My grandfather, Alfred Bennett, had one of the most incredible stories from World War II that I've ever heard. Captured in the North African desert near El Alamein in 1942, he managed to survive by sheer wit and luck.
It all started during a chaotic battle. Grandpa's unit was overwhelmed, and he found himself alone, surrounded by German soldiers. he found the body of a fallen German soldier. he stripped the uniform and put it on. He was also fluent in german and as a coincidence looked a bit like him,
He was later sent to Stalag VIII-B in Lamsdorf, Germany, now in Poland for duty.
Later they send him to the Eastern Front. They were desperate for men, and so off he went, all the way to Smolensk, Russia.
He kept his secret, working against the Germans from within, doing whatever he could to sabotage their efforts without blowing his cover.
In 1943, the tide of the war began to turn. After the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Kursk, German forces were in disarray. During their retreat, Grandpa saw his chance. Under the cover of night, he slipped away from his unit and made his way towards the Soviet lines.The journey was perilous. He traveled through forests and across rivers, avoiding patrols and surviving on what little food he could find.
When he finally reached Kaluga, Russia, he was exhausted and wary. The Soviet soldiers didn't trust him at first, But eventually, he convinced them that he was a British soldier in disguise. They took him to Moscow, where he was debriefed and his story was confirmed.
From Moscow, he was sent to Murmansk. He boarded an Arctic convoy and made the journey back to Britain. Only to be sent to France again a few weeks later. Luckily he survived the war.