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Thurso's Heritage: A daring escape by German POWs helped by girls


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A view of the iron bridge where nearby two Nazis would make their escape.
A view of the iron bridge where nearby two Nazis would make their escape.

With the end of World War II it would be a few years before normality returned everywhere.

Even Thurso, which remained largely unscathed in the scheme of things, still had its moments. On Monday, August 18, 1947, two local girls sat with their partners at the Thurso cinema. While everything seemed normal, the gentlemen were not. They were prisoners of war, “super Nazis” –Toni Verborg (29) and Ted Nohr (22).

Caught in the act, they were escorted to No. 165 Camp Watten, 12 miles away. According to a report, although several attempts had been made, no German had escaped from the camp. But within two hours of their return, the men had broken through several locked doors and were on the run. Police and railway stations throughout the north were warned to look out for the fugitives.

On Tuesday morning the extensive search continued, with camp guards transported by trucks to various locations. The growing cornfields in the country, providing cover, hindered the investigation. The search went as far south as Helmsdale, where there was a previous escape attempted by one man, but they found no trace.

That night, a police officer became suspicious when he saw the two girls who had been associated with the Germans walking along the mall carrying a package. He informed military authorities, who sent out camp guards. They spotted the girls near the iron bridge spanning the river with the two escapees.

Realising they had been discovered, the Germans ran up the railway embankment as camp guards fired several shots. Avoiding the gunfire, they disappeared into the dense fog and falling darkness. With the conditions hampering the search, it was temporarily abandoned. Both girls were questioned at the Thurso police station, where their package was searched and found to have food and shaving equipment.

On Saturday, C. S. M. Cruickshanks of the Cameron Barracks boarded the night express from Inverness to Perth. As he walked along the corridor, he became wary of two men lounging in the corner seats wearing British battledress. Once the train passed the Grampians, it made a five-minute stop at Blair Atholl. This was Cruickshank’s chance.

He left the train to inform the railway officials of his suspicions. The station was deserted but he found a telephone kiosk and called railway officials in Perth, asking them to get the police to meet the train there.

As the train steamed into the Perth General Station, Inspector Stewart and Sergeant Duncan were waiting along with the railway police and two military police from the 172 H.Q. Provost Company.

Lance Corporal A. R. Thomson, Kirkcaldy, and Lance Corporal Harrower, Glasgow, stepped into the compartment with handcuffs. The plan was so well-timed the Germans, who had ration books and rail tickets for Glasgow, didn’t even try to escape.

Several people from Inverness thought they had seen the Germans. They suggested the escapees might have got away on an open wagon on a goods train travelling through Inverness on Thursday night. After their arrest, they were taken to the Queen’s Barracks, Perth and put in cells where they waited for a military escort to return them to Watten.

To get in touch contact thursoheritage1@gmail.com


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