Post by John Darnacan on Jun 3, 2010 0:01:13 GMT
I recently been reading a little bit about the experiences of the late Peter Butterworth, known to us better as the Meddling Monk.
Butterworth served as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, where he was captured in the Netherlands in 1940. He escaped through a tunnel from a POW camp (Dulag luft) near Frankfurt, in June 1941 and covered 27 miles (43 km) over three days before a member of the Hitler Youth captured him. Afterwards he joked he could never work with children. Two other attempts never got beyond the camp grounds.
However, he played a major role in helping others escape. First was the 'Wooden Horse' plan, where a vaulting horse was placed in the open area near the camp fence. Beneath the horse men dug a tunnel to escape. Peter Butterworth was one of the vaulters giving cover to the diggers.
After the war, a film of the escape was made appropriately called "The Wooden Horse." In a bit of irony, Peter applied for a role in the film, (He could have played himself) but didn't get a part as he 'didn't look convincingly heroic and athletic enough'.
This occured in Stalag Luft III, the same camp which is famous for the Great Escape, (which in the film featured William Russell, another Doctor Who alum.) During the actual escape preparations, Peter performed in the camp theatre, complete with cheers and catcalls to help cover up the sounds of digging.
Who wouldn't want a supporting player like that?
Butterworth served as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, where he was captured in the Netherlands in 1940. He escaped through a tunnel from a POW camp (Dulag luft) near Frankfurt, in June 1941 and covered 27 miles (43 km) over three days before a member of the Hitler Youth captured him. Afterwards he joked he could never work with children. Two other attempts never got beyond the camp grounds.
However, he played a major role in helping others escape. First was the 'Wooden Horse' plan, where a vaulting horse was placed in the open area near the camp fence. Beneath the horse men dug a tunnel to escape. Peter Butterworth was one of the vaulters giving cover to the diggers.
After the war, a film of the escape was made appropriately called "The Wooden Horse." In a bit of irony, Peter applied for a role in the film, (He could have played himself) but didn't get a part as he 'didn't look convincingly heroic and athletic enough'.
This occured in Stalag Luft III, the same camp which is famous for the Great Escape, (which in the film featured William Russell, another Doctor Who alum.) During the actual escape preparations, Peter performed in the camp theatre, complete with cheers and catcalls to help cover up the sounds of digging.
Who wouldn't want a supporting player like that?
