Dominic Bruce

Pranks

Bruce (far right) with crew about to raid Brest in 1941

Bruce was a notorious prankster. In Pat Reid's book about Colditz he describes how a group of new Navy entrants to the castle were horrified when a uniformed German doctor (in fact, Howard Gee, one of the 'prominente' hostages) insisted that they were lice ridden and must strip naked for their private parts be treated by his medical orderly. This alarming figure in white overalls would approach each man with a lavatory brush dipped in a bucket of evil smelling blue liquid (consisting of lavatory disinfectant and theatrical paint) and dabbed each man's genitals. The new boys would later realise that the evilly grinning orderly was Bruce.^[16]

Bruce in Colditz, seated, fifth from left

In the IWM interview tapes held in the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive, Bruce tells the tale of a bombing mission over Berlin when he persuaded the pilot to descend to five hundred feet over the city. Bruce climbed down into the now empty bomb bay, hand cranked the doors open; sat on the bomb rack and threw a lit distress flare out of the plane. When asked later why, he answered "Because I've always wanted to see the Unter den Linden lit up at night."^[17][18]

Bruce, like a lot of his comrades, participated in goon baiting. In his book 'Colditz: the German Story' (1961, translation by Howard Gee), Reinhold Eggers, the castle's Security Officer, describes how Bruce was fond of sowing confusion amongst the German guards during Appel, or roll call, using the 'rabbit run' prank. Bruce would stand in the ranks, wait until he had been counted, then duck quickly along the line, only to be counted again at the other end. This trick was also used for more serious purposes, to cover up for a missing escapee.^[19]

John 'Bosun' Chrisp explained that after their sewer drain escape attempt, Bruce, billed the Kommandant and Staff Paymaster Heinze in the castle for £600 on behalf of Messrs Chrisp, Lorraine and Bruce, for their service of cleaning the drains that had not been cleaned for 300 years.^[20]

Nicknames

In his IWM interview tapes he tells how he fooled the King's cousin Viscount Lascelles (later the Earl of Harewood, he was being kept in Colditz as a hostage by the SS) into believing that the average or medium size of home sapiens was 5 feet 3 inches (his own height). When Lascelles told his mess mates about this novel theory it did not take them long to discover who had fooled him. That resulted in his nickname, 'the Medium Sized Man'.^[17][18] Bruce was also was known as 'Brucie' or 'Bruce.'^[14]

During his failed escape under the wire at Colditz he discovered his German nickname, as the guard who fell over him in the dark (and in his fright shot at Bruce, just barely missing his eyebrow) answered the security patrol's question as to who it was by saying 'Der Kleine' ('the little one'). The sentry overcame his shock only to burst out laughing when Bruce shouted "I surrender" in an effort to prevent him shooting again. When he emerged from his six week sentence in solitary confinement he asked another prisoner, Cyril Lewthwaite, who spoke excellent German, if he could explain the guard's odd reaction. Lewthwaite asked Bruce what he had said in German. Bruce obliged, whereupon Lewthwaite pointed out that "Ich ueber gebe mich" does not in fact mean "I surrender" but "I am going to be sick" (taken from a private letter to Peter Tunstall dated 5th September, 1979).^[21]

Character

Over forty percent of those in the RAF were killed in action in WWII.^[22] Bruce and his comrades in RAF Bomber Command would have had to have nerves of steel.^[22] Notoriously short tempered (his father 'Billie' Bruce was supposed to be the 'worst tempered man in the North of England') he was described as 'as hard as nails' by his fellow Spangenberg inmate, Squadron Leader Eric Foster, in his autobiography.^[23] Foster's autobiography is also an eye witness source for the Swiss Red Cross Commission escape^[23] at Spangenberg Castle.

