South Yorkshire Times October 5, 1946

Helped to Capture Escaped Nazi
Conisbrough Youth’s Part in Rounding Up P.O.W.

 

 

A 17-year-old Conisbrough youth, Gerald Lowe, only son of Mr, and Mrs. Fred Lowe, of the Star hotel, Conisbrough, took part on Sunday afternoon in the capture of a 6’ 4” German Prisoner of War on his uncle’s farm at Wadworth.

The prisoner, listed as “dangerous” had been at large a week from a prisoner of War camp at Leicester.

Helping at farm

A “South Yorkshire Times” reporter was told the details of generals exploit this week by his parents, for Gerald, who left Mexborough Secondary School at the end of last term, is still at Warmsworth, where he is assisting at long farm, occupied by Mr and Mrs S. Burtwhistle, his uncle and aunt, until college accommodation is forthcoming to permit him to commence his training as a veterinary surgeon.

“Gerald was out in the fields with his cousin, Alan, before tea,” Mr and Mrs Lowe said, “when they noticed someone moving about and decided to investigate the matter after tea. They had to go about a mile and a quarter from the farm when they noticed some movement between two flax stacks. On approaching the stacks, they found the prisoner partly covered by the flax. He was wearing a Macintosh which looked as if it had come off a scarecrow, but he was still wearing his regulation prisoner of war trousers, he had, however, taking the patches of the knees.

“The German said to them in English: do you know I could knock you down if I wanted to, but I don’t. Allan picked up a stake with which he guarded the prisoner and sent Gerald off to obtain assistance, Gerald says he had about a mile to go, and he ran as fast as he could for farmer Weight, of Wellingley. The police were telephoned for, but in the meantime the farmer, who returned with Gerald in his car, took the prisoner to the Guild Hall at Doncaster.

Mr Alan Burtwistle, who is 21, stands only 5’7”. The scene of the incident is in a somewhat desolate spot between Wadworth, Wellingley and tickhill.

Gerald, who has been registered as a veterinary student for 18 months, is an expert rider to hounds with the Grove Hunt and the proud possessor of a 16 hands high hunter which he has with him at Wadworth. He obtained his Higher School Certificate this summer and secured his school certificate the previous year. For the past two seasons he was a member of the Mexborough secondary school football first eleven. He was a school prefect.

Mr Burtwistle, whose mother is a family member of the well-known local family, of Conisbrough, nearly achieved fame last January when he reached the last eight in a Carol Levi’s show in Doncaster. He appeared as a light comedian and all his turns were written by himself.