Napoleonic Literature
Successful British POW Escapes from France during the Napoleonic Wars:  1803-14
by Marc Morris

The following photograph and table was graciously contributed to the Napoleonic community by Marc Morris of the United Kingdom.


The prison depot at Bische, France.


 


DATE
18XX
SERVICE/
STATUS
ESCAPEE(S) REMARKS
Sep 03 C Sir J. Crawford  Asked to convalesce at Aix, and then escaped to Germany
10 Nov 03 C Thomas Jodrell  Escaped from Valenciennes
Nov 03 C Francis Jodrell
Robert Smyth
 Handed back parole and then escaped from Valenciennes
28 Dec 03 C Charles Wolseley
03 C Lord G. Hay Escaped from Antwerp
03 C Mr. Storer Escaped by horse on road to Verdun
Jan 04 C Lord A. Hamilton
18 Nov 04 C Thomas Brooks, M.P.  Drove away in carriage from Valenciennes. Reached Germany.
4 Jun 05 N Mid. J. Murray
Mid. A. Robinson
 From Verdun. Parole breakers.
19 Jul 05 N Mid. F. Little
06 N Mid. S. Mottley
06 C Israel Worsley Escaped from Dunkirk
19 Apr 07 N Mid. E. Temple Escaped by carriage from Verdun hidden under mistresses’ skirts.
Reached Russia. Parole breaker.
14 Jul 07 N Mid. T. W. Cecil
Mid. R. L. Gordon
CC F. Maxwell
Escaped on road to Bitche. Split up --
Cecil to Austria, Gordon & Maxwell to Prussia
14 Sep 07 N Mid. W. W. Kingston
14 Dec 07 N Mid. J. S. Fletcher
07 N Sub-Lt R. C. Ross
5 Jun 08 N WO(1m) R. Skinner
4 Jul 08 N Mid. R. Burridge
Jul 08 N MM R. Paine Possible parole breaker
14 Sep 08
N
N
A
C
MM D. H. O’Brien 
Mid. M. Hewson
Lt. G. Batley
Dr. A. Barklimore
First out of, and successful from, Bitche.
Reached Austria (Batley separately)
Oct 08 C Richard J. Lawrence
16 Nov 08 N Mid. E. Boys
Mid. R. E. Hunter
Mid. F. J. Whitehurst
FCV W. L. Mansell
Escaped from Valenciennes.
Hid in Flanders until 8 May 1809,
when smuggled by boat across Channel.
27 Nov 08 N Mid. T. J. P. Masters Escaped on road to Bitche. Reached Austria via Switzerland.
(Met up with Ashworth, Tuthill, Porteus and Brine, below.)
Dec 08 N
N
N
MS
Mid. H. Ashworth
Mid. C. Tuthill
WO(sm) W. Porteus
G. Brine
Reached Austria. Escaped in party of 12 from Bitche,
largest of the war. (Others recaptured.)
08 C Peter Blagrove Escaped from Verdun. Reached Austria via Switzerland.
08 C Ives Urry Escaped from Verdun
1 Jan 09 C H. Lawrence
Jan 09 N
MS
MS
Mid. G. H. Dacre
S. Ellison
P. Kirk
Escaped from Bitche in party of 6. Reached Austria.
21 Feb 09 N Mid. J. Parker
25 Apr 09 N Mid. E. Dillon
12 May 09 N FCV F. Cutler
14 May 09 N WO(sm) D. Cameron
29 May 09 N
C
C
C
WO(sm) A Crigan
Mr. Baine
Dr. Craighton
G. Houghton
Escaped From Arras
May 09 N W. Robertson
14 Aug 09 C Lewis Nanny Escaped from Arras
26 Sep 09 N FCV C. Robinson
26 Oct 09 N MM H. Lewis
Mid. T. Blakiston
Mid. R. Hall
Escaped, recaptured and then immediately escaped again
Oct 09 N MM R. Rochfort
18 Nov 09 N WO(s) W. Hill
WO(s) M. Williams
20 Nov 09 N Mid. W. McLeod
CC J. Meek
14 Dec 09 N Mid. M. Miller
23 Dec 09 N Mid. G. Bissett
24 Dec 09 N MM W. Randall
Dec 09 N Mid. J. B. Tattnall Escaped dressed as a girl
09 N MM W. Brander
09 N Lt R. T. Douglas Escaped to Russia
09 N MM R. Grant
09 N Mid. C. Hare
09 N CC C. Randall
09 N Mid. C. S. Ricketts
09 N Mid. C. Shaw
09 N WO(g) T. Simpson
20 Jan 10 N Mid. J. P. Parker
20 Feb 10 N FCV G. Forbes
20 Jul 10 N MM G. Powell
Mid. H. Thomas
FCV E. Crowe
3 Aug 10 N Mid. C. Parker
24 Aug 10 N Mid. J R T Wright, FCV G S Smith Escaped from Verdun
Aug 10 C Charles Forbes Escaped From Tours
9 Nov 10 N Mid. J. R. Drew
Mid. P. Stark
FCV G. Fitzgerald
FCV J. Hallowes
10 Nov 10 N Mid. H. B. Mason
WO(sm) J. Hawthorn
25 Nov 10 N Lt P. Le Vesconte Escaped from Bitche
21 Dec 10 N MM D. Littlejohn
MM J. E. C. Pitfield
Dec 10 A Capt A. Tulloh Senior Army officer to escape
10 N (M)  1st Lt J. Campbell Only Marine officer to escape
10 C Alexander Don Escaped from Paris
10 N Lt H. Edwards
10 N Cdr H. Gordon Escaped from Melun
10 C Mr. Moore Escaped from Bitche
10 C Charles Sturt, M.P.  Possibly helped by a ‘Mrs. Montgomerie’
14 Jan 11 N MM W. Hutchinson
MM J. McFee
Mid. J. Knocker
WO(p) T. Knocker
28 Jan 11 N Mid. C. Mayo
Mid. R. Nason
4 Feb 11 N CC J. Chambers
14 May 11 N MM C. Halford
Mid. H. Stanhope
Stanhope was convicted of a previous escape and wore
convict clothes in the Porte Chaussee in Verdun.
Escaped disguised as a Midshipman!
22 May 11 N WO(2m) G. Brown
WO(p) R. Vannel
WO(pr) W. Lamotte
May 11 C Philip C. Crespigny
9 Jun 11 C Mr Farthing Escaped from Sarrelibre
21 Jul 11 N Mid. W. N. Devonshire
Lt G. V. Jackson
FCV G. Gordon
FCV C. Street
Escaped from Verdun. Jackson was recaptured;
Gordon and Street drowned.
21 Jul 11 N Mid. E. P. Montagu
July 11 A Lt J. MacFarlane
23 Dec 11 C R. George Elrington
11 C Hon. A. Annesley Escaped from Paris
11 C T. P. Crosdale
11 N MM Patterson
11 N Sub-Lt T. Scanlan
11 N FCV W. Streeting
11 N Mid. R. Sutton
11 N WO(1m) H. Taylor
21 Feb 12 N Lt C. C. Owen Transferred from Besancon to Maison de force, Paris,
on a criminal charge. Shammed lunacy and repatriated.
Feb 12 N
A
Lt G. V. Jackson
Lt E. Lestrange
Escaped from Bitche, Lestrangedisguised as a French
officer and Jackson as a French and soldier.
20 Jul 12 N FCV F. Stevenson
30 Sep 12 A Ens. W. Graham Possible parole breaker or escaped while confined for debt
24 Dec 12 N Mid. J. C. Townsend
12 N Lt H. Conn Possible parole breaker or escaped while confined for debt
12 N Mid. J. Summers
Mar 13 C John S. Stanhope Transferred to Paris with promise of release, then refused.
Escaped by carriage to Austria.
14 Apr 13 N WO(sm) J. Roberts
Jul 13 N MM R. Thorley
Sep 13 N Lt J. Wallis
................. ................. ...................................................... ...................................................................................................
Oct 13 A Lt R. Sheehy Broke parole and was forcibly returned to France,
March 1814
Nov 13 C Joshua Done Eight escape attempts and in numerous prison depots. Finally
escaped from German castle while waiting to be sent back to
France
8 Dec 13 N Mid. E. Hunt
24 Dec 13 N MM J. Parsons
Mid. J. O’Brien
27 Dec 13 N Mid. H. Barrow
Mid. G. E. Davis
Mid. C. Paynter
13 C Thomas L. Prescott
13 Capt N. Willoughby Escaped from the Chateau Bouillon to Russia. Senior naval
officer to escape.
20 Jan 14 C Thomas Darby
Jan 14 N FCV H. Leworthy
10 Feb 14 N Mid. H. Colquhoun
11 Feb 14 N MM W. Hubbard
MM H. L. Parry
Mid. J. E. Sterling
Feb 14 N MM R. O’Neill
Feb 14 N MM T. K. Stewart
30 Mar 14 N Mid. H. Kirkpatrick

