Tedium was also a big problem and so to alleviate
the boredom the Kriegies, as the prisoners were
nicknamed, were encouraged to participate in
activities such as theatre (but with men in drag
playing the female parts) and recreational pastimes
and sports. Bill, with his artistic flair, designed and
helped make stage sets for several plays using
materials that could be purloined in the camp
most of the scenery was made from the wood from
cases used to hold Red Cross parcels.
Whiling Away the Time – One of Bills Sketches in his Log
A Set Design from Bill's Wartime Log
The RAF boys were very keen escapists with
committees in each Luft camp planning and
executing escapes, many of which were successful
but with a tragic few resulting in the escapees being
shot. With his artistic bent and sign writing training,
Bill became the forger of identity and other
documents to be used in any attempt to escape
and reach Blighty. To get valid documents for him
to copy, the guards were often bribed to lend their
own papers. The Germans were very firmly
against any escape attempts and threatened
perpetrators with being shot. This had the opposite
effect to that intended and only spurred on the
Kriegies.
Propaganda Leaflet - Escapees Will be Shot
Utilising the abundant amount of time  available Bill designed a Doll’s Houswitmodel furniture for his
daughter Chris and crafted it out of Red Cross parcel crates.
Whenever they had to move on from a camp Bill carried the doll’s
house on his back, despite the severe shortage of room available
in his kitbag.
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