Innovator of the wooden horse technique

It has been argued that Bruce and Tunstall are the original innovators of the wooden horse escape technique. Along with Eustace Newborn and Peter Tunstall, Bruce came up with the escape plan now known as "the Swiss Red Cross Commission." Tunstall, also highlights that in 1941, prior to he and Bruce planning an escape with the famed 'Swiss Red Cross Commission,' he, Bruce and a prisoner called Sammy Hoare had been digging an escape route with a wooden horse tunnel from inside the gymnasium, the wooden horse was placed roughly four feet from the wall that separated the gym from the moat.^[28] The digging was a very slow process, it required the removal of spoil, bricks and stone work,^[29] and was aided by other prisoners distracting the guards.^[30] When Bruce and Tunstall noted the slow process they began examining the rest of the castle and left the digging to another team involving Hoare.^[31] The tunnel almost reached completion but unfortunately the digging team got caught when a guard become suspicious at the large stones that were accumulating outside of the gym. The guard then called a search, and then found found the escape tunnel.^[32] This wooden horse gym escape tunnel was two years prior to the famed Sagan wooden horse escape. Tunstall stated that he would like to think some of the watchers and workers who helped on their original wooden horse escape may have mentioned it from time to time;^[33] and would like to think that their idea contributed to the success of the effort at Sagan.^[33]

Whilst the wooden horse tunnel was being dug, Bruce and Tunstall, were planning, after they had escaped from the castle grounds, to steal an aircraft from Kassel airfield to fly to Basle Switzerland. To do this they also created Luftwaffe uniforms.^[34] As the tunnel was being dug by other prisoners, Bruce and Tunstall were also in the process of exploring the castle and keeping their options open for other escape possibilities in case the tunnel route was found. At this time, Bruce and Tunstall met a new prisoner called Eustace Newborn. Newborn was a South African airman with plenty of experience flying Junkers Ju 52 and Junkers Ju 86 airplanes.^[31] Needing his experience with Junkers Ju 52 airplanes, Newborn joined their escape team.^[31] In the escape it was decided Tunstall, who could speak better German, would be a Feldwebel and Bruce and Newborn would be privates.^[35]

Bruce and Tunstall also wanted to explore a walled off flat.^[34] It was rumoured the previous occupant of this apartment was a forestry school principal who was now at the front for Germany.^[34] Bruce and Tunstall eventually found a way into this flat via the attic, where from the attic they found a staircase down to the principal’s flat.^[36] Bruce and Tunstall picked the locked door at the bottom of the stairs.^[36] Inside the room they found escape material such as civilian clothes, officer uniforms, guns, maps, a compass, cases and stale cigars.^[37] Upon sourcing these materials Bruce and Tunstall then gave up their wooden horse tunnel escape completely and left it all to Hoare. Instead they began solely focussing on the bridge and gate security.^[38] Unfortunately the gate security had been increased because of a 1940 escape from the castle by three Canadians, Keith Milne, Don Middleton and Hank Wardle.^[39]

Gate security

There were three companies working the castle gate. Tunstall called them, A company, B company and C company.^[40] Each company worked shifts. All staff rotated their roles and sometimes a staff member would be the sentry on the castle side of the bridge who opened the gate.^[40] There could be ten other posts a guard could be on.^[41]

The guard commander was on the other side of the bridge away from the castle. The sentry on the castle side of the bridge was to open and close the gate on command. To let people into the castle the sentry could only open the gate after an order that could only come from the guard commander, and this order would come after the guard commander had signed the people in. To let people out of the castle, the sentry, would blow a whistle, and the guard commander would come through the gate to sign the people out, then following a command, the sentry would then open the gate.^[42] Over time, they observed the C company Feldwebel was the least meticulous of the three companies and that there was no chance of escape if A company and B company had a shift, being they followed the protocol to the letter.^[40]

They worked out that C company had two big flaws that could be exploited. They noticed the guard commander did not bother with the protocol when the orderlies went to the moat to feed the pigs potato peelings and rubbish from the kitchen,^[43] this left the gate open. They also pinpointed the weak link in the C company team. Tunstall called the guard Blockhead. They believed he would be the least alert enough of the guards to notice their faces when they were in disguise.^[44]

Escape plan

Marcel Junod, delegate of the ICRC, visiting POWs in Germany. Bruce’s attire would have been similar.

