The One That Got Away

[Nicholas Link]

Just the other day, I caught an old b&w movie called "The One That Got Away", staring Hardy Kruger as a German POW who escaped custody in Canada, and eventually made it back to Germany by way of the then-neutral US. I can't believe I'd never heard of this flic before. It's certainly worth your time to watch it, if you get the opportunity.

[Mike Davis]

A true classic film about Franz von Werra starring Hardy Krüger, made in 1957 and thus depicting German soldiers less hysterically than is usually the case today. The uniforms are well done and the Bf109 mock up is astounding. It is a film well worth owning.

http://www.amazon.com/One-That-Got-Away/dp/B0014BJ1CM

[Larry deZeng]

Here's the real von Werra:

WERRA, Franz von. (DOB: 13.07.14 in Lenk/Switzerland). (R). 09.40 Oblt., Adj. in Stab II./JG 3 (to 05.09.40). 05.09.40 PoW – force landed hid Bf 109 E-4 near Marsden/England after being shot down by a Spitfire and captured. Escaped from P/W camp in Canada and returned to Germany via Mexico and Russia; reassigned to active duty in the Luftwaffe. 14.12.40 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Adj. in II./JG 3. 01.07.41 Hptm., appt Kdr. I./JG 53 (to 25.10.41). 25.10.41 KIA – crashed into the sea and drowned off Vlissingen/Holland after experiencing engine trouble. Credited with 21 air victories.

Note that he was Swiss and not German, that he went right back at it within a year of being captured, and was killed in just over a year after becoming a PoW. A strange tale, indeed.

--Larry

[Mike Davis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_von_Werra

As I recall from reading a squadron mate reported that his airplane suddenly dove straight into the water from cruising altitude without any visible attempt by von Werra to pull out of the dive. Engine failure? O2 problem?

[stonemint]

This is a German film that came out in 2002 profiling v. Werra, although I have yet to see it: (yes, that is Hardy Kruger on the cover instead of von Werra--don't ask me why):

[stonemint]

I have posted about this before, but what is interesting is that Hardy Kruger was an actual NAPOLA graduate, and allegedly served in a Waffen-SS unit during the war. He starred in one period film for the Reich,
Junge Adler, which was about young LW pilots, and filmed at the Junkers factory. This is a scene from it:

Anyone got a copy of the film? I've only been searching for it for the past 25 years!

[stonemint]

Hardy Kruger--the only real SS-mann to play an SS man!:

[Bill Grist]

Hardy Kruger was in the 38th. SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen....And was captured by the Americans in May 1945......

[Nicholas Link]

Hardy Kruger was in the 38th. SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen....And was captured by the Americans in May 1945......

Kruger sounds as though he is almost as interesting a personality as v.Werra.

[J.von Canon]

v.Werra film & book

The book is even better than the film.
I read it back in the 1950's as a kid.
I think it was in the Ballentine War book series if you want to search it on ebay...
The book continued with where the film ended(when he got on neutral American soil)and continues with his hitch-hiking to Mexico and arrival at the German embassy and on back to Deutschland...
I have a VCR copy of it...
Send PM.

[john moody]

Hi all,
"The One That Got Away" is a classic war movie which I remember watching on TV on a Sunday afternoon at my grandmother's house.
My partner and I have a german language version of the film entitled "Einer Kam Durch", which unfortunately does not have English subtitles.
Rather ironic that a British film can only be purchased in the German language!

Best Regards,

John.

[Der Stahlhelm]

I picked up a copy of this movie on dvd off of eBay ...... great film indeed !

[Jody]

The One That Got Away

Hello,
The movie is great but the book is even better (as stated earlier). The film is rather rare today (at least in the US) and is rarely shown. I bet I have not seen that film in close to 30 years.

Here is my copy of the book, it is an old paperback from 1956. It shows you what the real Franz von Werra looked like.

Regards,
Jody

[Terry OToole]

didn t Hardy Kruger go to one of the elite nazi napola schools?

[paddywhack]

Film four normally have it on every few months!il have a look ön the old interweb and see if i cant find a streaming site!GREAT film!that guy had balls!he nearly nicked a hurricane out of a british base!balls the size of bengal tigers!