The One That Got Away (1957)

The One That Got Away is a 1957 World War II film directed by Roy Ward Baker, starring Hardy Krüger and featuring Michael Goodliffe, Jack Gwillim and Alec McCowen. The screenplay was written by Howard Clewes based on the 1956 book of the same name by Kendal Burt and James Leasor, which chronicled the true exploits of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, a German flyer shot down over England south of Marden, Kent.

Franz von Werra (Hardy Krüger) is shot down during the Battle of Britain, and captured soon afterwards. Sent to a POW camp (based on the Hayes Conference Centre) in the north of England, he makes a number of escape attempts, on one occasion getting as far as the cockpit of an aircraft he was trying to steal while passing himself off as a Dutch pilot on a secret mission. He is then sent to Canada, where he escapes from a heavily guarded train. Walking overland and crossing a frozen river, he manages to enter the United States, which at that time was still neutral, and claim asylum.