These escapes wouldn't have been impossible without the backup received from those living nearby. John Floyd recounts: ‘I left in November 1944, with two friends, Peter Crill and Roy Mourant. The people in the area helped us greatly, and in particular, Wilfred Bill Bertram and his cousin Thomas. Escapers were allowed to shelter in his barn – and some of them even got hot drinks. Others in the area helped with their knowledge of the rocks, tides and also knowledge of where the mines were…The idea of course was to get to France and then England to join the Forces.’