One of 98 Prisoners of War, who escaped Stalag XVIII-D in August 1944. Led by Australian Private Ralph Churches, who planned and carried out one of the biggest and most successful Prisoner of War escapes during World War Two. Churches led 98 Prisoners of War to safely, including 9 New Zealanders. After escaping from the work party with six others, he returned for the rest of his mates - the other ninety. He got them airlifted to safety from behind German lines with the help of different groups of Slovene partisans.

The Slovene partisans ambushed the German guards who were guarding the POWs work party, who were beginning their work day on a section of railway track near Ozhbalt. Then followed 15 days where the POWs walked 160 miles to freedom, guided by the different groups of Slovene partisans who had an intimate knowledge of the rugged steep forested hills. They were transported from the airfield at Semich to Southern Italy. Safe with Allied Forces. The ordeal is documented in Churches book, 'A hundred miles as the crow flies.' AWMM