During WW2, Lt. Airey Neave (pictured) and 2nd Lt. Anthony Luteyn made one of the most daring escapes while imprisoned in the infamous Colditz Castle.
After several failed attempts, the duo found an opportunity. That opportunity came in the form of an all-inmate theatrical stage show that was being put on at the prison.
The two slipped under the stage, into a room that connected to a corridor which lead to the guardhouse.
Wearing British uniforms over fake German uniforms over civilian clothing, the two lowered themselves into the room, ditched the British uniforms, entered the guardhouse, and pretended like they owned the place. Nobody noticed.
Having rehearsed their exit, they paused at the door leading out of the prison, exchanged a few remarks in German, and even put on their gloves before calmly leaving. The guards were completely fooled into thinking they were visiting officers.
After passing through the courtyard and through the moat, they ditched their "German" uniforms and became two Dutch workers with papers, which were also fakes that gave them permission to travel from Leipzig to Ulm.
When they tried to buy train tickets for somewhere else, the police arrested them, later bringing Neaves and Luteyn to the foreign workers office because they really thought they were Dutch workers who had gotten confused; the duo split the moment the policemen weren't looking.
Even when the Hitler Youth stopped them, they remained composed and told another lie: They were Germans, from the north, of course. After this, Neaves and Luteyn kept to the country and travelled on foot. Hungry and a little frostbitten, they made it into Switzerland. #smoothasfuck #ww2 #stayzero #zerofoxtrot