Tuesday 21 April 2015

The Great Escape---The Jersey Connection

On 9th of May Jersey will be celebrating the 70th year of its Liberation after almost 5 years of Nazi Occupation. Much has been written of the hardship encountered by those living through the Occupation years. However little has been written about those who were captured on the Island whilst serving in the armed forces and this blog is dedicated to one of them: P/O (Sous Lt) Bernard Scheidhauer who was a French Airmen.

I suspect that the many Readers will have seen the film "The Great Escape" but will not be aware of its loose connection with Jersey.

The film, which was made over 50 years ago has a pivotal scene where Roger Bartlett played by Richard Attenborough and Andy McDonald (Gordon Jackson) were about to get on to a bus after showing their papers to a Gestapo agent. McDonald fell for the same trick he warned his fellow POW’s earlier in the film by replying in English.



Athough the film shows McDonald saying “thank you” after being wished good luck by the Gestapo agent, no one can be certain that the “thank you” was said in real life but what ever led to the arrest it had tragic consequences for the real airmen the actors were portraying. Both were shot in cold blood soon after.

The characters in the film were based on real men, and in some cases were composites of several men. The character of Bartlett was modelled on RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, a habitual escaper who spoke good German. In the real ‘Great Escape’ Bushell’s travelling companion was Free French Air Force pilot Bernard Scheidhauer who was captured in Jersey

Bernard Scheidhauer was born in August 1921 and was a French pilot before becoming a member of the Free French Air Force serving in the UK. On 18th November 1942 he was returning to England following a raid in Bayeux France. He was flying his Spitfire over Jersey when he ran out of fuel and crash landed in a field a short distance from a farm owned by the Binet family and about half a mile from my present home. Lewis Binet was aged 18 at the time and had been with his father Philip at a neighbouring farm making “black butter.”  

I have known Lewis for almost 60 years when in my youth we played football for Rozel Rovers. He is still living on the farm where 73 years ago he met Bernard Scheidhauer. The meeting is still well remembered and the following is Lewis’s account of the incident.

Lewis said he left his father around 4pm to return to his farm to tend to the cattle, on the way back he saw a Spitfire circulating overhead with its engine misfiring as if running out of fuel. Lewis saw the Spitfire land in a neighbouring field of turnips and he ran towards to it. As he got closer he saw the pilot get out of the plane, was unhurt and was walking towards him. On meeting they shook hands and were having had a general chat in which Lewis wanted to know how the war was going. Lewis said that Bernard had a good understanding of English.

They were soon joined by a group of neighbouring farmers with everyone in high spirits as they gathered round the plane which was undamaged. Surprisingly it took some time before a German soldier appeared who Lewis said had a rifle and spoke good English. He told the group that they were free to talk but as soon as his senior officers came they would have to go and leave Bernard with him.


 Bob Hill with Lewis Binet in the field where the Spitfire landed.

Soon after a number of soldiers arrived and took Bernard away. Lewis never saw him again,

After his capture Bernard was sent to Stalag Luft 111 which was a high security prisoner of war camp for airmen and deemed to be escape proof. Of the 76 who escaped only 3 reached their destination. It could be said that Bernard was unfortunate to have been teamed up with Bushell who had been threatened with death should he again attempt to escape. However it is evident that who ever was captured with Bushell was likely to be shot with him. Hitler was so enraged by the escape and ordered that 50 of the escapees be rounded up and shot in total disregard of the Geneva Convention.

Bernard Scheidhauer’s landing and short stay in Jersey is recognised, with due thanks to Ian Le Sueur who was responsible for erecting a memorial dedicated to Bernard.  The Memorial which is some 300 yards away from the initial landing was unveiled by Bernard’s sister on September 17th 1999. Over 300 people attended the Service which included Free French Air Force veterans.

It is believed that Bernard and Roger Bushell were taken to a quiet clearing in the woods and shot in the back of their heads whilst relieving themselves. Their bodies were cremated without dignity and all evidence of their existence obliterated. I don’t know if there is a memorial dedicated to Roger Bushell but Bernard’s is situated in a quiet corner of Trinity and serves as a poignant reminder of his short time in Jersey and the tragic loss of a brave young man.

