#8632, Evelyn Norah VANDELEUR

Norah came from the famous Irish land-owning and military Vandeleur family.  The Trust has much information on this family but wishes to record a letter to the Daily Telegraph in July 2024 from John Yarnall.  It read: Sir - Jan Branson's father (Letters, July 4th) was captured by the Germans in 1940 and was later forced to join the Long March across the Vistula in 1945 before being freed and flown to England to recover.

A much more comfortable way of ending his days as a POW was found by Major C B Vandeleur of the 1st Cameronians in the First World War.  Captured by the germans at La Bassee in October 1914, Major Vandeleur escaped from Crefeld in December.  Having learned to speak fluent German at Heidelberg University before the war, he made hisway by train towards the Channel in a German officer's uniform, sharing a box of cigars with other passengers, and finally walked into his London club dressed the same way.  John Yarnall