They hid all the gear needed for the escape in the sick bay.^[45] They decided the escape would revolve around the three being disguised as a visiting Swiss Red Cross Commission inspection team. It was planned that on the day of escape, Tunstall would be dressed as an army Hauptmann, and Bruce and Newborn would be dressed as visiting doctors.^[46] Bruce and Newborn would be very well dressed, carrying dispatch cases.^[46] Bruce would also be wearing a Homburg hat and smoking a cigar.^[46] Newborn would be wearing a Tyrolean hat. Underneath the attire they would be each wearing their Luftwaffe uniforms.^[46]

Bruce and Tunstall estimated their escape from the castle grounds depended on these three things, pig feeding time leaving the gate to the bridge open, 'Blockhead' being on the gate and C company being on the afternoon shift.^[44] They waited a long time for these conditions to occur, waiting all through August.^[47] These conditions in turn rested on Blockhead failing a gullibility test.^[45] The plan was for this test to be performed by a prisoner called John Milner who spoke good German.^[45] The planned test was to see if Blockhead would bluff. In German, Milner would ask Blockhead if the German officer and the two Swiss doctors had left the castle?^[45] If Blockhead bluffed this question, he failed the test and this would probably mean he assumed a Swiss Commission team was inside the castle. If he bluffed Milner would give a thumbs up from behind his back and this thumbs up would mean the escape plan would kick into action.^[45] If ‘Blockhead,’ passed the test Milner would give a thumbs down signal from behind his back and the escape would not go ahead.

Upon the thumbs up sign the kitchen orderlies would immediately go to the door with their kitchen rubbish.^[48] It was always predicted Blockhead and C company would always open the gate to the orderlies to allow the orderlies to feed the pigs with rubbish from the kitchen. At this point, when the gate was predicted to be left open by Blockhead, they devised to immerse Blockhead in to a social orchestration. They arranged for: Blockhead to be blustered and overwhelmed by his perceptions;^[49] they scheduled deftly timed goon baiting from the orderlies at the gate to overwhelm him;^[50] and timed for a perception of urgency from Swiss Commission inspection team and the Army Hauptmann, to rush him.^[49] Prior to walking through the gate the faux Swiss commission team would be seen having chats with the British medical officers to help with the frame.^[48] Upon reaching the gate they had lined up for Tunstall to state in German to Bruce, right in front of Blockhead, “Du lieber Gott, Herr Doktor, schon viertel zwei. Kommen, wir müssen weitergehen!” (“Good God, Doctor, it’s already a quarter to two. We must hurry!”).^[49]

Upon exiting the castle security they planned on heading down the hill. At the bottom of the hill they planned on removing and hiding their Swiss commission clothes. They arranged to walk to the forest on their way to Kassel, dressed as Luftwaffe airmen, knowing the guards would eventually be searching for two civilians and an army Hauptmann.^[51] They also organised for a white smoke signal. The white signal would come from the kitchen. This white smoke would warn Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn that the guards are now searching for them.^[51]

Swiss Red Cross Commission escape

Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall walked across the bridge dressed as a Swiss Red Cross inspection team

The 'Swiss Red Cross Commission' has been described as the most audacious escape of World War II. Bruce’s MC citation described it as a very clever escape. On the 3 September 1941^[52] using an officer uniform and civilian clothes found in a walled off apartment belonging to the forestry principal, the three POWs simply walked out of the camp posing as a German officer (Tunstall) and two doctors (Bruce and Newborn) of a Swiss Red Cross inspection team.

The escape plan to escape the castle grounds worked. Milner tested the guard Blockhead and Milner gave the thumbs up.^[53] Bruce, disguised as a doctor, conversed with the British medical officers to help frame Blockheads confusion, the orderlies goon baited Blockhead at the gate,^[50] the Hauptmann (Tunstall) then marched to the gate in a hurry and stated to Bruce, “Du lieber Gott, Herr Doktor, schon viertel zwei. Kommen, wir müssen weitergehen!”^[54] Blockhead even saluted the Hauptmann (Tunstall).^[55] Tunstall walked by and opened the gate, Bruce and Newborn, carrying dispatch cases, with Bruce insouciantly smoking a cigar^[56] (a rarity by this period of the war; and convincing evidence for the guards that the visitor was Swiss), followed him over the bridge. The guards at the other end of the bridge saluted at the Hauptmann as they made it over the bridge on their way out of the castle grounds.^[57] Exiting the grounds they turned right on their way to Kassel, made their way to the bottom of the hill, removed and hid their commission disguises and marched to Kassel dressed as Luftwaffe airmen. In their escape plan there was only one thing that did not come off, at the bottom of the hill they did not see the white smoke warning that come from the kitchen warning them the security team was searching for them.^[58] There were also some close calls on the way to the forest. When on an open road heading towards the forest, search parties drove past them, even asking Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn if they had seen three escapees dressed as the Swiss Commission inspection team, causing some mild anxiety.^[59]

