Many of the prisoners arrived by train and were marched under heavy guard the last mile of their journey, others were brought by lorry or car, either way when they arrived the following sight awaited them:

Through the main entrance led to a bridge over a dry moat.

At the far end of the moat bridge is the entrance to the Kommandantur - the German Courtyard. The above photograph depicts an area of great ecape activity. The gate to the right is where Neave passed dressed as a German Officer. The buildings seen at the far end of the German are those which Reid and the others escaped over (you can just see the windows above the ledge). Slightly to the left is where various escapes, many ultimately unsuccessful passed out of the prisoner area in the German area.

The above photograph shows the German kitchens and store rooms which Reid and the others escaped over and down into the yard. The German Officers Mess is on the left. The archway to the far left leads up a slope to the POWs yard.

Looking to the right the POWs would see the Kommandantur Buildings:

Above can been seen the Kommandantur Buildings behind the grass lawn. In the mid dle at the top is the cellar entrance Reid et al escaped through. The door on the extreme right is the one Reid struggled to get through for an hour.

Above. To the left of the grass lawn was a coal shed. To the left of this was a tunnel under the Kommandant buildings. This led to the East side of the castle and was the route taken by the POWs when being exercised in the park. Above and below a Frenchman and a Belgian have been recaptured following an escape attempt.

Above. A horse and cart parked in the Kommandantur after an escape attempt involving a POW hiding in a sack.

At the far end of the slope was the German Guard House. The POWs are seen here being escorted by the Guards on the way down to the exercise park. The POW’s yard is through an archway on the far right of the slope.

The Swiss ‘Protecting Power’ are seen here with Col. Schmidt, the first Commandant, outside the entrance to the Prisoner’s Yard.

The German Guardhouse in the background with it’s sentry box to the left. Kommandant Schmidt point to the archway entrance to the POWs yard.

North side of Castle.