Description
Physical description
wooden conductor's baton.
Label
Conductor's baton used by Major Shaw during a First World War escape attempt. As conductor of the Freiburg prison camp orchestra he feigned an injured foot during a comedy sketch, while giving a concert in the Germans' dining room. He tried to escape from his dressing room window, but was intercepted and sent to Holzminden Camp.
During the First World War Major Shaw served with 2nd King Edward's Horse, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Royal Flying Corps. He was taken prisoner at Messines in 1917 and held at Freiburg. Following his escape from this camp he was recaptured and imprisoned in Holzminden POW camp. While there he assisted in the construction of the famous 'Holzminden Tunnel' through which 29 officers escaped. Major Shaw was the 31st in the queue and the tunnel subsided and collapsed on the man in front. During the Second World War he served as Assistant Military Liaison Officer, No 6 (Southern) Region, Reading December 1939-August 1945.
History note
See file for history of Shaw's capture and escape attempts.
History note
Conductor's baton used by Major Shaw during a First World War escape attempt. As conductor of the Freiburg prison camp orchestra he feigned an injured foot during a comedy sketch, while giving a concert in the Germans' dining room. He tried to escape from his dressing room window, but was intercepted and sent to Holzminden Camp.
During the First World War Major Shaw served with 2nd King Edward's Horse, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Royal Flying Corps. He was taken prisoner at Messines in 1917 and held at Freiburg. Following his escape from this camp he was recaptured and imprisoned in Holzminden POW camp. While there he assisted in the construction of the famous 'Holzminden Tunnel' through which 29 officers escaped. Major Shaw was the 31st in the queue and the tunnel subsided and collapsed on the man in front. During the Second World War he served as Assistant Military Liaison Officer, No 6 (Southern) Region, Reading December 1939-August 1945.