An EFI Soldier’s Escape
Missed Part One?
This article continues the story of Private Leonard Green (RASC/EFI). Part One covers his service with the British Expeditionary Force, capture during the retreat to Dunkirk and transfer to Stalag XXA (Thorn).
⬅ Read Part One: Capture and Captivity
Private Leonard Green and the Road to Sweden
Behind the Wire
“This was the worst we'd had yet. By the time they let us out the other end, five of my mates had died.”
— Leonard Green, Escape Route Green
On 9 June 1940, after three days and two nights confined inside overcrowded cattle trucks, Private Leonard Green finally reached Stalag XXA at Thorn (Toruń) in occupied Poland. The journey from France had been one of the harshest experiences of his captivity. Packed sixty men to a wagon with little room to sit or lie down and issued only a single loaf of bread for the journey, the prisoners endured hunger, exhaustion and increasingly desperate conditions.
Arrival at Thorn removed any remaining uncertainty about Leonard's future. Opposite the railway station stood a series of nineteenth-century Prussian forts which the Germans had converted into a vast prisoner-of-war complex. Over the course of the war more than 60,000 prisoners of many nationalities would pass through Stalag XXA, but in June 1940 Leonard belonged to one of the first large groups of British soldiers arriving in the aftermath of Dunkirk.
Casualty List No. 288 (1940) Following the collapse of the British Expeditionary Force in France, Private Leonard Green, RASC/EFI, was officially reported as a Prisoner of War. Captured during the fighting around Boulogne in May 1940, he would spend the next three years in German captivity.
Source: War Office Casualty List No. 288, 1940.
Situated on the River Vistula, approximately 300 miles east of Berlin and 100 miles south of the Baltic ports of Danzig and Gdynia, Thorn would become Leonard's world for the next few years. Much of his captivity was spent at Stalag XXA, although periods of work took him to detachments at Lobsens, Nahel and other locations. In time he was transferred to Graudenz, where the possibility of escape began to seem more realistic and plans for the future slowly started to take shape.
A Charming Little Hell Hole
“We left that stinking train at a place the Germans called Thorn, and just across the road from the station stood an old red-brick fort which was Stalag XXA. This was the Headquarters camp for British other ranks, and a charming little hell hole it was, I can tell you. Cold, damp, rat-infested dungeons inside.”
— Leonard Green, Escape Route Green
Life inside Stalag XXA came as a shock even to men who had endured the fighting and retreat through France. Looking down from the fort's parapets, prisoners could see trains arriving and civilians moving freely through the nearby railway station. To those confined behind barbed wire, normal life seemed tantalisingly close yet completely beyond reach.
The physical and mental strain of captivity quickly became apparent. Many of the new arrivals were suffering from illness, exhaustion and malnutrition after weeks of retreat, capture and transport across occupied Europe. Uniforms had deteriorated into rags, boots were worn through and basic hygiene had become difficult to maintain. At the same time, prisoners had little reliable news from home and only fragmentary information about events beyond the camp gates. German propaganda claimed that Britain was on the verge of defeat and, having witnessed the collapse of France at first hand, many feared the worst.
For Leonard Green, however, captivity did not bring surrender. He later maintained that survival depended upon discipline, self-respect and a determination not to give in. It was an attitude that helped him endure the hardships of captivity and would eventually influence his decision to attempt escape.
Keeping Hold of Yourself
"You had to keep a tight hold on yourself, otherwise you were lost."
— Leonard Green, Escape Route Green
For Leonard, survival became as much a matter of mentality as physical endurance. Despite the lack of basic necessities, he remained determined to preserve some sense of self-respect and routine. Looking back nearly three decades later, he recalled washing repeatedly in cold water in an effort to remain clean and maintain morale, even when soap was unavailable.
What struck Leonard most was the effect captivity had upon different individuals. Some prisoners fought to retain their discipline and sense of purpose. Others simply withdrew into themselves. The uncertainty of the future, combined with hunger, exhaustion and homesickness, gradually wore down even the strongest characters.
Yet Leonard's instinct for survival remained remarkably resilient. Unlike some of his fellow prisoners, he never accepted captivity as a permanent condition. Throughout the hardships of 1940 he retained an underlying belief that somehow he would eventually regain his freedom. At the time he had no clear plan and no idea how such an escape might be achieved, but the determination itself never entirely disappeared.
