Kapitanleutant
Gunther Pluschow and his Rumpler Taube in Tsingtao, 1914. Note the control
wheel in his hand. To the Chinese he became known as the Dragon Pilot, and
had a dragon tattoo on his arm.
Planning the Escape from Donington Hall
Escape from Mainland Britain - London Sojourn
Suspected of being a Spy in Germany
Gunther Pluschow was the only German Prisoner of War to escape from mainland Britain. (Franz von Werra in World War II escaped from Canada, having failed repeatedly to escape mainland Britain.) Pluschow's achievement is therefore unrivalled and incomparable. How did he escape from Britain?
Pluschow's exploits started in 1914 in Northern China, in the German colony of Tsingtao. Here he repeatedly flew his aircraft singled handed and outnumbered against the Japanese Farman Float Planes, whilst artillery spotting over enemy lines.
Tsingtao soon became blockaded and surrounded by Japanese and British forces. In late November, as the German situation military situation deteriorated, Pluschow was given orders by the Governor of Tsingtao to escape capture and return to Germany.
Pluschow flew out of Tsingtao on a cold morning, amidst heavy anti-aircraft fire from the surrounding hills, that now swarmed with Japanese soldiers. He flew as far as his Rumpler 'Taube' (Pigeon/Dove) would carry him, landing in mainland China, a neutral country.
After crash landing in China, the peasants who found him, thought he was a blonde haired god, and ran away, until he bribed them with some gold coins. Luckily he was quickly found and helped by American Missionaries, and eventually found himself in the presence of the local Chinese Mandarin. He gave the Mandarin his service revolver as a present, and the Mandarin treated him to a feast of delicacies. The Mandarin posted General Lin to his side and sent him to Shanghai, where he was told he would be free to travel home. Before he left the daughter of the Missionary gave him a cap as a present.
The
Dragon
Pilot
