Johnnie Dodge
Encyclopedia
Major
John 'Johnnie' Bigelow Dodge DSO
DSC
MC
(15 May 1894 - 1960) also known as 'the Artful Dodger' was a British Army
officer who fought in both world wars and became a notable prisoner of war
during the Second World War and survived The Great Escape.
as an American, his great great grandfather was William E. Dodge
and his mother was daughter of John Bigelow
, US Minister to France under Abraham Lincoln
.
Educated at St Mark's School in the US and then McGill University
in Canada
.
He became a nephew by marriage to Winston Churchill
, who then was First Lord of the Admiralty, through him, Dodge became commissioned into the Royal Naval Division, arriving in England in August 1914. He became naturalized British Citizen in 1915.
, then at Gallipoli.
He, serving as a Lieutenant
, was wounded at Gallipoli, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
during this campaign. His award be published in the London Gazette
on 8 November 1915.
Transferring to the British Army
in April 1916 with the rank of Captain, he served with distinction, promoted to Major
on 22 Feb 1918, was wounded on more than one occasion, and ended the war as an acting Lieutenant Colonel
commanding the 16th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment
fighting in France
and was further decorated with the Distinguished Service Order
, this being gazetted on 3 June 1919.
He was demobilised on 18 December 1920, retaining the rank of Major
.
. After about two months of dreadful discomfort and narrowly avoiding execution, he was expelled from Russia with an order never to return there again. After this he changed his political view from socialist to conservative.
He served on London County Council as member for Mile End (East London) from 1925-31. Failed in his bid to get into Parliament
, but became a member of the London Stock Exchange
and took up the directorship of a New York bank.
, taking up the rank of Major
, and serving with the Middlesex Regiment
attached to the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division.
When the division surrendured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
in June 1940, Dodge attempted to evade capture, and swam out to sea to attempt to board some ships he could see on the horizon. However the ships moved off before he could reach them, so he returned to land, covering approximately 7 miles, before coming ashore. He was then captured by the Germans and became a Prisoner of War
.
, was forced to march towards Germany. During the march his bare feet became badly cut, and eventually was put on a barge with other Army prisoners for transport into Germany. While on the River Scheldt he jumped overboard, however was handed over to a Luftwaffe
officer by a frightened Dutch civilian. As he had become a captive of the Luftwaffe, he, with all Air Force POWs, was sent to the Dulag luft
reception and transit camp at Oberersul.
he met the Senior British Officer, Wing Commander
Harry Day, who with the agreement of the Camp Kommandant, Major Rumpel, he was made part of the permanent British staff of the camp. Rumpel arranged for the records to show that he had been transferred to the Royal Air Force
, and from then on, he remained with the RAF POWs.
Escape always appealed to Dodge's mind, and here he was with good company, in addition to Day, also at the camp were the escape obsessed Jimmy Buckley
and Roger Bushell
.
It was from here that Dodge made his second escape attempt. A tunnel had been constructed by the permanent British staff, and in June 1941, Dodge, together with Day, Bushell and 14 others made their bid for freedom. None were successful, and all were recaptured. Dodge, and his travelling companion, was recaptured two days later walking along the autobahn a few miles south of Frankfurt
. He was given a short period in solitary confinement before being transferred to Stalag Luft I
at Barth, with all the other recaptured escapers.
He was transferred to Stalag Luft III
at Sagan in April 1942.
at Schubin in occuplied Poland
. Enroute to that camp, he escaped from the train, however was immediately seen, was shot at and quickly recaptured.
in April 1943.
Dodge was given a place in tunnel 'Harry' and escaped at approximately 0100 on 25 March 1944 as part of the The Great Escape. He travelled with Flight Lieutenant
James Wernham RCAF towards Checkoslovakia. They were caught during the afternoon of the same day at Hirschberg
main railway station.
Taken to the Kriminalpolizei
at Hirschberg, where they met other recaptured escapers, including Bertram 'Jimmy' James
.