They reached the airfield the next day. At Kassel airfield they intended to steal a Junkers Ju 52, which Newborn had flown before the war, and then fly to Basle Switzerland.^[60]They penetrated the aerodrome, but were discovered trying to start a Luftwaffe aircraft,^[12] so they decided to find another aerodrome that was less heavily guarded near the Belgian frontier. After ten days on the road, near a small prison camp used for farm labour,^[61] they were arrested by a soldier who followed them on a bike with another guard and a civillian. This soldier, who just three weeks previously worked as a guard at Spangenberg, recognised Tunstall.^[62]

Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn were taken many miles to Frankenberg on the river Eder^[63] and interrogated by the Gestapo. During WWII, the Gestapo were notorious for not verifying information and sending people to concentration camps.^[64] Not much was known about the Gestapo in 1941.^[65] Tunstall described how even the Wehrmacht, who had transported them, become anxious in the malevolent presence of the Gestapo.^[65] Tunstall wanted to get out of the presence of the softly spoken Gestapo interrogator as soon as possible.^[66] When Tunstall was answering his questions, Bruce and Newborn looked at Tunstall with disdain, consequentially, when Bruce and Newborn were interrogated, they instead, approached the questioning from the interrogator with disrespect.^[67] Tunstall believes had the same situation happened just three years later, Bruce’s and Newborn’s approach could have been fatal.^[68]

They were then sent back to Spangenberg.^[69] Returned to Spangenberg, the three were each held to a long period in solitary confinement.^[70] Bruce received 53 days in solitude for the Spangenberg Castle escape.^[12] In Spangenberg they were not sentenced for their escape but held in preventative arrest.^[70] The Senior British Officer also complained that according to the Geneva convention guidelines, the exercise yard in Spangenberg was too small, and they needed to be moved to another camp.^[71]

Defying solitude

In solitary confinement, Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall were placed in three separate cells in front of, and high above, the moat they had previously escaped from.^[72] Whilst they were held in confinement, they even managed to defy solitude after Bruce picked the lock on his, Newborn's and Tunstall's cell doors^[73] in order that they might join him in his cell to play poker with a set of home made cards a previous occupant had left behind.^[74] For the breaking of the solitude, Bruce was eventually court-martialled on the serious military charge of breaking free from arrest, the other two eventually got 5 extra days solitude. Tunstall explained he thought Bruce eventually got away with it by Bruce explaining escaping was not a court-martial offence for a POW, according to the Geneva Convention.^[75] Inside of solitary, Tunstall claims, early on, there were rumours of Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn being shot.^[76] After nearly eight weeks, the whole camp was made to move; Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn were rumoured to be, and expected to be, sent straight to the Colditz Straflager (punishment camp), instead, they were sent to Warburg.^[76] This immediate move was a hindrance to Bruce and Tunstall as they had been formulating two more escape plans.^[76] Tunstall mentions that on the journey to Warburg there was a flurry of train jumpers.^[76]

Working party escape

Upon arrival Bruce and Tunstall immediately cased the joint and formulated escape plans.^[78] They noticed the secondary gate was used occasionally to march out guarded working parties of orderlies and that the security here was lax, when compared to Spangenberg.^[78] Bruce and Tunstall then created their first plan. The plan involved walking out of the camp dressed as guards. Bruce and Tunstall, then registered their new plan of escape with the Warburg escape committee. They then got working on German army uniforms to walk out through the lax security.^[79] They soon faced two problems. The first problem being being they were immediately put back into solitary; and the next problem being, the escape committee changed their plans.

Their previous preventative arrest in Spangenberg amounted to almost two months, and despite the fact they had been promised that their arrest time in Spangenberg would count against any sentence in Warburg, a Major called Rademacher announced to Bruce, Tunstall and Newborn that they each would be serving 28 days in solitary.^[80] This was the first immediate blow to Bruce's and Tunstall's first escape plan. The second blow occurred when the escape committee decided on adjusting their plan; they wanted their escape plan to accommodate more prisoners.^[81] The escape committee new plan was to use the uniforms and the forged papers and then march out a big bogus working party.^[82] Bruce and Tunstall were to be orderlies in the plan and the uniforms were to be worn by two fluent German speakers called Stevens and Lance Pope who would act as the guards of the orderlies.^[83] Tunstall explains he and Bruce, accepted the change selflessly but were worried that the change in plan was too ambitious and would complicate things.^[82] Still the escape committee worked on the uniforms, dummy rifles and the forged documents which were forged by John Mansel. Mansel who Tunstall described as the master forger of WWII.^[81]

