page_title: Johannes Gouws
section_title: Prisoner of war
hierarchical_section_title: Johannes Gouws / Prisoner of war
caption_attribution_description: English: Western Desert, North Africa. 1941-12-23. Armourers working on a Tomahawk fighter aircraft of No 3 Squadron RAAF.
context_page_description: Johannes Gouws, 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.
context_section_description: One of the casualties was on 9 April 1942, a P-40 Tomahawk flown by Lieutenant Gouws on a mission over the Chichiba-Ezzeiat area was intercepted by two Bf 109’s and he was shot down by Luftwaffe flying ace Gustav Rödel of Jagdgeschwader 27. Gouws belly-landed his aircraft on fire south of Mteifel Chebir and was taken prisoner.
caption: Armourers working on a P-40 Tomahawk in North Africa, 23 December 1941
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