Great Escape Forger: The Work of Carl Holmstrom - POW#221. An Artist in Stalag Luft III

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Susan Holmstrom Kohnowich

Great Escape Forger

The Work of Carl Holmstrom - POW#221. An Artist in Stalag Luft III

Susan Holmstrom Kohnowich

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Hardback

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English

Pen & Sword Military
01 August 2020

Second World War; Prisoners of war

Carl Holmstrom's superb artwork depicts life as a kriegie' in a unique manner. But, more than that, he spent the major part of his captivity in Stalag Luft III Prisoner of War Camp, famous for The Great Escape'. The audacity of the 76 escapees was only matched by the callousness of the Nazis who murdered 50 after recapture. As well as skilfully recording camp life, Carl forged invaluable official documents. He also sketched his fellow prisoners and encouraged others to take up drawing as hobby. Remarkably he saved over 200 examples of his work by carrying them on the appallingly arduous 1945 winter march from Poland into Germany. Post war, Carl Holmstrom said, The drawings were made during imprisonment and represent a sincere effort to portray to the American people and especially to the relatives of the prisoners, intimate glimpses of Kriegie life. His words proved to be prophetic. An expansion of his earlier self-published Kriegie Life, this superb book honours Carl's exceptional artistic gift. This book has strong claim to contain the finest collection of POW art to emerge from Nazi-occupied Europe.

AUTHOR: Born in Branford, Connecticut, Carl Holmstrom received a full scholarship to Pratt Institute in New York City. After graduation, he joined the USAAF as a B-17 bombardier but was captured when his plane crashed in Tunisia on his first mission . After treatment for his injuries, he was imprisoned at Oflag 21-B in Schubin, Poland, before being transferred to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany, where he spent the next two-and-a-half years. In January 1945, he was marched fifty-two miles to Spremberg, Germany, to ride on a box car to Stalag VII-A in Moosburg, Germany, where he was liberated by Patton's US Third Army. Post-war he became a free-lance commercial artist. He married and had four children. Carl died on 3 August 1979.

150 colour and b/w illustrations

By: Susan Holmstrom Kohnowich
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 246mm, Width: 172mm,
ISBN: 9781526767981
ISBN 10: 1526767988
Publication Date: 01 August 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Born in Branford, Connecticut, CARL HOLMSTROM received a full scholarship to Pratt Institute in New York City where he studied commercial art and majored in calligraphy. After graduation, he joined the USAAF as a B-17 bombardier but was captured when his plane crashed in Tunisia on his first mission in 1943. After treatment for his injuries, he was imprisoned at Oflag 21B in Schubin, Poland, before being transferred to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany, where he spent the next two and a half years. In January 1945, during the coldest winter in Germany in fifty years, he was marched fifty-two miles to Spremberg, Germany, to ride in a filthy, overcrowded box car to Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, Germany. His artwork made the entire arduous journey. He was liberated by American General George Patton's Third Army. Post-war, Carl became a free-lance commercial artist. He married and had four children. Carl died on 3 August 1979. Through his creations, so carefully safeguarded, the history of the lives of his fellow prisoners is preserved for posterity.