Captive Scorpion signed by author Brendan O'Carroll. 250 images and 256 pages. Published by Pen & Sword UK. Trooper Mick Holland served seven months with the LRDG as an interpreter, medical orderly, and gunner until his capture in September 1942. From there until the end of the war, he spent more time ‘on the run’ than in PoW camps. He made seven escape attempts in Italy and two in
Germany.........Holland’s accounts take the reader on an incredible journey that exhibit an exceptional man with great tenacity and determination.
The story begins with narratives of his service in the LRDG including the Road Watch and raids on road convoys and the events leading up to his capture on the Barce Raid. This is followed by an overview which describes the life and conditions in the PoW camps in Europe; sub sequential chapters outline the dramatic stories of his nine escape attempts described in his own words from his personal memoirs............ His evasion skills were reflective of the LRDG motto ‘Not by Strength, by Guile’. Holland was a persistent and determined escaper who preferred to operate alone to bring less attention to himself. He gave his whole focus to the problems of planning escapes and was alert to seizing every opportunity........... Holland spoke both German and Italian. He fought with the Italian partisans for several months and on another occasion was intercepted by a German unit in Italy and was given the option of being returned to a PoW camp or being imbedded with the Herman Goring Division as an interpreter. The offer was accepted but after six weeks he found the opportunity to escape again. Later in Germany he stole a Colonel’s staff car and almost made it to the Swiss border before being captured at the final checkpoint. This is an engaging and dramatic story of an intelligent and resourceful man who utilized all his LRDG Special Forces skills to help evade the enemy and win his eventual
