My Escape from Donington Hall, Preceded by an Account of the Siege of Kiao-Chow in 1915

In Short

This memoir recounts Gunther Plüschow’s adventures as the sole naval aviator defending the German concession of Kiao-Chow in 1914, followed by his capture and imprisonment in England, and his subsequent escape. After flying reconnaissance missions until the outpost falls to Japanese and British forces, Plüschow flees into neutral Chinese territory. Captured by the British en route home, he is sent to Donington Hall prison camp. He escapes, survives on the streets of London, and stows away on a ship to freedom, leaving behind a narrative of military resourcefulness, nationalistic devotion, and evasion.

The Story

The narrative opens in 1913 as Gunther Plüschow, a young officer, receives news of his assignment to the Naval Flying Corps at Kiao-Chow, a German colonial territory in China. He undergoes aviation training in Germany, where he survives a harrowing aerial crash landing in Hamburg. Arriving in China shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Plüschow finds himself isolated when hostilities begin in August 1914. Kiao-Chow is soon surrounded by overwhelming Japanese and British forces.

As the garrison's single operational aviator, Plüschow flies frequent, dangerous reconnaissance flights in his Taube monoplane over enemy lines. He identifies hostile artillery batteries, tracks troop movements, and feeds critical target data to the German defenders. Despite heavy shelling and diminishing supplies, the garrison holds out for months. Just before Kiao-Chow surrenders in November 1914, Plüschow receives orders to fly out with secret documents. He crash-lands in a muddy field in Chinese territory, escaping injury while frightening local villagers who have never seen an aeroplane.

Using a Chinese passport, Plüschow begins a perilous journey across China toward neutral territory. He outsmarts local guards, evades suspicion on trains, and eventually boards a ship to America, making stops in Honolulu and crossing the United States. He then boards a neutral vessel bound for Europe, but during a stop in Gibraltar, an informant identifies him as a German officer. British authorities arrest him and transport him to England.

In England, Plüschow spends time in holding facilities, including a stint in a Portsmouth lock-up, before being transferred to Donington Hall, an officer prisoner-of-war camp. He observes camp life, the attitudes of his captors, and the dynamics among the prisoners while plotting his flight. Exercising patience and cunning, Plüschow and a companion break out of the camp during a dark night and make their way on foot to Derby, hiding in ditches to dodge traffic and washing in rain pools.

Disguising himself as an American sailor named George Mine, Plüschow travels to London. He navigates the city in broad daylight, even joining a local trade union at Tilbury to blend in. For several days, he sleeps hidden in hay bundles near the docks while scouting ships bound for neutral ports. After a failed attempt to swim to a vessel in the Thames, he successfully stows away aboard the Dutch steamer Mecklenburg. The ship carries him to safety in the Netherlands, allowing him to return to Germany by July 1915, where he receives the Iron Cross First Class and returns to active duty.

How It Unfolds

The path to the sky Plüschow secures his dream appointment to the Naval Flying Corps and prepares for deployment to Kiao-Chow, suffering a violent crash landing during training in Hamburg before setting sail for East Asia.

Siege under the clouds When World War I breaks out, Kiao-Chow is blockaded; Plüschow becomes the garrison's sole aerial spotter, guiding artillery fire against Japanese and British besiegers until the fortress is on the brink of falling.

Flight into the unknown Ordered to preserve secret documents, Plüschow flies his monoplane out of the falling territory and crash-lands in a rural Chinese field, where he manages to convince suspicious locals to help him.

Evading capture across continents Plüschow slipping past guards in China, boards a train to Shanghai, and travels across the Pacific through Honolulu to the United States, only to be detained by British authorities at Gibraltar while attempting to return to Europe on a neutral ship.

Behind English wire Incarcerated in England, Plüschow observes camp operations at Donington Hall and the interactions between British guards and German prisoners while meticulously plotting a break-out.

The walk to Derby Plüschow and a fellow prisoner escape the camp at night, navigating by the stars, hiding in roadside ditches, and grooming themselves with pocket razors before boarding a train to London.

