Forgotten heroTheTartan Pimpernel will live again at Paisley’sWynd Centre
Buddies will be engrossed at the true story of a forgotten hero who helped saved thousands of lives during World War II.
the reverend Donald Caskie, who was known as the tartan Pimpernel, was at the scots Kirk in Paris when the germans invaded France in 1940.
He fled Paris and reached southern France where he refused the chance of safe passage on the last ship bound for the uK, and fled to Marseille instead.
there he ran a seaman’s Mission, living a double life and passing the close scrutiny of the Vichy Police, and helped British and allied soldiers to freedom across mountains into spain.
Dr Caskie was eventually arrested by the Vichy Police, interrogated and banished from Marseille. He moved to grenoble where he continued to arrange for the escape of soldiers, seamen and airmen under the cover of being a university chaplain.
Dr Caskie was finally imprisoned by the gestapo and sentenced to death. the minister had ignored repeated calls from British Intelligence to return home.
His life was only saved through the intervention of a german pastor and he spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp.
His story has been brought to life in a new play, written by John Hughes, titled the tartan Pimpernel which will be staged at the Wynd Centre tomorrow at 8pm.