Captive Scorpion

Trooper Mick Holland served seven months with the Long Range Desert Group as an interpreter, medical orderly, and gunner until his capture in September 1942. From there until the end of the war he spent more time ‘on the run’ than in PoW camps. He made seven escape attempts in Italy and two in Germany. Holland’s accounts take the reader on an incredible journey that exhibit an exceptional man with great tenacity and determination. The story begins with his time in the LRDG and the events leading up to his capture. This is followed by an overview which describes the life and conditions in the PoW camps in Europe, subsequential chapters outline the dramatic stories of his nine escape attemptsHis evasion skills were reflective of the LRDG motto ‘Not by Strength, by Guile’. Holland was a persistent and determined escaper who preferred to operate alone to bring less attention to himself. He gave his whole focus to the problems of planning escapes and was alert to seizing every opportunity and, if necessary, creating one. Holland spoke both German and Italian and was very stoic in all he did. He fought with the Italian partisans for several months and on another occasion was intercepted by a German unit in Italy and was given the option of being returned to a PoW camp or being imbedded with them as an interpreter. The offer was accepted but after six weeks he found the opportunity to escape again. Later in Germany he stole a Colonel’s staff car and almost made it to the Swiss border before being captured at the final checkpoint. This is an engaging and dramatic story of an intelligent and resourceful man who utilised all his LRDG Special Forces skills to help evade the enemy and win his eventual freedom.

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