As the months passed, Leonard began looking for ways not merely to endure captivity but to improve his circumstances. That search for opportunity would soon lead him beyond the walls of the fortress camp and into working detachments where he would discover skills and advantages that would later prove invaluable.
Making Himself Useful
As the weeks passed, Leonard Green began to understand that survival in captivity depended upon more than endurance alone. Opportunities, however limited, occasionally presented themselves and one arose when the Germans began selecting prisoners for agricultural work detachments. Conditions in the fortress camp at Thorn remained harsh, but rumours circulated that farm work offered better food and a degree of freedom impossible within the wire.
Leonard's pre-war occupation as a shoe salesman offered little qualification for agricultural work. Nevertheless, like many prisoners eager to leave the camp, he quickly discovered that the truth could occasionally be adjusted to suit circumstances. Years later he recalled how suddenly large numbers of British soldiers appeared to have acquired extensive farming experience.
Selection for a working party brought Leonard into a very different environment. Although still a prisoner, life outside the main camp often involved smaller groups, greater responsibility and increased contact with civilians. More importantly, his knowledge of German, derived partly from his family's Yiddish-speaking background, allowed him to communicate more effectively than many of his fellow prisoners. He later volunteered to act as a Dolmetscher (interpreter), a role that brought additional responsibilities and access to information unavailable to most prisoners.
At the time these decisions were driven by practicality rather than any immediate escape plan. Leonard was simply attempting to improve his circumstances and make captivity more bearable. Yet his position as an interpreter gave him valuable insight into German procedures and camp life, while reinforcing habits of observation, adaptability and initiative that would later prove invaluable.
Over the next two years Leonard would pass through a succession of work camps at Lobsens, Nahel and Graudenz. Each move brought new experiences, new challenges and new contacts. Among them would be one meeting that would ultimately change the course of his captivity.
I Always Knew I Was Going to Escape
“I think I always knew I was going to escape.”
— Leonard Green, Escape Route Green
In October 1942 Leonard Green arrived at Camp 35/2, Graudenz (Grudziądz), a working camp situated on high ground overlooking the town and the River Vistula. Although still firmly within the German prisoner-of-war system, it differed markedly from the overcrowded and desperate conditions he had experienced during the early months of captivity. The camp was relatively small, housing around eighty to one hundred British prisoners employed on road-making and building projects in the surrounding area.
By this stage Leonard had become an experienced prisoner and occupied a position of responsibility within the camp. It was a role that brought additional duties and a broader understanding of life beyond the wire.
It was at Graudenz that Leonard first met Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton. A former harbour pilot from Scotland, Paton was the senior British non-commissioned officer in the camp and responsible for representing the interests of the prisoners. According to Leonard's later recollections, the two men quickly developed a mutual respect.
Conditions at Graudenz were comparatively tolerable. Red Cross parcels arrived regularly, food was more plentiful than it had been at Thorn and the prisoners had established a degree of routine. Leonard later joined a small mess which included Paton and several other trusted prisoners. Together they listened to a clandestine radio and exchanged information about developments beyond the wire.
Yet even in these improved surroundings, neither man lost sight of the fact that they remained prisoners. Leonard later recalled that thoughts of escape had never entirely disappeared. Graudenz provided something that earlier camps had not: stability, opportunity and access to information. For the first time, serious planning became a realistic possibility.
The partnership that would eventually carry the two men across occupied Europe began to take shape during these months. As Leonard later explained, Angus Paton possessed qualities he lacked, particularly his knowledge of harbours and ships. Together they formed a combination of skills that neither man possessed alone. By February 1943 the two prisoners had reached a decision. They would attempt to escape together.
The Decision
“In Feb 43, we decided to try to escape together.”
— Leonard Green, MI9 POW Report
By February 1943 Leonard Green and Angus Paton had developed a close partnership built upon trust, responsibility and a shared determination to escape. According to Leonard’s wartime prisoner-of-war report, the two men had reached a clear decision: they would attempt to escape together.
The decision immediately led to practical preparation. Green and Paton began saving suitable food from Red Cross parcels and selling other parcel items in order to obtain cash. Paton, who held a senior position among the prisoners, also accumulated additional camp currency through his various duties. Nothing was wasted. Every tin of food, item of clothing and Reichsmark was considered in terms of its usefulness for escape.
