The Soldier Who Came Back
Steve Foster, Author and Historian, will be sharing part 1 of his talk entitled 'The Soldier who came back on the 13th January - Part 1 Escape attempt in Second World War'. Part two will take place on the 20th January.
Northern Poland, 1940: at the Nazi war camp Stalag XX-A, two men struck up an unlikely friendship which led to one of the most remarkable wartime escape stories ever told. Antony Coulthard was the privately educated son of wealthy parents with a degree in modern languages from Oxford. Fred Foster, the son of a bricklayer, had left school at 14. This mismatched young pair hatched a plan to disguise themselves and simply walk out of the camp, board a train, and head straight into the heart of Nazi Germany. This audacious plan involved 18 months of undercover work, including Antony spending 3 hours each evening teaching Fred German. They set off for the Swiss border via Germany, but when they reached the border town of Lake Constance, with Switzerland within their reach, Antony crossed over into freedom, while Fred's luck ran out. What happened to them both next is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Part Two
The talk will cover Steve Foster's search for Antony Coulthard's grave, including the research and travel that was involved. Even if you missed the first part of Steve's talk, you will find part 2 fascinating. How could he find the resting place of one of the thousands of prisoners of war who died on the Nazi death march at the end of WW2? Come along tomorrow and find out!
Last updated 7:33pm on 19 April 2024
