Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2021 April 26

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April 26

Repatriation during (not after) World War II

I just rewatched The Captive Heart. A key plot element had the protagonist, supposedly a British POW, repatriated "back" to England just before he is unmasked as a Czech escapee from a concentration camp. Did such in-war repatriations actually take place? Clarityfiend (talk) 03:16, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Here's one account: [1]... -- AnonMoos (talk) 04:00, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Amazing. Thanks. Clarityfiend (talk) 09:48, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

The system was open to abuse however; see Captain Ion Ferguson, a British Army doctor who "coached two RAF prisoners to convincingly simulate schizophrenia, who were consequently repatriated, while waiting for his own repatriation to Britain in the same way".

Our List of attempts to escape Oflag IV-C article also lists Lt.Col. M.B. Reid, who "Feigned heart disease by smoking heavily and drinking concentrated black coffee prior to medical examination and was repatriated". Alansplodge (talk) 17:07, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Also happened in the First World War. C. W. Hill and E. H. Jones pulled the trick against the Turks. You should definitely read Jones's The Road to En-dor. DuncanHill (talk) 21:23, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Thanks, I have found it here. Alansplodge (talk) 21:30, 26 April 2021 (UTC)