Down But Not Out: The Incredible Story of Second World War Airman Maurice 'Moggy' Mayne

Maurice "Moggy" Mayne was a cricket-loving air gunner in World War II, with a pretty girlfriend back home in rural England. His turret was in a Bristol Beaufort—and his pilot had to fly with almost suicidal bravery at giant German warships before releasing his torpedo. No wonder "Moggy’s" first pilot cracked up and his second liked to drink. When he was shot down, Moggy miraculously survived—unlike his best friend Stan. However, "Moggy" was sent to Stalag Luft VIII-B, an infamous German POW camp near the Polish border, where he was badly mistreated alongside the heroic pilot Douglas Bader. Fearing losing his beloved girlfriend Sylvia forever and risking recapture and execution, "Moggy" saw the chance to escape alone—thus beginning an epic journey through Nazi-occupied Germany. As the Gestapo shot other escaped British servicemen, "Moggy" Mayne came agonizingly close to lasting freedom. Instead, as the war neared its end, he had to face the horrors of the "long march" west—and felt his life slipping away. Would he ever get to see his Sylvia again?