Johannes Gouws

Johannes Gouws (13 August 1919 – 29 March 1944), was a fighter pilot from South Africa who was taken prisoner during the Second World War. Notable for his part in the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III in March 1944 when he almost reached Switzerland but was one of the men recaptured and subsequently murdered by the Gestapo.

Pre-war life Gouws was born in Bultfontein, South Africa the eldest son of an Afrikaans speaking farming family of Boer tradition. His boyhood ambition was to join the British South Africa Police. He was educated at the farm school and later Bultfontein High School where he was a keen athlete and captained the school rugby football team when it toured Cape Province in 1937. He graduated from school that year and joined the Special Service Battalion a training unit for boys wishing to join the military. He applied for the South African Air Force but failed as his English language did not meet the required standard. Gouws returned to school, studied at University College of Orange Free State to read science and improved his language skills.

Service career Gouws was successful in his next attempt and joined the South African Air Force on 14 May 1940 On a ground attack mission on 18 August 1941 his aircraft developed a fuel leak and he had to crash land in a ploughed field,

'Great Escape' For the Great Escape operation Gouws was one of the team dispersing the excavated sandy earth of the 76 men who escaped the prison camp on the night of 24–25 March 1944, in the escape now famous as "The Great Escape". When the Germans discovered the escape they began extensive well planned manhunts. The plan of Gouws and his British born South African partner Rupert Stevens was apparently to head for Switzerland They missed the train which they had hoped to catch at Sagan but travelled on a later train to Breslau and later towards Switzerland on to Lindau where they were recaptured on 29 March 1944 near the Bodensee beside the border of neutral Switzerland. The two South Africans were taken to Munich central Gestapo offices, later that day they were apparently shot and cremated

He was one of the 50 escapers executed and murdered by the Gestapo.

His name was amongst the 47 murdered officers named in the British press when the story became public knowledge on or about 20 May 1944

Awards His conspicuous bravery was recognized by a Mention in Despatches as none of the other relevant decorations then available could be awarded posthumously. It was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 8 June 1944.

Nationalities of the 50 executed 21 British 6 Canadian 6 Polish 5 Australian 3 South African 2 New Zealanders 2 Norwegian 1 Belgian 1 Czechoslovak 1 Frenchman 1 Greek 1 Lithuanian