must be absent on Thursday evenings, so they came anyway.

I told my cell mate and asked for his help. He thought I was nuts but agreed to help. I let my hair and beard grow, the latter to confuse the German's after I escaped. My cell mate, Jim, and I alternated on clean up every Friday morning. We acquired little items like a lipstick, a silk stocking, and even a shoe. The other items of clothing, a dress, a pair of shoes, a purse, cosmetics, etc. I acquired by bartering with the civilians who came to the fence to talk to us. The guards were usually bored and did not object to our talking to the town people. We traded chocolate and cigarettes from our Red Cross packages for vegetables and eggs. Most of the guards let us trade for anything we wanted as long as we gave them a few cigarettes. thus with Jim's help, by August, I had a hat, dress, bra, girdle, a purse, 3 pairs of stockings, a pair of walking shoes, and cosmetics. The clothes were not stylish but then most of the German girls lacked style in wartime one wears what he or she had.

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My hair was not as long as I wanted it but I made plans to escape on the second Thursday in August. The actual escape de- pended on the number of girls who came that evening; I felt that I could hide among three or more visitors. By this time there were six involved in my escape including an RAF sargent who had worked for a hair dresser be- fore the War.

After roll call we all watched the guard compound. At 7:15 two girls arrived and 10 minutes later another one came through the gate. I headed back to my room and started to shave. At

7:50 Jim came in to say that two more girls had arrived. I was in luck. Earlier in the day I had shaved all the hair from my legs and other parts of my body that might be exposed so that I would only have to cut off my beard. I put on the bra which was care- fully padded with old socks, and sat while my hair was set. I had cultivated a nice manicure and while my hair was being set I painted my nails. After my hair was set I put on my stockings, dress, and hat. I even had a bracelet and necklace. I hated to give up the Hamilton watch which my parents had given me for graduation, but it could not be taken with me so I gave it to one of the other POW's. I put on makeup to cover my beard stub- ble, mascarra and lipstick. I then looked at myself in the mirror; I looked like a German prostitute. The other fellows laughed at me and made some obscene remarks. They all wished me luck with my disguise.

I had made an escape plan. I was told that many POW's were captured because they did not have a plan after they left the compound. I planned to catch the 11:05 train for Monnheim and then proceed to Strasbourg and from there to Paris. I knew the police were always looking for strange men but rarely ever checked a woman; I would stay with my disguise as long as pos- sible.

At 10:40 one of the POW's picked the lock and opened the steel door. I slipped through the door and watched them relock it. I walked down the stairs and nervously tried to be silent. It was the first time I was going in- to public as a TV. I avoided the guard's social rooms and walked

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into the compound. I was frigh- tened as I approached the guard station, but he did not pay any attention to me until I was about three feet away, then he asked, "Aren't you going home early?" Without hesitation I quickly an- swered, "Yes, I must go to work early in the morning." Without another glance I walked quickly through the gate and nearly ran down the street. When I turned the corner, I realized I was pant- ing and was afraid that the guard must have known who I was and would probably shoot me; but when I looked back no one was there, I had escaped!

I arrived at the station at 10:55 and bought a ticket to Monnheim. I went out onto the station platform where it was dark and waited for the train. It was on time and a conductor ushered me into the third class compartment. I sat nervously by myself. About 3 a.m. two police came through the compartment and checked the identification cards of the male passengers, but ignored the females. I began to feel safe. At 4 a.m. I went to the wash room to check my makeup and use the toilet. I was afraid of using one in a train station. The train arrived in Monnheim at 4:45.

As soon as I disembarked from the train I checked the schedules and discovered that a train left for Strasbourg at 8:50. I did not know what to do. I hated to travel by day but I could not loi- ter around the station. Further- more, I was afraid that the beard stubble might begin to show so I bought a ticket and went into a small cafe attached to the station and ate a bowl of porridge. I took as long as possible to eat the breakfast but after 30 min-