Hiding in plain sight In London, Plüschow adopts the persona of an American sailor, joins a local trade union for cover, and spends nights hidden under timber piles while searching for a ship bound for neutral territory.

The return home After surviving a failed swimming attempt in the Thames, Plüschow stows away on a Dutch steamer, crosses into Holland, and travels back to Germany, where he receives imperial honors and resumes his military service.

The People

• Gunther Plüschow: The narrator and central figure, a determined German naval aviator who wants to serve his country and maintain his freedom. Facing overwhelming military odds, imprisonment, and harsh elements, he relies on ingenuity, observational skills, and bold disguises, ultimately transforming from a stranded pilot into an escaped war hero.

• Strehlchen: Plüschow's flight observer during his early training in Germany. He survives a violent crash landing alongside Plüschow, trapped beneath the splintered fuselage in total darkness until help arrives.

• Moritz, Fritz, Max, August, and Wilhelm: A sequence of Chinese domestic workers employed at Plüschow’s residence in Kiao-Chow. Each flees as heavy artillery shells begin striking the neighborhood, reflecting the disruption of civil life during the siege.

• Dorsch: Plüschow's dedicated batman who remains with him in their exposed residence at Iltis Bay throughout the heavy bombardment of the colony.

• Dr. Morgan: An American missionary fluent in Chinese who assists Plüschow immediately after his crash landing in rural China, helping translate and securing protection from local soldiers.

• Thomas Cook Agent: A civilian informant in Gibraltar who recognizes Plüschow aboard a neutral vessel, thoroughly searches his belongings, and turns him over to British naval officers.

• Major Owen and Captain Mitchell: British officers at the prison camp who maintain a calm, professional demeanor toward the prisoners, contrasting with the panic of other camp officials.

In Its Own Voice

"Wait, wait, and once more wait. Eighty per cent of the science of flying consists in waiting and holding oneself in readiness." Plüschow reflects on the patience demanded of a novice aviator during winter training at Johannisthal.

"Never forget, Plüschow, that you are now of more value to Kiao-Chow than our daily bread. Don’t fail to return and keep the machine going!" The Chief of Staff impresses upon Plüschow the essential nature of his aerial reconnaissance during the siege.

"I took a third-class return ticket to Leicester and, armed with a fat newspaper, boarded the train." Plüschow describes his low-profile movement through the English railway system immediately following his escape from prison camp.

What It's Really About

Beneath the thrill of military evasion, the book explores the tension between nationalist duty and personal survival. Plüschow views his actions through an intense patriotic lens, where remaining free is not merely a matter of self-preservation, but a military obligation to the German Empire.

The narrative reveals how individual adaptability overcomes institutional capture. Plüschow succeeds because he can alter his identity rapidly—shifting from aviator to traveler, to stranded American sailor, to union member. The text also offers a glimpse into early aviation warfare, showing how primitive aircraft shifted from novelty items to indispensable military assets. Ultimately, it contrasts the rigid structures of wartime captivity with the fluidity required to navigate hostile civilian environments unnoticed.

Why Read It Today

This memoir offers a vivid, first-hand account of early aerial warfare and prisoner-of-war escape techniques from the perspective of a German combatant. Readers interested in World War I history will appreciate the unusual geographical trajectory, which moves from the lesser-known Asian theater in Kiao-Chow across the Pacific, through Britain, and into continental Europe. Plüschow writes with an energetic, direct momentum that keeps the narrative moving briskly through aerial sorties, police evasions, and disguise-driven deceptions.

Potential readers should be prepared for period-typical imperialist attitudes and language, particularly regarding non-European populations in Asia and colonial territories. Plüschow’s fierce, uncritical devotion to the Kaiser and the German war effort reflects the strong nationalistic sentiment of the era, which may feel jarring to modern audiences. However, for those seeking an authentic, highly detailed account of wartime flight and covert travel across enemy lines, Plüschow’s story stands as a compelling historical record of resourcefulness under pressure.