The first two times the worker party escape was tried it was held back at the gates via faults in the documentation. In January 1942,^[12] the third time they attempted the bogus worker party, they forged the signature of the guard Feldwebel Braun.^[84] This opened the gate. Though this escape was immediately hindered by the guardsman noticing Feldwebel Braun could not have signed the papers as he was on compassionate leave.^[84] The guards then started firing, and the bogus workers party dispersed.^[84] According to Tunstall, not one of the escape party was caught and the German uniforms, the dummy rifles and forged papers where quickly stowed away in the hides at emergency speed.^[85] The German search party, though, did find a piece of green cloth which was used to make the German uniform, on the camps belongings. Bruce and Tunstall were blamed for this by Major Rademacher.^[86] For this action Bruce received more time in solitary confinement.^[12]

Escaping from solitary confinement

Bruce and Tunstall were sent to solitary confinement for the attempted escape with a workers party and they were given three months. They felt persecuted by Rademacher as they perceived the Major was always putting them into confinement for baseless reasons. Whilst in solitary though they still constructed more escape plans.^[87] In this specific stretch of confinement, they worked out one more plan, and this set up involved an actual escape from inside the solitary confinement.^[87] They wanted to break out of the camp and follow a previous route to France which was attempted by a former prisoner who had jumped on a goods train in Dössel and had evaded capture for five days. They also noted the cell block was made of a heavy timber, and that to escape from the camp with this type of timber it required adequate tools.^[88] Knowing this escape needed tools, they then made a selection of hand made tools and wrapped them up. Bruce eventually hid the tools in the wood shavings in his mattress.^[89]

Knowing the tools were now safe and they could pick their moment, on the morning of their planned escape, they noticed more snow had fell. They observed that this was not escaping weather and because of the conditions they had no option but to wait.^[89] This wait, sadly for Bruce and Tunstall, prolonged. Whilst waiting for the weather conditions to improve, Bruce and Tunstall were ordered to pack their belongings... and they were then sent to Colditz.^[89] A year later, inside Colditz, former Warburg prisoner Douglas Bader, explained the escape tools they left inside Warburg had been successfully used by another prisoner.^[90]

Arrival and processing

Prisoners yard as seen in 2011.

On the train journey to Colditz, they had been escorted to Colditz by three privates and one NCO.^[94] These guards were in turn briefed about Bruce's and Tunstall's propensity for escaping; the guards were under a threat of severe retribution if they ever escaped.^[94] The guards called Colditz Sonderlager (Special Camp) and the prisoners called Colditz Straflager (Punishmant Camp).^[94] When Bruce arrived at Colditz late at night and, for the first time, entered the deserted, flood lit exercise yard, on his way to the upper cells, Tunstall recollects that Bruce's first words were, "We'll get out of this bloody place too." To which Tunstall recalls he replied, "You bet."^[95]

After recapture from his Spangenberg and Warburg escapes, Bruce, now in Colditz, was put in a cell whilst waiting for trial. He was charged with breaking and entering for picking a lock in a walled off part of the Spangenberg Castle; and theft of the uniform he found in the walled off room inside Spangenberg Castle; the documents also show, he was put into solitary confinement in Spangenberg Castle, and allege, Bruce kicked the cell door down whilst in his cell. The alleged action of kicking the cell door down, added a very serious charge of sabotage of state property.^[96] Tunstall description of the events, differs to Bruce's charge sheet, it highlighted that no state property was broken and Bruce, Newborn and Tunstall were defying solitude after Bruce picked the locks in their solitary confinement.^[97] In WWII it was generally accepted that the main rules of escaping were: don't wear German uniform; don’t use violence; and don’t engage in espionage or sabotage. It was perceived that breaking these rules could result in the prisoner facing a court-martial, and even death.^[98] Bruce was clearly in trouble with regards to his charge sheet in that he had stolen a German uniform, and had been charged with an alleged sabotage of state property. The sabotage of state property being a very serious charge.^[96]

