Breaking barriers, pushing boundaries and leaving behind an air of mystery are plenty enough reasons to love a good escape story. But what about the real-life moments that have been immortalised as the most daring prison escapes in history?
Colditz, Alcatraz and the Great Escape are all names that are synonymous with the classic “great” escapes. From the chilling disappearances of men for decades to escaping from the tyranny of the Nazi regime. All of these stories have stood the test of time.
Here, we take a look at some of the most daring prison escapes in history. Some are still unsolved, others celebrated. Let’s take a look:
Escape from Alcatraz
Breaking free of an impregnable fortress is no mean feat. Set on a small island off the coast of San Fransico Bay. Alcatraz was a maximum-security prison that struck fear into the hearts and minds of many who looked upon its foreboding walls.
Yet, three inmates, Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris, made their break for freedom late at night between the 11th-12th June 1962. Using papier-mache heads made to look like themselves. They each made up their beds to look like they were in their cells. Then they snuck down an unused utility corridor to escape from the main prison. They managed to leave the island on an improvised raft.
To this day, the F.B.I. is still stumped by their escape, and no one is certain what became of the men: did they drown in the chilly waters, or did they make it to dry land and resume their lives undercover? Interestingly, the case still remains open and active as no firm evidence has ever been found to prove otherwise.
Colditz: The one that stands apart from the rest
Centred in the middle of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz lies Colditz Castle, right in the heart of Germany. Built during the late 11th-century, the castle housed royalty, saw fire rip through its halls, incredible airship inventions and later served as a workhouse for the poor. During the 1800s, Colditz became home to the “incurably insane” for the wealthy and nobility of Germany.
With its already bizarre and sometimes chilling backstory, it was only a matter of time before the castle transformed once more.
WWI saw the castle turn into a Prisoner of War camp before it stood at the heart of Hitler’s Reich campaign. From 1933 it became a prison for the “undesirables.” Fast forward to 1939 the castle became a notorious prison for Allies prisoners.
Chances of escape were slim to none. The castle has seven feet thick outer walls. 250 feet sheer drop awaiting you on the other side. That is before taking on a long and arduous journey if you did make it over.
Nevertheless, many escape attempts were made. The most famous one of all was by Pat Reid and Airey Neave. The latter walked straight out of prison dressed as a Nazi officer.
Later, Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best used bits of gathered wood and steel to fashion a glider. Their escape, despite making significant progress, was cut short as Allied forces rescued the camp.
Pascal Payet: The king of air escape
Some stories are made for the big screen, and Pascal Payet’s exploits definitely fit the bill. Yes, he is undeniably a criminal, with extortion and robbery on his long list of convictions. Yes, he is currently serving time again for his crimes.
But, here’s the rub: Payet has escaped not once but twice from high-security prisons in France. And his tool for escape? A helicopter of all things!
Payet escaped the first time with the help of four masked men, who hijacked a helicopter from Cannes-Mandelieu airport before landing sometime later at Brignoles, a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean coast. What’s more remarkable is it wasn’t just about him. He also aided three other prisoners to make their escape via helicopter too.
Choi Gap-bok: A slim escape
Choi Gap-bok’s escape is perhaps the most unbelievable yet true story on this list. After being arrested on suspicion of robbery, yoga master Choi Gap-bok was placed in a detention cell at a police station in Deagu, Korea.
After five days of imprisonment, Gap-bok made his escape. He covered his upper body in skin ointment before remarkably squeezing his entire body through a tiny food slot at the base of his cell room. 34 seconds later, Gap-bok was free.
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
During the height of slavery in the USA, the revolutionary Harriet Tubman was born. At seven years old, she was rented out to nearby plantations to set muskrat traps and to work as a field hand.
By 12 years of age, Tubman saw something that would change her life’s path forever. An overseer was about to throw a heavy weight at a fugitive, but before the weight made contact, Tubman stepped in and took the full brunt of the weight. This act left her with heachaches and narcolepsy for the rest of her life, but also put over slave owners off from pursuing her as property.
Fast forward to 1849 and Tubman made her escape from her captors via the Underground Railroad. The network was made up of secret routes and safe houses. It aided enslaved African Americans to escape into free states and Canada. But Tubman wasn’t only interested in her own escape. She famously became a “conductor” and lead hundreds of enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War, all with a bounty on her head.
Tubman is one of the most recognised American icons through her work in the Underground Railroad, her time as a Union spy and a women’s suffragette supporter and advocate.
All of these daring escapes have a common theme: bravery over fear. Each person had a role to play in helping others make their escape, as well as their own. From elaborate networks of tunnels to co-ordinating a helicopter escape, problem solving, critical thinking and more was at play.
Do you think you have what it takes to put your skills to the test and make your escape?