So how did he start getting himself involved in escapes?

Well, Bob's ill health saw him moved from Bavaria to northern France in readiness for a planned prisoner exchange in September 1941.

However, the repatriation never took place.

A number of explanations have been put forward for this cancellation, but the general consensus seems to be that Hitler realised that he was only getting 250 of his own soldiers in exchange for 1,500 Allied prisoners.

This change of plan provided a headache for the German High Command where to house these sick and disabled prisoners.

A temporary measure was to hold them in barracks and hospitals around Rouen.

However, it became clear that their incarceration might be a longer term basis than first envisaged.

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