Orders, Decorations and Medals

A superb Second World War Escaper’s M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant J. McCallum, Royal Signals, later Intelligence Corps

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2326100 Sgln., R. Sigs.) initial and ‘Mc’ of surname officially corrected; 1939-45 Star; War Medal; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R. (John McCallum); together with original Soldier’s Service and Pay Book, Soldier’s Release Book confirming service with the Intelligence Corps, and I.S.M. award certificate, good very fine or better (4) £500-600

M.M. London Gazette 3 August, 1944. Sold with a photocopied MI9 account of the recipient’s joint escape with his step brother, Signalman James O’Neill, and Signalman Joseph Harkin, all ex-G.P.O. engineers from Glasgow. McCallum had been wounded and taken P.O.W. at La Capelle in late May 1940. After recovering at hospitals in Boulogne, Cambrai and Lille, he was taken by train, in November 1940, to Stalag VIIIB at Lamsdorf, where he was re-united with O’Neill and Harkin.

As MI9’s official report relates, the three men first determined to make a bid for freedom during the Winter of 1943-44, while allocated to a working party at Karlsbrunn. These initial plans were foiled, however, when at short notice they were posted back to Lamsdorf. Casting aside their obvious disappointment, the three Glaswegians set about an alternative plan, using portrait photographs already obtained by O’Neill from his wife, hidden in correspondence - one was of himself and the others of men who resembled Harkin and McCallum. So equipped, the latter worked away at making forged papers, using the covers of an old exercise book.

Then in April 1944, on being posted to a new working party at Romerstadt, the intrepid trio set about bribing their guards in order to make a breakout with the least possible attention. Quartered on the ground floor of an old factory, and spurned on by news of a larger guard arriving imminently, they finally made a move on the night of 24th April. Having removed a bar from a window and cut their way through a barbed-wire fence, all three made off in the direction of Karlsbrunn, where they knew they could hide up in a deer-stalker’s hut and seek the assistance of a sympathetic Czech. After several days contact was made with the latter party, who fitted out each escaper with civilian clothes. Soon afterwards they made their way to Wurbental, McCallum braving his alternative-German at the local railway station ticket office. On learning that their train wasn’t running, the trio decided to hide up in the deer-stalker’s hut until the same time the following week, when they knew that Poles and Czechs were permitted to travel. And so it was, although eventually their train journey had to be split up in to short stages, over several days.

Often assisted by Frenchmen and Czechs, although the former were not always that helpful, as was the case during a stop at Sagan, the Glaswegians gradually neared their chosen destination at Stettin. There were, of course, a number of hair-raising episodes, not least the occasion on which a Stabsfeldwebel checked their forged papers on the train journey to Angermunde. After stammering through what appeared to be inadequate replies to his questions, the Glaswegians were horrified to see him return to their carriage and sit down. Luckily, however, the presence of a German woman discouraged the soldier from engaging in conversation with the “foreigners” from Sudeten.

On 18th May, the escapers finally arrived at Stettin, spending their first night in a bombed-out building. Next day they sought out some French workers, who put them up for several nights while efforts were made to locate a Swedish ship. At length, O’Neill was taken to a brothel in the dock area and introduced to a Swedish sailor. The latter promised to help hide the trio from inevitable German searches, once on his ship, but said they would have to get aboard under their own steam.

Consequently, on the 23rd May, the Glaswegians were led to a point about half-a-mile from the ship. Thereafter left to their own devices, they carefully dodged patrolling enemy guards and dogs, gaining entry to the appropiate dock. At length they emerged from under a railway truck, now very near their goal, but instantly ran into two German sailors. Showing great calm and considerable cheek, they innocently asked for the final directions to the Swedish ship, an enquiry which was met with (unsuspecting) friendly advice. So enlightened, and with cigarettes burning, they casually strolled along the quayside and marched up the Swedish ship’s gangway. Once aboard, they were hailed by a German sentry from the upper deck, quickly responding in the affirmative to his enquiry as to whether they were crew-members. Down below, they were hurriedly passed on to the Swede who had promised his assistance, and soon found themselves in the bunker, buried in coal. Luckily a visiting Gestapo man failed to uncover the hidden trio, although his dog came within a couple of yards of them. To add to their obvious anxiety, six German soldiers continued searching the ship all the way down the bay, but finally the ship was allowed on her way. On the 26th May, after a brief conversation with the Captain, McCallum, O’Neill and Harkin were put aboard a Swedish mine-sweeper bound for Malmo, from whence they were sent to Stockholm, where the British consulate was informed of their arrival. All three left Sweden on 4 June 1944, arriving back at Leuchars the following day.