Equally important was information. The prisoners learned of an earlier escape attempt in which forged civilian passes — Ausweise — had been used. Green later recalled that a Polish worker at Graudenz advised them that a Volksdeutsche, a term used in Nazi Germany for ethnic Germans living outside Germany, document would be more useful than attempting to pass as Poles. Through Polish contacts they obtained genuine documents and photographs from which convincing forgeries could be produced.
Clothing posed another challenge. Green approached a fellow prisoner who coveted Paton’s piano accordion and, in exchange, secured civilian garments suitable for travel. The pair also acquired hats, shoes and other items needed to complete the illusion. Green later explained that they intended to travel not as frightened fugitives but as respectable civilians, believing that confidence and appearance would often attract less attention than fear.
By late May 1943 their preparations were nearing completion. Then came a warning. An anonymous note written in German informed Green that one of the German NCOs had learned of their plans and advised them to destroy all escape material and abandon the attempt. Instead, the warning convinced them that delay was becoming dangerous. If they were to escape, it would have to be soon.
On the evening of 7 June 1943, after months of preparation, Green and Paton finally put their plan into motion.
Out Through the Window
“About 2030 hrs we got through the window of our room, and Cpl. Williams helped us through the wire fence alongside the allotments.”
— Leonard Green, MI9 POW Report, 18 August 1943
The chosen date was 7 June 1943, immediately before the Whitsun holiday. Green and Paton hoped that increased holiday travel would help them blend into the crowds moving through northern Poland once they were clear of the camp.
On the evening of 7 June the camp routine continued as normal. Green and Paton attended roll call alongside the other prisoners and took care not to attract attention. Only after parade had finished did they return to their hut and begin the final stage of their escape.
Once dismissed from parade, events moved quickly. Inside the hut the two men changed into civilian clothing and checked their forged papers for a final time. Lookouts took up their positions while comrades prepared the route from the building. According to Green’s later account, a chair was placed beneath the window and the sentry’s movements carefully observed. When the signal finally came, there was no dramatic dash for freedom. Green climbed through first, followed by Paton. Carrying only small suitcases containing food, clothing and essential supplies, they crossed the wire and slipped out into the evening.
The MI9 report compiled after Green's return recorded the moment of escape in a characteristically understated manner:
After three years of captivity, the escape was underway.
The Long Road North
Following their escape from Camp 35/2 on 7 June 1943, Leonard Green and Angus Paton initially pursued two possible routes to freedom. Their preferred objective was neutral Sweden via the Baltic port of Gdynia. However, should that route fail, they were prepared to travel inland through Łódź and Warsaw with the longer-term aim of reaching resistance forces operating in south-eastern Europe. The repeated journeys shown on the map reflect the gradual abandonment of this alternative plan and a renewed focus on reaching a Swedish vessel.
The Long Road North
Escape Route Through Occupied Poland, 7–17 June 1943
Following their escape from Camp 35/2 at Graudenz on 7 June 1943, Leonard Green and Angus Paton travelled extensively through occupied Poland while seeking a route to freedom. The map shows their principal movements and the proposed inland route via Łódź and Warsaw which was ultimately abandoned. Repeated returns to Gdynia reflected the growing realisation that a Swedish vessel offered their best chance of reaching neutral Sweden.
Escaping from Camp 35/2 was only the first stage. Once beyond the wire, Leonard Green and Angus Paton still had to move through occupied Poland without attracting suspicion, relying upon forged papers, civilian clothing, Polish contacts and their own ability to improvise.
Early on 8 June 1943 the two men reached Marienburg by train, changed at Danzig and continued towards Gdynia, known to the Germans as Gotenhafen. Their hope was to make contact with helpers who might assist them in reaching a Swedish vessel. Yet almost immediately the uncertainty of life on the run began to make itself felt.
During the days that followed, Green and Paton travelled repeatedly across northern Poland by rail. Intended rendezvous failed to materialise, accommodation could not always be found and carefully prepared plans had to be abandoned almost as quickly as they were formed. The pair moved between Gdynia, Danzig, Graudenz, Thorn, Kutno, Łódź, Bromberg and Zoppot, often sleeping in railway stations or relying upon the kindness of Polish civilians.