To defend himself, Bruce choose a fellow Colditz prisoner, Lieutenant Alan Campbell, a trained lawyer, to advocate for him. Campbell (subsequently Baron Campbell of Alloway ERD QC (24 May 1917 – 30 June 2013)) argued that, according to King's Regulations, Bruce had a duty to escape; and using a precedent, cited a case of a German fighter pilot called Franz von Werra who had escaped, von Werra who was famed for getting the German High Command to change its policy with regards to POW's; and highlighted the fact that Bruce had never used violence. After the trial, Bruce received a moderate sentence of three months in solitary.^[96]

On 21 April 1942 Bruce's commission was confirmed and he was promoted to the war substantive rank of flying officer.^[99]

Tea chest escape

Photo of the bed sheet rope used in the 'tea chest' escape from Colditz by Dominic Bruce.

The tea chest used by Bruce to escape from Colditz

Bruce was the author of the famed "Tea Chest Escape" which was featured in the Imperial War Museum's 'Great Escapes' exhibition in 2004,^[100] where the museum built a fascimile of the tea chest and invited children to see if they could 'escape from Colditz'. He made use of a silk map.^[4] The silk escaping map Bruce used in the escape to guide him to Danzig (now Gdansk) which was sent to him by his wife concealed in a brass button of a uniform, at the behest of MI9, can be seen in the IX Squadron archive museum at RAF Marham,^[101] donated to the Squadron in a handover ceremony by the Bruce family. Because of his very small stature Bruce was known ironically as the "medium-sized man"^[3][4] (see camaraderie with messmates section for the origin). When a new Commandant arrived at Colditz in the summer of 1942 he enforced rules restricting prisoners' personal belongings. On 8 September 1942 POWs were told to pack up all their excess belongings and an assortment of boxes were delivered to carry them into store. Bruce immediately seized his chance and was packed inside a Red Cross packing case, three foot square, with just a file and a 40-foot (12 m) length of rope made from bed sheets. Bruce was taken to a storeroom on the third floor of the German Kommandantur and that night made his escape.^[102] The next morning the castle was visited by General Wolff, officer in charge of POW army district 4.^[16] He inspected the camp and found everything to his satisfaction.^[16] Fortunately for the camp commandant, as Wolff was driven away, his back was turned to the southern face of the castle. If he had turned his head he would have seen a length of blue and white checked (bedsack) rope dangling from a remote window.^[16] It was, however, eventually noticed by a hausfrau (housewife) in the town, who quickly reported it to the duty officer.^[16][103] When the German guards entered the storeroom they found the empty box on which Bruce had, in yet another of his pranks, inscribed in chalk:

Translated this means: "The air in Colditz no longer agrees with me. See you later!"^[4] Pat Reid explained it was almost tempting providence of Bruce to write Auf Wiedersehen on the box instead of writing good bye.^[4] Bruce travelled 400 miles to Danzig; the furthest distance he ever made in all his escapes.^[104] To get to Danzig, he slept rough,^[12] and he travelled by bicycles which he stole from outside village churches during Mass. Whilst travelling to Danzig, Bruce was temporarily recaptured in Frankfurt-on-Oder, but escaped prior to interrogation.^[12] In Danzig, one week later, he was eventually caught trying to stow away on a Swedish Freighter.^[104] When he returned to Colditz, Bruce received more time in solitary.^[12]

Triple identity ploy

The forged papers in the name of Joe Soap used by Bruce in the Tea Chest escape

He is thought to be the inventor of the 'triple identity' ploy for use when captured, which he explains in the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive tapes.^{[17][18][note 4]} The triple identity meant that he had three personae; his real identity as himself, the identity shown on his false ID papers; and another identity that he would only reveal under pressure. When he was captured, he was disguised as a Belgian Gastarbeiter or 'guest worker' named Josef Savon (his false ID is still in the possession of the Bruce family) another example of Bruce's fondness of disguises. In his autobiographical book, 'The Tunnellers of Sandborstal' (Robert Hale, 1959), Lieutenant Commander John 'Bosun' Chrisp MBE RN said that "Bruce's adventures in various corners of occupied Europe read like John Buchan (author of 'The Thirty Nine steps') at his most melodramatic" and that Bruce "can claim to be the most ingenious and unlucky escaper of the war."^[5] The use of the Josef Savon disguise is also another example of Bruce's predilection for pranks, as Josef Savon translates into 'Joe Soap'. In 1944, Joe Soap was RAF slang for a legendary airman who carried the can.^{[note 5]}

