Your father, Sam Derry was an extraordinary man and his key role in The Rome Escape Line was just part of a number of impressive exploits. What else did Sam achieve in the war, after all he won both an MC and DSO?

He started the War as a territorial officer with a battery of First World War guns at the Battle of Ypres-Comines Canal where he held a line allowing the withdrawal of infantry troops and is mentioned in dispatches. He like many others was evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk.

In 1941 he was posted to the Middle East and promoted to Major. He was awarded the MC at the battle of Sidi Omar when his battery came under attack from 28 enemy tanks. He destroyed 7 tanks, and the remainder withdrew. During the action he drove a tractor to get ammunitions for his guns while under fire.

The DSO was in recognition of his leadership of the Rome Escape Line the citation reads he showed “ rare qualities of brilliant organising abilities, unlimited initiative, great tact and a sure and balanced judgement”

Your father has been described as a ‘master escapee’, could you explain his escape from the Germans: not just once, but twice?

He was first captured in North Africa in 1942. He escaped by hurling himself into a ravine while under fire and managed to get back to the British lines some 20 miles away. The same unit captured him some months later and he was put in a POW camp at Chieti where he was head of the Escape Committee. He organised many escapes but was himself put on a train to be taken to Germany. Determined not to remain captured for the rest of the war. He jumped off the moving train in broad daylight and was amazed not to be killed.

The numbers saved by the Rome Escape Line are mind boggling, when one considers it was run by a man who was in hiding. Do we know how many in total?

My father kept meticulous records because he had to account for the huge amount of money this all cost. I know it was over 4000 POW of all nationalities British, American, South African, Russian, Greek and many other countries.

What was Sam’s view of the Germans in Rome whilst he was there?

He was driven by the belief that what the Nazis were doing was pure evil. He spoke no Italian so walking around Rome surrounded by German soldiers and SS men was very hard as he said, “for if a stranger in a land is lonely, he is never more so than when he dare not speak!”

Did your father remain on good terms with Monsignor (Hugh) O’Flaherty after the war?

He had enormous respect for the Monsignor probably more than for any other person, he knew. They formed a real bond sharing the Monsignor’s small room. They kept in touch by letter, but they only met once after the war and that was on the This Is Your Life programme.

Getting the book published hasn’t been the easiest process, with a number of questionable copies available on Amazon [genuine copies available here]. How difficult has this been for the Derry family?

It has been really disappointing particularly with some poor photocopies of the original book being sold. The original book was optioned for a movie by British Lion in the 1960s. I tried to have it made into a TV series and have the book reprinted in the 1980s but there was little interest then. But it has been a mission of mine to make sure the true story is preserved for future generations. The Joseph O’Connor book gave added impetus to republish the true story.

Sam’s appearance in This Is Your Life in 1963 with Eamonn Andrews was quite a coup, given its popularity at the time. He does seem a little uncomfortable with all that attention on him – presumably due to modesty, or have I got that completely wrong?

Yes, he was a very modest man. I think that comes across in the book. He had a strong moral code, and he did not appreciate people who boasted about their achievements. He believed in getting things done.

What did Sam get up to after the events of The Rome Escape Line, including after the war?

After Rome was relieved, he stayed to set up the Allied Screening Commission to award Italian helpers. On returning to England, he became a Brigadier and was made Head of MI 9 and was instrumental in the formation of 23 SAS.

He then had an accident which left him disabled and he returned to civilian life where he re-established the family plumbing business and devoted himself to public service through numerous charities. He became Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.

There are number of historians who have been inspired by Sam – what do his achievements mean to your family, and those beyond such as in Newark?

We are enormously proud of him and the example he set. Many obituaries were written and headlines such as a “Hero in War. A leader in peace” emphasising his impact before and after the war. He was given a military funeral when he died which hundreds attended, and people lined the Streets of Newark out of respect. He is honoured in Newark town hall with a portrait and a street is named after him.

Claire Derry is the daughter of Sam, author of The Rome Escape Line: The Story of the British Organization in Rome Assisting Escaped Prisoners-of-War in 1943-44.