Casualty List No. 1184 (July 1943) While Green and Paton were making their way through occupied Poland, War Office records were updated to show Leonard Green as 'Missing' rather than a Prisoner of War. Although he had already reached neutral Sweden by the time this list was published, official records had not yet caught up with events.
Source: War Office Casualty List No. 1184, July 1943.
During the first few days of their escape, Green and Paton travelled repeatedly across northern Poland by rail. Green's knowledge of German proved useful when dealing with railway staff, police and other officials, while Paton generally left such conversations to his companion. Despite their forged documents and civilian clothing, both men remained aware that a single mistake could bring their escape to an abrupt end.
By 9 June their original plan of reaching Sweden through Gdynia appeared to have stalled. Reports suggested that no suitable Swedish vessels were available and reliable information was difficult to obtain. Faced with mounting uncertainty, Green and Paton began seriously considering an alternative route via Łódź and Warsaw.
Yet this alternative plan proved no easier to organise. Contacts could not always be found, addresses proved unreliable and safe accommodation was difficult to secure. The two men continued moving, not because their route was clear, but because remaining in one place for too long was equally dangerous.
By 11 June both men had begun to recognise an uncomfortable truth. Their hopes of reaching Warsaw depended upon a network of contacts and safe houses that could no longer be relied upon. If they were to escape German-occupied Europe, a direct route to neutral Sweden increasingly appeared to offer their best chance of success.
Back to Gdynia
Returning to Gdynia, Green and Paton resumed contact with Polish helpers while taking care to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Their forged documents continued to withstand scrutiny, although not without anxious moments. On more than one occasion German personnel examined their papers before allowing them to continue.
Over the following days they searched for a practical means of reaching neutral Sweden. With the assistance of local contacts they studied activity in the harbour and identified several Swedish vessels operating from Gdynia. For the first time since leaving Camp 35/2, the prospect of reaching freedom appeared genuinely attainable.
After boarding a Swedish vessel at Gdynia on 17 June 1943, Leonard Green and Angus Paton were not yet safe. For several days they remained hidden while the ship lay in harbour before finally sailing for Sweden. Their escape only became secure once the vessel entered Swedish territorial waters and they could reveal themselves to the captain.
A Swedish Lifeline
From Gdynia Harbour to Stockholm, 17–22 June 1943
The final stage of Leonard Green and Angus Paton’s escape, from Gdynia harbour to Stockholm. After boarding a Swedish vessel on 17 June 1943, the two men remained hidden until the ship reached Swedish territorial waters.
From Stowaways to Free Men
By 13 June 1943 Green and Paton were back in Gdynia. Their attempts to develop an alternative inland route had come to nothing and their hopes now rested once again on finding passage to neutral Sweden.
On 16 June their fortunes finally began to improve. A contact introduced through their Polish helpers returned with encouraging news. Having previously worked aboard a Swedish vessel, he believed he could arrange passage to neutral Sweden. Green and Paton were provided with accommodation for the night while plans were put in place. The following evening, 17 June, their helpers guided them back into the harbour district for what they hoped would be the final stage of their escape.
The following evening the two escapers were led into the harbour district. Paton first attempted to board a small Swedish vessel, but a German sentry challenged him and demanded to see his papers. Paton successfully bluffed his way through the encounter, but it quickly became apparent that the vessel was too small to conceal both men. Green was forced to seek another opportunity.
Approaching a larger Swedish ship, Green persuaded a sentry that he was delivering food to a relative working aboard. After a tense inspection of their documents, the guard allowed them to pass. Once aboard, the Swedish crew concealed both men in a cramped hiding place beside the boilers. Their refuge was uncomfortable, but it offered something they had not possessed since June 1940: a realistic prospect of freedom.
The danger was not yet over. German police were expected to search the vessel before departure and discovery would almost certainly have meant a return to captivity. For several days Green and Paton remained hidden while the ship prepared to sail. The Swedish crew brought them food, water and tobacco, but neither man could be certain the escape had succeeded.
Only after the vessel entered Swedish territorial waters on 21 June did the two men reveal themselves to the captain. The following day they arrived in Stockholm, where Swedish authorities questioned them before transferring them to the British Legation. After more than three years in captivity, and fifteen days after escaping from Camp 35/2, Green and Paton had finally reached safety.
