Haltwhistle man Raymond Keen in the Great Escape

HALTWHISTLE MAN’S ROLE IN THE GREAT ESCAPE

Raymond William Keen was born on April 7th, 1915, at the Railway Hotel in Haltwhistle, where his father Joseph and mother Eleanor (nee Nixon) were the proprietors. He had three older siblings, Lily, John, and Margaret (Peggy). A talented footballer from an early age, Keen became a star striker for Brampton County Secondary School XI during his teens.

Once his education was completed, Keen was faced with a choice of accepting trials for Newcastle United or pursuing a career with the RAF. The promise of adventure offered by the latter won out.

In 1938, while stationed at RAF Leconfied near the town of Beverley in Yorkshire, he met and fell in love with a local girl, Irene Andrews. With the threat of war looming against Germany, the two were soon married at the ancient Minster in the town.

The inevitable happened, and Keen progressed into the ranks of Bomber Command, where as a Pilot Officer he flew many night-time missions over Germany. He took part in the first 1000 Bomber raid over Cologne, and was Mentioned in Despatches in 1940 for ‘gallant and distinguished services’. During that time, Irene stayed with the Keen Family in Haltwhistle at the Spotted Cow Hotel, which by then had also come under their stewardship. However, on the night of March 26th, 1943, P/O Keen’s luck ran out, and his aircraft, a Halifax II (W7931), was shot down following a raid on Duisberg.

P/O Keen arrived at the German POW camp Stalag Luft III on April 12th, and was quartered in Hut 122 of the North Compound with fellow so-called Kriegies from England, South Africa, and Australia. This was about to become the location of tunnel Dick, which along with tunnels Harry and Tom would become the foundation of the Great Escape.

Disposing of the sand was one of the biggest difficulties attached to each project. Newly promoted F/Lt Keen was one of the colony of Penguins who on a daily basis would potter around the compound inconspicuously scattering sand from tunnel Dick.

By the Spring of 1944, the only tunnel left in existence was Harry. The night of March 24th was chosen for the escape, with 220 men scheduled to take part. The leader of the Escape Committee, S/L Roger Bushell, picked sixty of these, based on their German language skills and previous escape experience. The other places were allocated randomly by drawing lots. F/Lt Keen was included in the draw, but his name remained in the hat. His role would, therefore, be that of an eyewitness.

After dark, the would-be escapees gathered along with others involved in Hut 104. A hostile country blanketed in deep snow awaited them at the far end of the tunnel. F/Lt Keen watched as events unfolded, and began sketching out the words in his POW Wartime Log of a loose poem.

Now comes the time to leave, all are prepared.
The leaders by the shaft start to descend,
but now his bulky clothing has ensnared him twixt two props near to the tunnel end.

Hold everything! The air raid sirens wails.
Double guards. We can not carry on.
God! This is going slower than a snail.

Two hours lost, and many who are here will find that they have had their wait in vain.
At last the sirens sound the All Clear.

A postern sees the footprints in the slush outside the wire, a scuffle a shout.
A rifle shot that breaks the morning hush. The break is found, the guards are rushing out.

A fire is made of all escaping kit.
Directly they hear sounds of the alert.
As fast as one dies out, another lit, and fanned to brighter burning with a slat.

A later hour, and eighty seven free.
Remainder counted, searched and locked indoors.

The dream for months of many, many men to which their hopes of happiness were bound.
Twas built and found, destroyed and built again.
This avenue to freedom underground!

The sequel to this story must be told to show how fifty brave men died unseen…

F/Lt Keen – March 24th, 1944
This is believed to be the first account on paper of the Great Escape. The closing line, with all its poignancy, was added as news broke days later that 50 of the escapees had been executed by the Germans.