A Mountain Road
Douglas Weddell Thompson was a fascinating character. From humble beginnings in Newcastle he felt a calling to the Methodist ministry, and then to being a missionary. His time in China was marked by the Sino-Japanese war which caused him to flee the country.
Upon return to England, he quickly joined the army as a chaplain. This led to him seeing action in North Africa, and to his eventual capture by the German forces.
He was then a prisoner of war through camps in Italy, finally ending up in Stalag Luft III, where he was camp chaplain during the time of the infamous “Great Escape”.
His extraordinary life after liberation led him to meeting people such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John XXIII and the King and Queen of Tonga. He was even President of the Methodist Conference and yet through it all he remained a grounded person.
This inspiring autobiography will have you wanting to visit far away places, will make you laugh and feel humbled, and will give you a sense that even a “little man” can change the world for the better.
Captives to Freedom
The True Story of a WWII POW: From Capture in North Africa to Stalag Luft III and Liberation
Douglas Weddell Thompson was an army chaplain. This autobiography recounts his capture by Rommel’s German army during the battles around Al Alamein in North Africa, his subsequent time as a prisoner of war, and his harrowing transportation through western Italy and up through Europe until his imprisonment in the infamous Stalag Luft III prison camp.
As the camp chaplain during the well-known “Great Escape,” Douglas advised his fellow prisoners that the attempt to escape was too risky. Tragically, he was later involved in the burials of those who didn’t reach freedom. Thankfully, Douglas eventually found his way to liberation and was able to share his remarkable story.
Captives to Freedom illustrates how one man’s positive attitude can inspire many others and, in his own words, captures a vital moment in history that should not be forgotten. Through Douglas’s example, we learn how to become a positive influence on those around us, regardless of the challenges we face.