Boldness Be My Friend

Aggressive, impetuous, and dauntless, Richard Pape was never going to sit out the war in a Nazi prison. Captured after going on the run when his bomber crashed in occupied Holland, his thoughts turned, at once, to escape. In the most appalling of conditions, he did not give way. Not only did he send more than 100 coded messages to the War Office, but he also swapped identities with a fellow prisoner to make a breakout. His incredible escape was only the beginning of his struggle for freedom. Hunted by the Nazis across Europe, for Pape surrender was never an option.

Richard Pape (1916–1995) joined 609 Squadron as an Auxiliary Airman before the war. He later transferred to Bomber Command, got shot down, evaded, was captured, escaped, got tortured, escaped once more all before being repatriated. He became a bestselling author and renowned adventurer after the war.