Dodge was the first to be removed from Hirschberg, and was sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp
, where he was later joined by Jimmy James, Harry Day and Flight Lieutenant
Sydney Dowse
.
James Wernham, together with 49 other recaptured escapers was murdered under Hitler's orders.
agent Peter Churchill
, two Russian generals, various other Russians, Poles, Italians and four British soldiers of Irish origin. Later they were joined by British Commando
Jack Churchill
.
Dowse and James almost immediately began another tunnel, which was kept secret from all non-British personnel. This was completed and used on the night of 23 September 1944, when Dodge, James, Day, Dowse and Jack Churchill escaped.
Dodge, who travelled alone, was on the run for over a month, and after receiving help from some French slave labourers, he was arrested by a German farmer and returned to Sachsenhausen.
He, with the other four, who had also been recaptured, was placed in solitary confinement and chained to the floor in the Death cells at the camp. Mainly through Harry Day's efforts all were spared execution.
where he was asked, by two senior German officials, to act as a peace envoy to the British government, with an offer of German surrender to the British and Americans, but not to the Russians. Dodge was asked to undertake this task because of his relationship to Winston Churchill
He returned to Britain, after traveling to Dresden, where he survived the RAF Air Raid on 14 February, then Munich before crossing the border into Switzerland. He arrived in Britain in May 1945 and met Churchill and the US ambassador to Britain, John Gilbert Winant
on the 6 May 1945. He explained his adventures and the German peace proposal. History records the offer was not accepted.
for his services as a POW, this being recorded in the London Gazette
on 18 April 1946.
He attempted to restart his political career, but with no success.
He married, had two sons, and died in 1960.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
John 'Johnnie' Bigelow Dodge DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(15 May 1894 - 1960) also known as 'the Artful Dodger' was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who fought in both world wars and became a notable prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
during the Second World War and survived The Great Escape.
Early life
Born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as an American, his great great grandfather was William E. Dodge
William E. Dodge
William Earle Dodge, Sr. was a New York businessman, referred to as one of the "Merchant Princes" of Wall Street in the years leading up to the American Civil War. Dodge was also a noted abolitionist, and Native American rights activist and served as the president of the National Temperance...
and his mother was daughter of John Bigelow
John Bigelow
John Bigelow was an American lawyer and statesman.-Life:Born in Malden-on-Hudson, New York, John Bigelow, Sr.graduated from Union College in 1835 where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Society and the Philomathean Society, and was admitted to the bar in 1838...
, US Minister to France under Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
Educated at St Mark's School in the US and then McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
He became a nephew by marriage to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, who then was First Lord of the Admiralty, through him, Dodge became commissioned into the Royal Naval Division, arriving in England in August 1914. He became naturalized British Citizen in 1915.
First World War
Dodge served in the 7th (Hood) Battalion of the Royal Naval Division first at AntwerpSiege of Antwerp
The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement between the German and the Belgian armies during World War I. A small number of British and Austrian troops took part as well.-Strategic Context:...
, then at Gallipoli.
He, serving as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, was wounded at Gallipoli, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
during this campaign. His award be published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 8 November 1915.
Transferring to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in April 1916 with the rank of Captain, he served with distinction, promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 22 Feb 1918, was wounded on more than one occasion, and ended the war as an acting Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
commanding the 16th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment
Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot...
fighting in France
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and was further decorated with the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, this being gazetted on 3 June 1919.
He was demobilised on 18 December 1920, retaining the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Inter War Years
He made several expeditions through these years, including visits to China and Burma, however on a visit in 1921 to the Caucasus he was arrested by the Russian secret police as a suspected spySPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
. After about two months of dreadful discomfort and narrowly avoiding execution, he was expelled from Russia with an order never to return there again. After this he changed his political view from socialist to conservative.
He served on London County Council as member for Mile End (East London) from 1925-31. Failed in his bid to get into Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, but became a member of the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and took up the directorship of a New York bank.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the war, Dodge re-enlisted into the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, taking up the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and serving with the Middlesex Regiment
Middlesex Regiment
The Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
attached to the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division.