27 comments:

  1. What a sad story,with the ongoing slaughter in the Middle East it seems time has not changed things for the better

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    1. Fortunately it appears that most of the Europeans have learnt lessons from the past, however you right to remind us that in some places around the world, lessons have not been learnt.

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  2. What a fascinating tale, thanks for publishing it.

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  3. Hello Bob, A very interesting and informative account. I am sure that someone else is better placed than I am to confirm another Island link, but I believe that Roger Bushell was PO Richard Hogg's Squadron Commander when Richard was shot down during the Battle of Britain. Richard had attended Victoria College. Kind Regards, Barrie

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    1. Thanks for your comment. Hopefully one of our Readers may be able to come up with an answer.

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    2. From my memory of the film Bartlett and McDonald are in the group of 50 that was rounded up and shot. You are correct to say that Bushell and Scheidhauer were shot in a wood.forest clearing. There was an excellent document produced on TV which gave a pretty accurate account of the real events.

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    3. Just seen this, sorry to dispel this rumour, Bushell was shot down over Dunkirk 23 May 1940 with 92 Sqn, Hogg was shot down on 25th August 1940 with 152 Sqn

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  4. Bob.

    Another Citizens Media first and exclusive interview with Jurat election CANDIDATE.

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  5. Very touching, but important that we don't forget the sacrifice of those who fought for freedom.

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  6. Bob,
    I went to visit the Memorial but the French Cross is missing, do you know where its gone to?

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    1. It was not there last Friday when I went to photograph it. It may have gone for a touch up.

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    2. I passed by yesterday and noted that the cross was still missing, but understand that it will be place by Liberation Day.

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  7. I have seen the film several times but have never given a lot of thought to actual people the actors were portraying. Your blog which is well written has given me much food for thought. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you,

      The trouble with films as they are made to entertain and often allow too much poetic licence.

      It was an American production with a number of the leading characters played by US stars. Interestingly in each of the 4 days that this present blog has been published the highest readership has been from Russia.

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    2. Saw a special on TV last evening where the US leader at Stalag Luft III was credited with startingvthe operation and sadly no mention of Bushell at all - true to the Hollywood movie - other than the Motorcycle chase which was made up for the movie

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  8. Thank you for this very informative story Bob but I do hope you won't be too distracted from your crucial work shining a light on the overt corruption in government and legal system?

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  9. They were making "black butter" was it for the "black market?"

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    1. There is absolutely no link. The making of black butter goes back a very long way but is sadly dying out. Black butter could be described as a preserve or jam with apples as its main ingredient. The making of black butter was very much a community event when farmers and their families would meet at a particular farm and hundreds of apples peeled and sliced and then placed into large “bachin” or basin and cooked over an open fire for many hours. Cider was copiously applied along with spices and cinnamon these and the apples needed many hours of stirring. Liquorice was often applied to darken the produce.

      Black Butter nights were popular community events giving young and old folks to meet and socialise.

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  10. Bob.

    Former Attorney General, William Bailhache, WILL have QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.

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  11. Missing your blogs holding the establishment to account Bob.

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  12. What do you think about the COI banning you and VFC from the media office while they leak Lenny Harper's evidence to Philip Bailhache?

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    1. The banning was petty and ill thought out.

      When you have friends in high places accessibility to information is not too difficult.

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  13. sorry for my bad english but , congratulation for this
    testimony for Lt bernard Scheidhauer pilot Free French Air Force in RAF Squadron.

    So can you help me please ?
    I would like quickly contact Mr Ian Le Sueur who was responsible for erecting a memorial dedicated to Bernard.

    thank you very much
    Fred Bentley
    fred.bentley60110@gmail.com

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  14. They were executed outside what is today the West Gate a Ramstein AIr Base. For details see http://www.wueschner.org/academic/Great%20Escape%20English.htm

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  15. They were executed west of present day Ramstein AB. For details see http://www.wueschner.org/academic/Great%20Escape%20English.htm

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