Pierre Mairesse-Lebrun

Pierre Mairesse-Lebrun as prisoner of war in Germany in 1941

Pierre Marie Jean-Baptiste Mairesse-Lebrun (16 March 1912 – 6 December 2003) was a French Army cavalry officer who became famous for his daring escape from Colditz castle, Oflag IV-C. He was born in Bauzy, Loir-et-Cher.

Lebrun served as a captain in the 4th regiment Chasseurs de l'Afrique and was captured during the Fall of France. He was sent to Oflag IV-C also known as Colditz Castle from where he escaped successfully on July 2, 1941.

After a walk in the park all POW's gathered to be counted and be escorted back to the main castle. At this moment all guards, who stood around the park fences, also returned to the park entrance leaving the back fences unguarded. Mairesse Lebrun and Lieutenant Pierre Odry used this opportunity to leave the group, and together they ran to the fence at the backside of the park. Three meters in front of the fence, Odry cupped his hands together in which Mairesse Lebrun set his foot. Odry catapulted Mairesse Lebrun over the fence where he ran away. The German guards were so stunned that they did nothing initially, when they recovered they started shooting without success. Mairesse Lebrun climbed a wall successfully and was out in the open. Still in his sports clothes he hid in a field and via Switzerland reached Vichy France. In December 1941 he went to Spain where he got arrested. He tried to escape again but unfortunately fractured his spine paralysing his legs.

On July 20, 1946, he married Christine Solvay (1922–2006).

Lebrun was created a Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur.

Sources

• Leo de Hartog; Officieren achter prikkeldraad 1940-1945, uitgeverij hollandia 1983
• Entry at Planète Généalogie
• Entry with biographical data in gw.geneanet.org
• Henry Chancellor, Colditz: The Definitive History, London 2001, "based on television programmes produced for Channel Four Television", ISBN 0340794941, pp. 51–58.