# The Accidental Captives: The Story of Seven Women Alone in Nazi Germany - Hardcover

by **Carolyn Gossage** (Author)

In April 1941, a passenger ship was attacked and sunk by Nazi Germans. This is the story of seven Canadian women survivors detained in Germany.  
  

In April 1941, seven Canadian women became prisoners of war while on a voyage from New York City to Cape Town. Their aging Egyptian liner, the _Zamzam_, was sunk off the coast of South Africa by the German raider _Atlantis_. The passengers were transferred to a prison ship and eventually put ashore in Nazi-occupied France. As "non-aliens," all 140 Americans were released after five weeks in captivity, and with the help of the_Life_photographer in their midst, the news of their narrow escape became an overnight sensation.

The hapless Canadians were taken to Bordeaux and became part of a group of 28 women and children interned in various German detention camps. By a stroke of luck, the Canadians eventually received permission to travel to Berlin where they were left to fend for themselves and adapt to life among "the enemy." As prisoners-at-large, they established contacts with American journalists and diplomats, an elderly Jewish professor, and even with Nazi propagandist P.G. Wodehouse. Finally, in June 1942, an exchange was arranged and the Canadians were able to board a special diplomatic Freedom Train bound for Lisbon, and from there they got back across the Atlantic to New York and new-found freedom.

### Author Biography

Carolyn Gossage is the author of books on Ethiopian icons and crosses. She has also published a number of historical titles, including _Greatcoats and Glamour Boots_ and _The History of the Frankfurt Book Fair._ She lives in Toronto.

**Number of Pages:** 240

**Dimensions:** 0.97 x 8.74 x 5.79 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** April 10, 2012

## Details

- **Price:** 32.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Accidental Captives: The Story of Seven Women Alone in Nazi Germany - Hardcover

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