A Prisoner's Progress

About this book

This book, which was originally published by Blackwoods Magazine, in two parts, describes how the author became a war-time officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in charge of a Motor Gun Boat on coastal patrol in the English Channel. On February 27th, 1943, they engaged with a group German armed trawlers and David's boat was set on fire and sunk. He was taken prisoner and confined to the Marlag und Milag Nord camp, near Bremen, until he escaped in December under the guise of being a Bulgarian Naval Officer named I. Bagerov. Although he reached and boarded a Swedish vessel in Lubeck, he was arrested when he went back ashore to wait for the ship's departure. A second escape succeeded and he reached Stockholm on February 22nd, 1944. The first edition was published as a book in 1947 by Blackwoods. A second edition, with the same text but also an Introduction by Eric Williams and an updated Preface was published in 1954 by Hollis and Carter. An American version comprising the same text with the title 'Escaper's Progress' followed in 1955 by W.W.Norton.

Themes & subjects

About the author

David James (1919 - 1986)

25 Dec 1919 – 15 Dec 1986

David Pelham James was the son of Bridget Guthrie and Sir Archibald James. He attended Summer Fields School in Oxford and then Eton College, after which he signed on as an apprentice on the four masted barque Viking to sail to Australia and back. He then went to witness the Spanish Civil War with his father, before taking his place at Balliol College, Oxford, to read Geography. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War, and he became an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in charge of a Motor Gun Boat on coastal patrol in the English Channel. On February 27th, 1943 they engaged with a group German armed trawlers and David's boat was set on fire and sank. He was taken p…