Key:

Service/Status:
A= Army
C= Civilian
MS= Merchant Service (Navy)
N= Navy (Royal)
N(M)= Marines

Grades:
Capt = Captain
Cdr = Commander (RN)
Lt = Lieutenant
Ens = Ensign (Army)
Sub-Lt = Sub-Lieutenant (not commissioned)
MM = Master’s Mate
Mid = Midshipman
FCV = First Class Volunteer (Naval Cadet)
CC = Captain’s Clerk
WO(1m) = Warrant Officer (Master)
WO(2m) = Warrant Officer (Second Master)
WO(p) = Warrant Officer (Pilot)
WO(s) = Warrant Officer (Surgeon)
WO(sm) = Warrant Officer (Surgeon’s Mate)
WO(pr) = Warrant Officer (Purser)
WO(g) = Warrant Officer (Gunner)

Notes:
1. Not all exact dates are known so only the month and/or year are shown with some escapers.
2. Some details in the Remarks column are blank as nothing is known of the escape method.
3. The list is not exhaustive. A few other prisoners are known to have escaped, but as I can find no date they are not included.
4. It is believed far more Merchant Service officers escaped but French records are not conclusive as to names or in what prison depots they resided; therefore, I have not included them.
5. I am confident that the above list represents the vast majority of British officer and civilian successful escapes from France, 1803-14.

Main Source:  Lewis, Michael, Napoleon and his British Captives, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1962.