The escapers

It took five months to dig the tunnel, but for two New Zealand soldiers it was their way to escape a prisoner of war camp called Campo 12.
Brigadier James Hargest and Brigadier Reginald Miles used a kitchen knife and iron bar to dig beneath the walls of Castle Vincigliata near Florence in Italy in 1943. It was a huge task using very little with so much at stake.
In late March of 1943, the two men and four others used the tunnel to reach a deserted chapel from which they were able to leave.
It was the beginning of the journey though - both men made their way to neutral Switzerland. From there they had to get to England and took different routes. Miles made it to Figueras near the Spanish border before he unfortunately killed himself.
Hargest used the French Resistance to go through France to Spain reaching the British Consulate in Barcelona then was flown to England. The trip had taken the better part of a year.
Hargest was born to Mary and James Hargest in Gore on September 4, 1891 where he went to school before joining his father in farming.
He was a member of the Territorial Force before volunteering for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914. James was seriously wounded at Gallipoli and nearly a year later rejoined the 1st Battalion of the Otago Infantry Regiment in France in July 1916.
He was considered a promising officer, attained the rank of major and was awarded the Military Cross.
In Hampshire, he married Marie Wilkie in 1917 and went on to have three sons and a daughter. He continued to serve, was awarded a DSO, the Croix de chevalier and Legion d’honneur. Marie herself was awarded the Royal Red Cross as a nurse.
They returned to New Zealand in 1919.
He bought a farm and became interested in politics, taking the Invercargill parliamentary seat in 1931 before taking the seat of Awarua in Southland which he held until his death and was considered a leading figure in the National Party’s founding.
With the outbreak of the Second World War he sought a post but a medical board found he was still suffering from shell-shock. He asked the Prime Minister at the time Peter Fraser to intervene and he was given the command of the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade and promoted to brigadier in Egypt.
James was captured in November 1941 when his headquarters were overrun. It was then he was taken to Italy to Campo 12, a special high-security camp for officers.
During his recuperation in England after the escape he wrote a book Farewell Campo 12.
James then became an observer to the preparations to D-Day and spent a lot of time near the front line.
He was wounded in June then on August 12, 1944 he was killed by shellfire during the Battle of Normandy - escaping a prison camp only to die in action.
He is commemorated in James Hargest High School in Invercargill.
James is buried at the Cassino War Cemetery in Italy.​