Lieutenant Norman Charles Johnson, a cotton broker living in Cheshire, was captured by the Germans, like many others who ended up in Italy, during the North African campaign. The exact location was Medjez-el-Bab, Northern Tunisia, at the end of November 1942. Immediately, he was brought to Tunis, interrogated, and, on 28 November, transferred to Palermo with other PoWs, where he spent his first night in Italy inside a barn. The next day, they were moved to Naples, where they received some food from the Italians and then to PG 66, Capua, where they arrived on 30 November.

Johnson’s stay in the camp was not long. On 18 March 1943, he was transferred again, this time to PG 21, Chieti, where he entered the «fighting squad», a group of officers organising anti-German resistance in the eventuality that the Germans would occupy the camp. However, security was lacking and «a paper containing the names of the fighting squad […] was lost (or stolen by the Italians) with the result that I and other officers on the list were transferred on 4 Aug[ust] to Campo 19 (Bologna)».

In total, with Johnson, 100 Allied officers were transferred out of PG 21 by the Italians:

However, the Armistice was soon declared, and Johnson spent barely one month in PG 19. On the evening of 8 September, the officers learned of the news from the camp’s commander, Colonel Aldo Magagnoli. After a discussion between the latter and the British Senior Officer, Brigadier Mountain, Magagnoli agreed to have the camp’s fence cut in a few places. Finally, he also declared that he would free all the PoWs the next morning. However, this was not convincing for Johnson, who noted that «[his] attitude towards the British officers was evasive and unsatisfactory in spite of the most pressing representations made to him by Brigadier Mountain».

Indeed, Magagnoli did not have complete control over the situation (or was not sincere with the PoWs) because, at 4:30 on 9 September, Johnson was woken up by another Allied Officer, who told him that the Germans had arrived at the camp.

Nonetheless, Norman Johnson and his companions did not lose hope and immediately started planning their escape. Soon, two officers managed to slip away by hanging under the back axle of a ration cart entering and leaving the camp. Johnson was supposed to be the third, and his escape was planned for 11 September. However, unfortunately, the Germans decided to transfer all PoWs on that day, and Johnson, who did not want to give in, managed to find refuge with other prisoners in a loft above one of the dormitories. The group included, beside him, six other officers.

The three climbed the outer wall and escaped through one of the gaps in the fence opened by the Italians a few days before. While passing through some bushes, the group ran into the other four Allied officers, part of the group who had hidden with them in the camp and had managed to escape: Captain MacGowan, Captain Bennet, Captain Fitzpatrick, and Captain Anderson. They were guided by two Italian boys who had supplied them with civilian clothing. As Johson, Ferguson, and Spooner joined the group, the two Italians left, coming back soon after with more civilian clothes for them. At 8 pm, the party split: MacGowan and the rest left, while Johnson, Ferguson, and Spooner remained hidden in the bushes until 11 pm, when they also left, heading east. During their journey, they relied on the aid of the local population:

The three thus reached a train station, probably the one in Lazzaro di Savena, and Johnson scouted the place, discovering that a train heading south was about to depart. His companions, however, «were not prepared to take the risk of travelling by train, so I decided to leave them and proceed on my own».

Johnson boarded the train, which departed at midnight on 14 September, passing through Rimini and Ancona. A few kilometers from Pescara, Johnson once more had the chance to interact with some Italians:

Bounded by the necessity to escape the Germans, Johnson and the disbanded soldiers in the cart became unlikely companions. When the train arrived in Pescara, they realised that the platform was teeming with Germans; therefore, «all the occupants of the carriage and I climbed out of the window, crossed the railway track and mingled with other Italian soldiers». The group marched through Pescara and reached Ortona, where Johnson and other Italians managed to catch another train, planning to go to Foggia because Johnson’s companions had heard that the British had conquered the city. «Owning to a misdirection, we found ourselves in Torremaggiore. We were then directed correctly to Foggia». At this point, the group had split, and Johnson was with two other Italian deserters.

However, as they arrived near Foggia (around 16 September), the three discovered that the city was still in German hands and decided to head south again, this time to Bari. Along the way, during a stop in the village of Orta Nova, the two Italians decided not to risk crossing the frontline, preferring to wait there for the Allies to arrive, while Johnson wanted to continue towards Bari.

Johnson remained with his protector until 25 September, hiding in the bushes outside the house during the day and sleeping inside at night. During the night of 25 September, the farmer entrusted Johnson to one of his workers, who hid him at his house for the night. «He was a coffin maker and was prepared to hide me amongst the coffins in case of a search».

On 28 September, Johnson was  in Taranto, where he was treated at the hospital. He was suffering from myopia and bronchitis. On 4 October, he was transferred to the Catania hospital via air and then immediately to Algiers. On 16 October 1943, Johnson finally returned to the United Kingdom, in Bristol, after a brief stop in Gibraltar.