Hiking This photo is of LT McDonald and LT Mears resting during a hike in the Swiss Hills. The officers were given considerable freedom as long as they respected curfews and did not try to escape. In this case, they were allowed to go hiking in the surrounding woods as long as they were accompanied by a guard or guide. The Swiss offered additional freedom if they agreed to sign a "parole", but this meant that if they escaped then the Allies would be obligated to return the prisoners in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1907. Consequently, most of the officers refused to sign paroles. Escape was difficult to impossible at Adelboden because the remote village was completely surrounded by mountains, and the only way out was one road that was travelled weekly by a bus. Even if the officers overcame this obstacle, they were still far away from the Swiss border and freedom.
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