To be held on Easy Live Auction on Wednesday, 30th October, starting at 10:00am, Wellers Auctions will present an extraordinary online auction of "Colditz: The Michael Booker Collection".

This auction is an incredibly rare chance to bid on historical artefacts and memorabilia linked to Colditz Castle, the infamous prisoner of war camp, and its legendary escape stories.

Browse catalogue here.

Colditz Castle

Originally a Renaissance fortress located in Saxony, Germany, Colditz Castle is one of the most well-known POW camps from World War II. Officially known as Oflag IV-C, the castle was reserved for high-profile Allied officers who had repeatedly attempted to escape from other camps, earning it a reputation as an "escape-proof" fortress. However, despite the strict security, Colditz became legendary for the ingenuity of its prisoners, who orchestrated some of the most daring and creative escape attempts of the war.

Colditz Castle, circa April 1945, photographed by a G.I. [image source]

Michael Booker

Michael Booker, a passionate historian born and raised in London’s East End during the Blitz, spent more than forty years assembling one of the world’s most comprehensive private collections of Colditz memorabilia. His fascination with WWII and the courageous escape attempts from Colditz Castle shaped his life's work. His collection includes items related to Colditz as well as treasures from Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape) and other iconic moments of WWII.

A collection of postcards and lettersheets from Stalag Luft VIIIB, Oflag IAXH and Oflag IVC (Colditz) with a number of different censor cachets applied in the camps during WW2.

View Lot here.

Michael’s deep connection to the subject didn’t stop with collecting. In 1991, he co-founded the Colditz Society, a group dedicated to preserving the stories of the notorious POW camp. He also shared his knowledge by publishing Collecting Colditz and its Secrets in 2005, which provides an in-depth look into the camp's history and its brave prisoners, such as Major Pat Reid and Sir Douglas Bader. His insights led to his role as an advisor for the acclaimed BBC series Colditz.

Rare Memorabilia and Personal Artifacts

The Colditz Collection on offer at this auction includes an array of rare items that have never before been available to the public. These artifacts include:

• Photographs, letters, and personal memorabilia handed down to Michael Booker by former POWs and veterans.

A signed black and white portrait postcard bearing the original wartime signature in black ink of Hermann Wilhelm Göring (1893-1946), a prominent German politician, military leader, and convicted war criminal

View Lot here.

• Signed books from those who lived through Colditz and its harrowing wartime experiences.
• Behind-the-scenes photos from The Colditz Story (1955) and the BBC series Colditz (1972-1974).
• Rare cinema posters from iconic war films like The Battle of Britain and Where Eagles Dare.
• Intricately hand-drawn sketches created within Stalag Luft III, offering an intimate glimpse into the ingenuity and survival of POWs during their imprisonment.
  
  

A never-before-seen album of original hand-drawn sketches by Flight Lieutenant Terrence Entract drawn during his time in the Belaria sub-camp of Stalag Luft III during WW2.

View Lot here.

Many of these items have remained in private hands for decades, passed down through personal connections with Colditz veterans and their families. Now, they will be made available to collectors, historians, and anyone with an interest in the remarkable stories of Colditz Castle.

An original forged escape identity document belonging to Captain Rupert Barry (one of the longest serving POWs at Colditz) trying to pass himself off as a Belgian agricultural worker under the false name of Albert Van Der Meulen.

View Lot here.

Click here to explore the full catalogue.

Viewing appointments are available for those who wish to experience these pieces up close. Get in contact with Wellers Auctions to schedule your viewing.

For condition reports on specific lots, submit your request by 7:00am on Wednesday, 30th October.