The Wooden Horse

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s cross RH and cast 1 place while 2s set and dance up, 1s turn 2s on sides with nearer hand
9-16 1s cross RH and cast down 1 place while 3s set and dance up 1 place, 1s turn 3s on sides with nearer hands
17-24 1s cross up to dance reels of 3 on opposite sides and end 23(1)
25-32 1s dance ½ Fig of 8 round 3s and all turn partners RH

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

The Wooden Horse - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

"The Wooden Horse" is a remarkable and true story from World War II, immortalized in literature and film, detailing the audacious escape of Allied prisoners from a German prison camp in Turkey. The tale revolves around the ingenuity and determination of British Royal Air Force officers held captive at Stalag Luft III.

In 1943, a group of Allied prisoners, including British officers Peter Howard and John "Jimmy" James, conceived a daring escape plan. Faced with tight security measures, they decided to construct a wooden vaulting horse for exercise purposes. Unbeknownst to their German captors, the horse's hollow interior became a secret tunnel entrance.

Over the course of several months, prisoners painstakingly dug a tunnel beneath the prison compound, concealing their progress by dispersing the soil in the exercise yard. The wooden horse, used daily for physical training, provided cover for the tunnel's entrance.

In the dark hours of the night, the prisoners took turns crawling through the tunnel, eventually emerging on the other side of the prison fence. The audacious escape occurred on the night of October 29, 1943, with three prisoners - Flight Lieutenants Peter Howard, John James, and Johnny Pohe - successfully evading recapture.

The escape known as "The Wooden Horse" attained legendary status, serving as the inspiration for Eric Williams' book and its subsequent film adaptation in 1950.