Johnny Pohe

Johnny Pohe and the Great Escape School Journal 

May 2019 

Who is this article about? A maori man who flies a plane. s_____________________________________ Level 4 When did Johnny crash? 22nd of september 1943._________________________________________________________________________ 

Where did he crash? German city of Hanover.____________________________________________________________________________ 

Where was he taken when he was captured? Tom, Dick and Harry._______________________________________________ 

Personal Details. Fill in the following information: 

Full name: Poroku Patapu Pohe._______ Iwi:Te Āti Haunui-a-

Pāpārangi and Ngāti Tūwharetoa

 _________________________________ Grew up in: Turangaarere __________________________ College attended: Te Aute _____________________ College Motto: Whaka Tangata Kia Kaha_______________________ ____________________________________ Age at the start of

completed: Two missions.  __________ ___________________________________ 

Why did Āpirana Ngata encourage Māori to volunteer to fight in the war? Because she saw opportunities and to be treated fairly.______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ What was the separate unit Āpirana Ngata established? Around 

                      3,600 in    total._____________________________________________________ How many Māori served within this unit? 650_________________ Casualties: Killed 1,700 were______________________________________ Wounded ___________________________________ 

“The Bombing of Germany.” Write 2 pieces of information you found interesting.

From early 1942, tactics changed, and the RAF

shifted its focus to German cities and their populations – a strategy known as area bombing

____________________________________________________On one night alone, in October 1943, ten thousand people

died when a firestorm engulfed the city of Kassel. Over 400,000 German civilians

were killed during the Allied raids of the Second World War.

__

Why was Johnny sent to Stalag Luft III? Because he was an officer.4 

What was different for the prisoners in Stalag Luft III? It was difficult. 

Johnny Pohe and the Great Escape School Journal 

May 2019 Level 4 

Describe how Stalag Luft III was designed to make escape difficult. The prisoners’ barracks

were raised off the ground so the guards

could spot signs of tunnelling, and the camp

was deliberately built on sandy soil that

easily collapsed.

Explain Tom, Dick and Harry. Dick was abandoned after its planned exit

point was built over during a camp extension,

and Tom was found by the Germans and

dynamited. In the end, Harry was the only

hope. Building

Describe everything that happened on the night of the 24th March.

Johnny made an escape. The men had to wait for a moonless

night. One arrived on 24 March 1944,

and the escape began. They struck

trouble straight away. It was the coldest

March in thirty years, and the exit

trapdoor was frozen solid. Freeing it

caused a ninety-minute delay. Worse was

to come. It was suddenly discovered that

the tunnel came up short of the nearby

forest, which was needed to provide cover.

The escape went ahead, and the first man

emerged at 10.30 p.m. Six minutes later,

he was followed by another.

These six-minute intervals were much

longer than the original plan of one man

per minute. A watchtower was nearby,

and the extra time was needed so men

could reach the woods. Word was sent

back that no one with a number above a

hundred would be getting away before

daybreak.

Explain what happened to Johnny. Johnny went missing.

Where are Johnny’s ashes buried? Poznan Poland.__________________________________________________________________ 

1 thing you learnt from this article. Johnny was a pilot. 

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Johnny Pohe and the Great Escape School Journal 

May 2019 Fast Finisher Activity: Honouring Johnny. 

Level 4