When the division surrendured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
in June 1940, Dodge attempted to evade capture, and swam out to sea to attempt to board some ships he could see on the horizon. However the ships moved off before he could reach them, so he returned to land, covering approximately 7 miles, before coming ashore. He was then captured by the Germans and became a Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
Prisoner of War
Dodge, with many other POWs from the Allied defeat in FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, was forced to march towards Germany. During the march his bare feet became badly cut, and eventually was put on a barge with other Army prisoners for transport into Germany. While on the River Scheldt he jumped overboard, however was handed over to a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
officer by a frightened Dutch civilian. As he had become a captive of the Luftwaffe, he, with all Air Force POWs, was sent to the Dulag luft
Dulag luft
thumb|right|Sgt. Edward Hill of [[Manchester, England]], freed from five years of captivity at Dulag Luft, by the American Seventh Armored Division, First Army, circa 29 March 1945...
reception and transit camp at Oberersul.
Dulag Luft
At Dulag luftDulag luft
thumb|right|Sgt. Edward Hill of [[Manchester, England]], freed from five years of captivity at Dulag Luft, by the American Seventh Armored Division, First Army, circa 29 March 1945...
he met the Senior British Officer, Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Harry Day, who with the agreement of the Camp Kommandant, Major Rumpel, he was made part of the permanent British staff of the camp. Rumpel arranged for the records to show that he had been transferred to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and from then on, he remained with the RAF POWs.
Escape always appealed to Dodge's mind, and here he was with good company, in addition to Day, also at the camp were the escape obsessed Jimmy Buckley
Jimmy Buckley
Lieutenant Commander James 'Jimmy' Brian Buckley DSC was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot who became a notable prisoner of war during the Second World War, and died during an escape attempt on 21 May 1943.-Fleet Air Arm:...
and Roger Bushell
Roger Bushell
Squadron Leader Roger Joyce Bushell RAF was a South African-born British Auxiliary Air Force pilot who organised and led the famous escape from the Nazi prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft III. He was a victim of the Stalag Luft III murders. The escape was used as the basis for the film The Great...
.
It was from here that Dodge made his second escape attempt. A tunnel had been constructed by the permanent British staff, and in June 1941, Dodge, together with Day, Bushell and 14 others made their bid for freedom. None were successful, and all were recaptured. Dodge, and his travelling companion, was recaptured two days later walking along the autobahn a few miles south of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. He was given a short period in solitary confinement before being transferred to Stalag Luft I
Stalag Luft I
Stalag Luft I was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp near Barth, Western Pomerania, Germany, for captured Allied airmen. The presence of the prison camp is said to have shielded the town of Barth from Allied bombing...
at Barth, with all the other recaptured escapers.
Stalag Luft I
Dodge became good friends with Harry Day who had taken over the role of Senior British Officer, and he helped Day with the running of the camp and with escape matters.He was transferred to Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
at Sagan in April 1942.
Stalag Luft III (East Compound)
Here, Dodge, again acted as deputy to Day. In November 1942, he was transferred again, his time to Oflag XXI-BOflag XXI-B
Oflag XXI-B and Stalag XXI-B were World War II German prisoner-of-war camps for officers and enlisted men, located at Szubin a few miles south of Bydgoszcz, in Pomorze, Poland, which at that time was occupied by Nazi Germany.-Timeline:...
at Schubin in occuplied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Enroute to that camp, he escaped from the train, however was immediately seen, was shot at and quickly recaptured.
Oflag XXI-B
Here, Dodge, escaped with 34 others (including Harry Day) from a tunnel on 5 March 1943. Again recaptured and after spending time in solitary, was returned to Stalag Luft IIIStalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
in April 1943.