When captured he pretended to break down and admitted he was in fact Flight Sergeant Joseph Lagan. Lagan was his brother in law and so Bruce could answer detailed questions about his service record etc. Initially the delighted Germans believed him and were ready to send him to a Stalag or 'other ranks' camp.^[17][18] Under the Geneva Convention, other ranks (unlike officers) could be made to work; and were often taken outside camps on working parties; from which it was easy to escape. His story when captured was that he had jumped from a British plane over Bremen and arrived in Danzig on a stolen bicycle;^[4] his bicycle, unbeknown to Bruce, had a local number on it.^[4] Bruce was then sent to the RAF camp at Dulag Luft near Oberursel.^[4] Whilst at the camp, the Germans had already requested a specialist Gestapo interrogator to come from Berlin, who was to recognise Bruce.^[4][17][18] When he arrived he took one look at the supposed Flight Sergeant Lagan and said "Ah, Captain Bruce, how nice to see you again". This was the second time he had interrogated Bruce (whom the Germans habitually addressed as 'Captain'). Under heavy guard, Bruce was taken by train back to Colditz. On the overheated train, the guard detail fell asleep and Bruce tried to escape once again, but was prevented by a watchful officer.^[17][18]

Aiding an escape from solitary confinement

The German Kommandantur in 2011.

The 'Tea Chest Escape' made Bruce the first prisoner to escape from both Spangenberg Castle and Colditz Castle. He was soon to be joined by Howard 'Hank' Wardle MC^[106] who would soon escape from Colditz with Captain Pat Reid, Major Ronald B. Littledale, and Lieutenant Commander L. W. Stephens. Wardle had also escaped from Spangenberg Castle.^{[107][note 6]} This escape by Wardle, Reid, Littledale and Stephens was aided by reconnaissance from Bruce. Pat Reid explained that whilst Bruce was in solitude, he got a message smuggled to Bruce, via his food. Reid wanted Bruce to give him some detail about the German Kommandantur of the castle.^[108] In due course Reid received a return message from Bruce.^[108] This message gave him information about the specific unused staircase, the top floors, and importantly, how the door to this staircase was in full view of the Kommandantur sentries, and how this door was put into shadow by the flood lights.^[108] On 14 October 1942, in the Kommandantur cellar escape, they all used Bruce's information and tried to get the staircase door open with a dummy key. Unfortunately the dummy key failed. This worked out though; as with their contingency plan, using the shadow, they slowly worked their way to the Kommandantur cellar to which they where to escape from.^[109]

Musketoon witness

In October 1942 seven captured commandos were processed inside Colditz and sent to solitary confinement. These commandos had previously been involved in the Operation Musketoon raid. Inside the cells Peter Storie-Pugh, Dick Howe and Bruce had managed to have conversations with them.^[110]

On 13 October 1942 the commandos were removed from Colditz and taken to the SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA) headquarters in Berlin, where they were interrogated one by one by Obergruppenführer Heinrich Müller.^[111] They remained in Berlin until 22 October, when they were taken to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. On the next day, 23 October, they were all shot in the back of the neck and their bodies cremated.^[112] These commandos were the first to fall victim to Adolf Hitler's Kommandobefehl (Commando Order) issued on 18 October 1942, which called for the execution of all commandos after capture.

In 1964 Stephen Schofield interviewed Bruce for his book 'Musketoon: commando raid, Glomfjord, 1942' (University of Michigan), revealing that while in the solitary confinement cells, Bruce managed to make contact with Captain Black DSO, leader of Operation Musketoon, the Anglo-Norwegian commando raid mounted against the German-held Glomfjord power plant in Norway. Bruce was the last British person to speak to Black before he (and six comrades) was murdered in Sachsenhausen concentration camp.^[110] The official German story given to the Red Cross was that the seven men had escaped and not been recaptured, and Colditz Oflag IVC were instructed to return any letters to their senders marked Geflohen (escaped),^[110] but Bruce's testimony was sent from Colditz to MI5 in London and ensured that the British authorities knew the truth.^[113]

Bruce was promoted again, to flight lieutenant, on 20 January 1943.^[114]

