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From: "Daniel" <>
Subject: Who helped Winston Churchill to escape?
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 22:09:50 +0200



Arlene wrote the following about Winston Churchill and her grandfather:

>| Hi Listers,
>| I need some help. My grandfather, Emile Ferdinand Hansen, was in the| Scandinavian >Corp, Boer War. The family story is that he was a devout Lutheran and would have a >difficult time killing other humans, so he | asked for guard duty. He was on duty the night >that Winston Churchill | escaped from his Pretoria prison (school). The family story is that >he knew WC was about to escape and he "went around the corner", "turned his back" and >let him go. Arlene

Then Delia wrote:

>Churchill's granddaughter, Celia Sandys, recently published a book about his exploits >during the Boer War --- "Churchill Wanted Dead or Alive," Harper Collins, ISBN 0 00 >257017 3. It contains a lengthy account of his escape. There is mention of several guards >on duty the night of his escape, but no Emile Hansen. Sandys writes of Churchill's >accounts of his escape (one published, one private) in which he says he took his chance to >scale a fence when a sentry turned away to cup his hands over a cigarette and light it. She >wonders if it was the sentry called Stephen Schotel who was on duty that night and who >harboured "a resentment of Churchill all his life." Churchill always said he was not aided in >his escape, and in fact on reaching safety cabled the Transvaal Secretary of State for War, >Louis de Souza: "Escape not due to any of your guards". However, in order to throw his >captors off the scent, he did leave a letter on his pillow (also to de Souza) in which he >deliberately indicated he was being assisted. As a result the camp Commandant, >Opperman, concluded that he had been aided. This book, which makes for a fascinating >read, is indexed (no Hansen). It also has a list of sources, which may guide you in >researching your family story. It may be worth noting that it was very, very common for >soldiers (and officers) on the Boer side to later tell stories about a connection with >Churchill's capture or his escape. Far too many for them all to be true. There is no record >of all the individuals involved in the action in which he was captured. I suspect the same >may be true of his escape, but it is not something I have researched. A letter, diary or >"memoir" written by your grandfather at the time of the incident would probably assist you.
>Regards. Delia Robertson.

I forwarded these two messages to Louis De Souza's grandson, Hugh De Souza, for his comments. I should mention that Hugh is a writer, and is presently busy with "A Matter of Treason?", which apparently reveals some hitherto unpublished and unknown facts about the Boer War. Hugh is also a friend of Celia Sandys, and attended the launch of her book in London. Hugh has now replied as follows:

>Dear Dan,
>I have quite a bit about that escape of Winston Churchill in "Treason" and data re the guards >and who was who... diagrams were drawn of the school and which guards were around, and >where they were... I will have to delve into the Ziegler data to see if there is anything about >a Schotel... that name doesn't come to mind... The Manuscript at present is being >considered...Will get back to you after I have delved into the escape investigation
>stuff. Many descendants of people at that time have come up with stories told to them that >are NOT correct... but just try and convince them. You can tell Delia Robertson that it was >Churchill's aim to throw the Boers off the scent... but after he reached L.Marques he wired >grandfather and stated that his escape had nothing to do with the guards.... have got a
>copy of the original wire...I can understand why the guards were livid that Churchill had >escaped. The book was thrown at them at the subsequent probe... I go into it in "Treason"
>... even grandfather was hauled over the carpet....
>Hugh.

As soon as Hugh sends me more information I shall post a message.

Regards,

Dan Daniel

Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
E-mail:




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