Stalag Luft III (North Compound)
Dodge became involved with the organisation of what became known as The Great Escape. Although, part due to his large size, he did not help build the tunnels, but instead he helped create diversions such as choir singing to help disguise the noise of the digging.Dodge was given a place in tunnel 'Harry' and escaped at approximately 0100 on 25 March 1944 as part of the The Great Escape. He travelled with Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
James Wernham RCAF towards Checkoslovakia. They were caught during the afternoon of the same day at Hirschberg
Hirschberg, Thuringia
Hirschberg is a town in the Saale-Orla-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, 20 km south of Schleiz, 12 km northwest of Hof , and 25 km southwest of Plauen .-History:...
main railway station.
Taken to the Kriminalpolizei
Kriminalpolizei
is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany during 1936, the Kripo became the Criminal Police Department for the entire Reich...
at Hirschberg, where they met other recaptured escapers, including Bertram 'Jimmy' James
Bertram James
Squadron Leader Bertram Arthur "Jimmy" James, MC, RAF was a British survivor of The Great Escape.-Early life:James was born in India, the son of a tea-planter, and was educated at The King's School, Canterbury...
.
Dodge was the first to be removed from Hirschberg, and was sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
, where he was later joined by Jimmy James, Harry Day and Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Sydney Dowse
Sydney Dowse
Flight Lieutenant Sydney Hastings Dowse MC was a Royal Air Force pilot who became a prisoner of war and survived The Great Escape during the Second World War.-Early life and RAFVR:...
.
James Wernham, together with 49 other recaptured escapers was murdered under Hitler's orders.
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
The 'Great Escapers' were placed in Sonderlager A (Special Camp A) within the main camp. Here were housed a handful of other 'political' prisoners, including SOESOE
- Organizations :* Special Operations Executive, a British World War II covert military organisation* State-owned enterprise, a government-owned business* Sega of Europe, a computer game developer* Sony Online Entertainment, a computer game developer...
agent Peter Churchill
Peter Churchill
Peter Morland Churchill DSO Croix de Guerre was an SOE Officer in France during World War II.He was a brother of Group Captain Walter Churchill DSO DFC and Major Oliver Churchill DSO MC who was also an SOE Officer during World War II.-Biography:...
, two Russian generals, various other Russians, Poles, Italians and four British soldiers of Irish origin. Later they were joined by British Commando
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
Jack Churchill
Jack Churchill
Lieutenant Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming "Jack" Churchill, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar , nicknamed "Fighting Jack Churchill" and "Mad Jack", was a British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow, arrows and a claymore...
.
Dowse and James almost immediately began another tunnel, which was kept secret from all non-British personnel. This was completed and used on the night of 23 September 1944, when Dodge, James, Day, Dowse and Jack Churchill escaped.
Dodge, who travelled alone, was on the run for over a month, and after receiving help from some French slave labourers, he was arrested by a German farmer and returned to Sachsenhausen.
He, with the other four, who had also been recaptured, was placed in solitary confinement and chained to the floor in the Death cells at the camp. Mainly through Harry Day's efforts all were spared execution.
Peace Envoy
In February 1945, he released from solitary, and taken to BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he was asked, by two senior German officials, to act as a peace envoy to the British government, with an offer of German surrender to the British and Americans, but not to the Russians. Dodge was asked to undertake this task because of his relationship to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
He returned to Britain, after traveling to Dresden, where he survived the RAF Air Raid on 14 February, then Munich before crossing the border into Switzerland. He arrived in Britain in May 1945 and met Churchill and the US ambassador to Britain, John Gilbert Winant
John Gilbert Winant
John Gilbert Winant OM was an American politician with the Republican party after a brief career as a teacher in Concord, New Hampshire. Born in New York City, Winant held positions in New Hampshire, national, and international politics...
on the 6 May 1945. He explained his adventures and the German peace proposal. History records the offer was not accepted.
Later life
Dodge was awarded the Military CrossMilitary Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his services as a POW, this being recorded in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 18 April 1946.
He attempted to restart his political career, but with no success.
He married, had two sons, and died in 1960.