Passing through the ‘eye of the needle’.

” The other courtyard was known as the prisoners’ yard, with a guardroom adjacent to a doorway in a large double gate.”

“In both the German and prisoners’ yards the surrounding buildings rose to three storeys high, with double attics at the top of the 90 foot walls. There were round towers on each corner of the prisoners’ courtyard, and in these, narrow spiral staircases wound their way upward, giving access to the upper three levels.”

‘The Diggers of Colditz’ by Jack Champ & Colin Burgess

“The south side of the prisoners’ yard, showing the ’seam’. From left to right are the entrance to the canteen, the evidenz, the scullery and the kitchen. The windows on the back wall are in the Hexangang corridor.”

‘Colditz The German Story’ by Reinhold Eggers

Above. The entrance to the Prominente area. The entranc to the Polish Quarters is on the right.

Above. To the right of the Polish Quarters was the entrance to the Canteen. The window can be seen here.

Above. On the left Lange, the Security Officer. To the right Canteen door is open.

Above. Lange outside the staircase entrance in the chapel building.

Above. Solitary cells.

Watton’s famous diagram showing a bird’s eye view of the Prisoner’s Yard.

Another of Watton’s impressive drawings shows a prisoner’s room from a bird’s eye view.