Casualty List No. 1191 (July 1943) Having previously been reported as "Missing" following his escape from Camp 35/2 at Graudenz, Leonard Green was now listed as "Not Missing". The amendment reflected his successful arrival in neutral Sweden and provided official confirmation that he had escaped from German captivity.
Source: War Office Casualty List No. 1191, July 1943.
Leonard Green remained in Sweden for almost two months before finally beginning the journey home. On 17 August 1943 he arrived back in Britain, landing at RAF Leuchars in Scotland—just over ten weeks after escaping from Camp 35/2 at Graudenz. The following day he was interviewed by MI9, the British organisation responsible for assisting and debriefing escaped prisoners of war. The detailed report produced from that interview provides much of the evidence upon which this account is based.
Compiled following MI9 debriefings and wartime investigations, this recommendation summarised the escape of Leonard Green and Angus Paton from Camp 35/2 at Graudenz. It highlighted the role of Polish helpers, the journey across occupied Poland and Green's fluency in German, concluding that both men had displayed exceptional courage, initiative and ingenuity and should be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
The authorities recognised that Green's successful escape had not been the result of chance alone. Together with Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton, he had travelled hundreds of miles through occupied territory, evaded repeated checks by German police and military personnel, and reached neutral Sweden through a combination of determination, resourcefulness and careful judgement. In recognition of their conduct, both men were awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), one of the highest awards available to non-commissioned personnel and other ranks.
The recommendation was accepted and the award formally approved by the War Office. On 11 November 1943 the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private Leonard Green, RASC/EFI, and Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton, Royal Artillery, appeared in the London Gazette, the official journal of record for honours and awards.
Publication in the London Gazette formally confirmed the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private Leonard Green, Royal Army Service Corps (E.F.I.), and Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton, Royal Artillery. The upper highlight identifies the War Office announcement authorising the awards, while the lower highlight records the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to both men in recognition of their escape from German captivity and subsequent journey to freedom.
The ordeal, however, had taken its toll. Green's Medal Index Card records that he was discharged from military service on 6 January 1944, less than five months after returning to Britain. Although the precise circumstances remain unclear, his relatively early discharge suggests that the effects of captivity may have continued to impact his health.
For Leonard Green, the road to freedom began amid the chaos of the British Expeditionary Force's retreat in May 1940 and ended more than three years later on the quayside at Stockholm. Green and Paton's journey to freedom was the product of courage, persistence and no small measure of luck. Yet it also depended upon the willingness of numerous unnamed individuals—Polish civilians, railway workers, harbour contacts and Swedish seamen—to accept considerable personal risk in order to help two escaped British prisoners of war. Their names are largely lost to history, but without their assistance Leonard Green's escape story would almost certainly have had a very different ending.
Sources & References
- MI9 Escape and Evasion Report of Private Leonard Green, RASC/EFI, August 1943. M.I.9/S/P.G.(-)1362 - The National Archives of the UK - WO 208/3314/1362.
- War Office Casualty List No. 288 (1940) – The National Archives of the UK - WO 417/17. (Prisoner of War notification).
- War Office Casualty List No. 1184 (July 1943) – The National Archives of the UK - WO 417/63. (Reported Missing following escape).
- War Office Casualty List No. 1191 (July 1943) – The National Archives of the UK - WO 417/64. (Reported Not Missing following arrival in Sweden).
- Medal Index Card of Private Leonard Green (Leonard Greenspan), Royal Army Service Corps (E.F.I.). The National Archives of the UK - WO 460/219.
- Recommendation for the Distinguished Conduct Medal: Private Leonard Green, RASC/EFI, and Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton, Royal Artillery, November 1943. Forces War Records. UK, WWII, Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1939–1945. (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/981/uk-wwii-recipients-of-the-distinguished-conduct-medal-1939-1945 : accessed 22 Jun 2026)
- The London Gazette, 11 November 1943 – Award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private Leonard Green and Battery Sergeant Major Angus Paton. Forces War Records, UK, WWII, London Gazette, Military Notices, 1939-1945. (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1155/uk-wwii-london-gazette-military-notices-1939-1945 : accessed 22 Jun 2026)
- Tute, Warren. Escape Route Green. London: Arthur Barker, 1970.
Special Thanks
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