Description
WW2 Escaping Society Stalag Luft III FDC signed Peter Tunstall known as 'The Bad Boy of Colditz' who most days in solitary confinement in Colditz
Peter David Tunstall (1 December 1918 – 27 July 2013) was a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and a prisoner of war (POW) held at Colditz Castle. He holds the record for the most time spent by an Allied POW in solitary confinement.
Tunstall flew combat missions over France during and after the British retreat to Dunkirk. He was captured on the night of 26/27 August 1940, when, due to a wireless failure, his aircraft became lost and crash-landed on the Dutch coast. He was captured and initially sent to a POW camp in Poland. After trying to escape from the camp dressed as a German NCO, he was transferred to Spangenberg Castle. It was during his incarceration at Spangenberg Castle that Tunstall, along with Eustace Newborn and Dominic Bruce came up with the escape plan known as "the Swiss Commission". The escape attempt has gone down as one of the most audacious of the war. Using uniforms found in the castle and suits made from uniforms, the three POWs simply walked out of the camp during an inspection by the Swiss Red Cross. They spent ten days at large before being recaptured.
Tunstall was then moved to Oflag VIB, where he tried again to escape dressed as a German soldier. Following this attempt, he was shipped to Colditz Castle on 15 March 1942. Here Tunstall perfected his "goon-baiting" (activities to distract and annoy the German guards). At Colditz, he also developed methods of getting information back to Britain inside photographs and letters
