Kenneth Lockwood
Encyclopedia
Captain Kenneth Lockwood MBE
(17 December 1911 - 8 October 2007) was a stockbroker and an officer in the British Army
. He was one of the first six British
prisoners of war
to arrive at Oflag IV-C
, Colditz
, in 1940. He made and assisted in numerous escape attempts, working with the chairman of the escape committee, Pat Reid, and was still at the castle when it was liberated by the US Army in April 1945. He was the honorary secretary of the Colditz Association for 50 years.
Lockwood was born in London
, the son of a jobber
at the London Stock Exchange
. He was educated at Whitgift School
in Croydon
, and then worked for his father's firm in the City of London
. He joined the Territorial Army's 22nd (County of London) Battalion of the London Regiment
(The Queen's Royal West Surreys) in 1933. He was mobilized in August 1939 and trained at Yeovil
before being posted to Le Mans
, commanding a company of the 1st/6th Battalion of the Queen's Royal Regiment. After marching with his unit to Belgium
, he was captured in the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940.
He was sent to Oflag VII-C
, at Laufen Castle
. With six other prisoners, including Pat Reid, he dug a tunnel to escape, thought to be the first escape from a German prisoner of war
camp in the Second World War. They escaped in two groups of three, with Reid leading the first group and Lockwood in the second group with Captain Harry Elliott
of the Irish Guards
and Captain Dick Howe of the Royal Tank Regiment
. All six were recaptured and sent to Colditz Castle, where they became the first British prisoners to join three Canadians, who had arrived the previous day, and over 100 Poles, who had been there since September 1939. Lockwood made and assisted in numerous escape attempts, working with the chairman of the escape committee, Pat Reid. Reid was later replaced as escape officer by Dick Howe, and escaped; Lockwood was still at the castle when it was liberated by the US Army in April 1945.
After the war, Lockwood returned to work in the City of London, then moved to work in a Jersey branch office for 10 years. He became the secretary of the Colditz Association, organising regular reunions until the association was wound up in 2006.
In the 1955 film, The Colditz Story
, based on Reid's book of the same name, Lockwood was played by Richard Wattis
. He received an MBE
in 1990. He never married.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 December 1911 - 8 October 2007) was a stockbroker and an officer in 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...
. He was one of the first six British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
prisoners 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...
to arrive at Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location, was one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II; Oflag is a shortening of Offizierslager, meaning "officers camp"...
, Colditz
Colditz
Colditz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, near Leipzig, located on the banks of the river Mulde. The town has a population of 5,188 ....
, in 1940. He made and assisted in numerous escape attempts, working with the chairman of the escape committee, Pat Reid, and was still at the castle when it was liberated by the US Army in April 1945. He was the honorary secretary of the Colditz Association for 50 years.
Lockwood was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of a jobber
Stockjobber
Stockjobbers were institutions that acted as market makers in the London Stock Exchange. Prior to "Big Bang" in 1986, every stock traded on the Exchange passed through a jobber's book, where they acted as intermediaries between stockbrokers, who were in turn not permitted to be market makers...
at 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...
. He was educated at Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, and then worked for his father's firm in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He joined the Territorial Army's 22nd (County of London) Battalion of the London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
(The Queen's Royal West Surreys) in 1933. He was mobilized in August 1939 and trained at Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
before being posted to Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, commanding a company of the 1st/6th Battalion of the Queen's Royal Regiment. After marching with his unit to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, he was captured in the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940.
He was sent to Oflag VII-C
Oflag VII-C
Oflag VII-C was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers located in Laufen Castle in south-eastern Bavaria from 1940 to 1942. Most of the prisoners were British officers captured during the Battle of France in 1940. To relieve overcrowding, some of the officers were transferred to...
, at Laufen Castle
Laufen Castle
Laufen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Laufen-Uhwiesen of the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
. With six other prisoners, including Pat Reid, he dug a tunnel to escape, thought to be the first escape from a German 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...
camp in the Second World War. They escaped in two groups of three, with Reid leading the first group and Lockwood in the second group with Captain Harry Elliott
Harry Elliott
Harry Elliott was an English cricketer who kept wicket for Derbyshire from 1920 to 1947 and for England between 1927 and 1934 and was an international Test umpire....
of the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
and Captain Dick Howe of the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
. All six were recaptured and sent to Colditz Castle, where they became the first British prisoners to join three Canadians, who had arrived the previous day, and over 100 Poles, who had been there since September 1939. Lockwood made and assisted in numerous escape attempts, working with the chairman of the escape committee, Pat Reid. Reid was later replaced as escape officer by Dick Howe, and escaped; Lockwood was still at the castle when it was liberated by the US Army in April 1945.
After the war, Lockwood returned to work in the City of London, then moved to work in a Jersey branch office for 10 years. He became the secretary of the Colditz Association, organising regular reunions until the association was wound up in 2006.
In the 1955 film, The Colditz Story
The Colditz Story
The Colditz Story is a 1955 prisoner of war film starring John Mills and Eric Portman and directed by Guy Hamilton.It is based on the book written by P.R...
, based on Reid's book of the same name, Lockwood was played by Richard Wattis
Richard Wattis
Richard Cameron Wattis , was an English character actor.He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut with Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage...
. He received an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1990. He never married.