Escaping after August 1943

By 1944 escaping was becoming tougher and more risky. Walter Morison explained that by August 1943 most of the loopholes to escape in the castle had been exploited;^[115] making escaping even harder. By spring 1944 escaping got more risky. Contrary to the Geneva convention the use of force had been debated inside the German mess for years. Oberstleutnant Prawitt, the Kommandant and Staff Paymaster Heinze were keen on using it on repeat offenders,^[116] such as Bruce. As was the Major Amthor, the new second in command, who had joined the mess in May 1943. Amthor was a young keen Nazi and had constantly tried to influence for the use rough measures.^[116] Amthor and Prawit were hated by the prisoners that when ever they entered the court yard they were whistled and howled at.^[116] Püpke was not a Nazi and was even given a courteous reception during Appell in the summer of 1944.^[117] In late March 1944, Hitler had disregarded the Geneva Convention with regards to POW's. The punishment for escape now carried a punitive risk of execution.^{[note 7]} Bruce made two further escape attempts in 1944; on 19 April and on the 16 June.

On his 19 April escape he cut through bars on north side of the castle and reached the wire fence before being detected.^[119] After Bruce was seen by the sentries, Bruce was then fired at by rifle and machine guns.^[120] Knowing he did not stand a chance, Bruce surrendered. When surrendering, Bruce, to the amusement of the German guards, instead of yelling, "Ich gebe auf" ("I give up"), in a faux pas yelled, "Ich ueber gebe mich" ("I feel sick.").^[120]

Drain escape

On 16 June escape, Bruce, Major R. Lorraine and John "Bosun" Chrisp tunnelled through sewers into an old well in the German yard that had a pipe that lead into the river, but were again detected.^[121] The sewage escape route that lead to the manhole covered well, was found via the help of earlier tunnelling and reconnaissance by the Poles, along with the help of Jack Best (also of the Colditz Cock fame) and Mike Harvey.^[122] Best and Harvey had frequented with the Poles in their time as ghost prisoners and had participated in their tunnel digging.^[122] Best hated the tunnel in his days as a ghost prisoner, claiming your arse always got wet with cold waste water.^[122] Though Best noted the Poles were very proud of their dangerous tunnel.^[122] One prisoner claimed the tunnel even had a 'terrifying' electrical cable that ran inside the damp conditions.^[123] When the Poles left the castle, the tunnel was bought by a party for 100 cigarettes.^[20] Sometime after 1941, the Poles had dug a key hole through a rock that itself lead onto the main sewer system. In 1944, Bruce, Chrisp and Lorraine, surveyed the tunnel, whilst Dick Howe ensured the kitchen, showers and toilets were off limits to other POW's.^[123] When they entered that hole they found the main sewage system lead to the well;^[124] the well they were soon to be captured in.^[123] They then returned to base, to have the castle’s doctor brush them with iodine, and to collect some tools which would help them hammer spikes into the well wall.^[123]

When they returned to the well, Lorraine, tied by a rope, was lowered to the bottom of the well, in what was low tide, and began hammering in the spikes.^[123] There were three manhole covers around the German Kommandantur that were within 50 yards of each other.^[125] At the archway halfway outside of the castle, a guard heard noises beneath his feet, whilst he was standing near one of the manhole covers.^[125] Upon hearing the noise, the guard gave a shout to the riot squad and security officer; and an immediate order was made to open up the three manhole covers.^[125] Staff Paymaster Heinze walked past one of the covers and spotted them and spat at them calling them ”stinking swines.”^[125] Later, for this abuse, the Senior British Officer (SBO), obtained an apology.^[125] A guard also threatened to shoot Bruce, Lorraine and Chrisp whilst they were in the uncovered drain.^[123] The Germans then called an immediate Sonderappell. and after this Appell, an effort was made by the escape committee to save the hundred yard tunnel from inside the ex-Polish long-room, unluckily, for the escape committee, the Appell had given the Germans enough time to uncover the rest of the shaft.^[126]

Executive and advisory roles and honours

Bruce receives the OBE from HM Queen Elizabeth II

In civic and charitable bodies Bruce also acted as:

• Chairman of the Further and Higher Education Committee of the Archdiocese of Westminster
  • Schools Officer, Archdiocese of Westminster, 1978–80.
• Committee member of the Association of Principals of Colleges and member of its Regional Advisory Council
• Chairman of the General Commissioners of Income Tax, Spelthorne Division
• Education Advisor to the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Bruce was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1989 for his services to Education.^[12] He was also awarded the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (Latin: Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni) by Pope John Paul II.