Franz von Werra Military person

Franz Xaver Baron von Werra (13 July 1914 – 25 October 1941) was a German World War II fighter pilot and flying ace who was shot down over Britain and captured. He is generally regarded as the only Axis prisoner of war to succeed in escaping from a Canadian prisoner of war camp and returning to Germany, though a second man, a U-Boat rating named Walter Kurt Reich is said to have jumped from a Polish troopship (presumably the ex-liner Sobieski) in the St. Lawrence River in July 1940. Von Werra managed to return to Germany via the USA, Mexico, South America and Spain to reach Germany on 18 April 1941.Oberleutnant von Werra was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 December 1940.

Personal facts

Birth date	July 13, 1914
Birth place	Switzerland , Leuk
Date of death	October 25, 1941
Place of death	Netherlands , Vlissingen

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Military person

allegiance	Nazi Germany
award	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
military operations	Operation Barbarossa Battle of Britain World War II
military branch	Luftwaffe
military command	I./JG 53
military unit	Jagdgeschwader 3 Jagdgeschwader 53
service start	1936
service end	1941