after his escapre from Camp 13at Hayes Swanwick.

[Peter Cornwell]

Stab II./LG1 Junkers Ju88A-1 (3188). One engine disabled by Blue Section of No.152 Squadron (F/O P.G.St G. O’Brian, P/O E.S. Marrs, and Sgt K.C. Holland) during sortie to bomb aircraft factory at Speke and belly-landed at Ladywell Barn, Imber, near Warminster, 2.00 p.m. BO Lt Otto Heinrich killed, FF Major Heinz Cramer (Gruppenkommandeur) captured unhurt, BF Oberfw Paul Stützel and BS Fw Friedrich Schultz both captured wounded. Aircraft L1+XC 100% write-off.
Lt Col Guy Drake-Brockman was later found guilty of behaviour prejudicial to good order and discipline after assaulting two German officers from this crew and dismissed from His Majesty's Forces.

[Larry]

Thanks Peter,

The Lt Col Guy Drake-Brockman incident is now known to me but I thought Chris might be inferring that Major Cramer got another beating when he was re-catured in December 1940.

Sadly I cannot find much concerning the other four escape attempts and how they were rounded up, as every account focuses on Franz Von Werra nearly taking off in a Hurricane at Hucknall!

[Aviart]

http://regimentalrogue.tripod.com/bl...one-promotion/

[Larry]

Thanks for the link Aviart

Regarding the escaper, apart from Von Werra does anyone know how they were recaptured and after how long?

[Nick Hector]

Originally Posted by Larry

Thanks Peter,

The Lt Col Guy Drake-Brockman incident is now known to me but I thought Chris might be inferring that Major Cramer got another beating when he was re-catured in December 1940.

Sadly I cannot find much concerning the other four escape attempts and how they were rounded up, as every account focuses on Franz Von Werra nearly taking off in a Hurricane at Hucknall!

Is there somewhere online where the Lt Col Guy Drake-Brockman incident can be read up on?

[Larry]

This is all I know;

Lt Col Guy Percy Lumsden Drake-Brockman DSO MC of Royal Tank Regiment was found guilty by Court Marshall of behaviour prejudicial to good order and discipline of His Majesty's Forces and dismissed from the British Army on 14th November 1940, after ‘assaulting’ two German officers from the Ju 88 shot down on 17th Sept 1940 by 152 Sqn. The incident which resulted in his dismissal came while he was commanding 21st Army Tank Brigade. He struck two German Officers who were brought before him after Spitfires had shot down their bomber, as he explained; "They spat on the floor, spat on my shoes, then spat on me and called me a bloody English swine. I don't know who could stand this spitting and insulting, this arrogance and beastliness, but I could not." Presumably one of those brought before Drake-Brockman and who came in for a thumping was Major Heinz Cramer and the Non-Commissioned Officer, Oberfeldwebel Paul Stutzel, as the only other Officer on board had been killed.

When the First World War broke out Drake-Brockman was a Lieutenant in the Border Regiment and went on to win the Military Cross on 29th June 1915, and four Mentioned in Dispatches for bravery in France and a DSO for distinguished service in connection with British Military Operations in Murmansk, North Russia 1918-1919. He was a career Officer and in 1927 transferred the Royal Armoured Corps that was in its infancy. He came from a long line of Drake-Brockmans who all served the British Empire and the Army with distinction and in hindsight having such a senior officer, dismissed seems exceedingly harsh, especially in view of the treatment by the Germans of British POWs, such as Commandos captured in 1942 and aircrew recaptured and murdered after the Great Escape in 1944.

Keen, in his words to get into the fight again under the colours of the empire, Guy Drake-Brockman enlisted in the Canadian Army as a Canadian Trooper on 9th Jan 1942, scrubbing floors, carrying coal and standing sentry duty. However, Drake-Brockman’s promotion, in a single step from Private to the rank of Major, came through in a matter of weeks, which left him "dumbfounded" though pleasantly surprised. "Great Country this, Canada," he declared enthusiastically. Guy Drake-Brockman later remarried in Canada and he served in the Canadian Army for the remainder of the war in an organisational or training role, rather than overseas in Europe. He may well have recovered his previous rank, as when he died aged just 57 in April 1952 he was referred to as Lt Col Guy Drake-Brockman in his obituary in Toronto Newspapers. He was buried in Natal.

I guess somewhere in TNA there will be the transcript of his Court Marshall.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Re the articles in FlyPast on Major Heinz Cramer and others. They will be found
in the following issues:

Luftwaffe Prisoners Escape!
Peter Osborne.
FlyPast. November 1995 - Part 1 pp.30-2
FlyPast. January 1996 - Part 2 pp.50-4

Sorry, no scanner. Perhaps someone else can help.

Col.