The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

THE BIRD HAS FLOWN © Tom Barker

In the two years he spent in captivity he was known as Pte Tom Barker. He had changed identity disks with Pte Tom Barker of the 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who was taken P.O.W. by the Germans on Crete in 1941.

Pte Barker had already been out on work parties and had put handfuls of sand into the axle boxes of rail wagons, causing the grease to overheat and run out, thus derailing a whole train and blocking the rails to other rail traffic. Harry, in turn, helped to sabotage four transport barges and then escaped, but got caught again and even got through another identification parade as Tom Barker and was sent out again on a work commando, where he caused more grief and misery for the enemy.

The comedy in this event, where one or both could have been shot, has not been overlooked by Tom, because, on looking back, Harry was about five feet six tall in his shoes, while Tom was nearly six feet tall in his boots. Harry had black hair and brown eyes. Tom had blonde hair and blue eyes. But Tom had all his hair cropped in the desert and was as dark as an Arab when captured and photographed on Crete. The only thing that would ring alarm bells for the Germans, was, if they suddenly did a finger print check. But thanks to the R.A.F. bombers that day, it never happened.

Mr Tenny, aged 69, of Oak Close, Shawforth returned on Monday from a five day trip to Germany with his wife, Dorothy and daughter, Vivien. They travelled 900 miles to revisit the sites of the former prison camps he was held in. They also went to the most famous of all prison camps - Colditz. Mr Tenny had suffered a stroke in November, and Vivien persuaded him to type out the story of his exploits for her three daughters.

Mr Tenny said, "She thought it would keep my brain active."

When he had finished, Vivien suggested the trip. He had been unable to go back earlier, because the Camps were in what became East Germany after the Second World War.

Mr Tenny said, "It has been a really wonderful experience. It might sound strange, but I enjoyed every moment of the war - apart from the killing of course. I didn't enjoy that at all."

While in Germany, he presented a map of Torgau Camp - 'liberated' from the Camp Commandant's office when he was freed - to the Museum that has been opened there. Another notice he has in his possession, warning the POW that they would be shot on sight, will go to the museum later.

He said, "The Russians took over the camp and filled it with Germans. They killed 8000 of the 12000 Prisoners there."

Tom Barker, who posed as Harry Tenny for a further two years, survived the last finger print check by the Germans due to a sudden, close to the camp air raid, when everyone, including the Guards, fled to their respective air raid bunkers before Tom got to the finger checking point. But Tom kept his head, and his hair, that is silver white now. Tom will be 83 on May 23rd, 2004 and is still painting in oils and writing, plus growing roses for his Missus, Joyce.