The Arrest

On 28 May 1945, Joyce was captured by British forces near the German-Danish border, in the town of Flensburg. Apparently Joyce’s accent had raised suspicions, and when he went to retrieve his forged identification papers from his pocket, to prove he wasn’t Joyce, he was thought to be reaching for a pistol, and was shot in the leg by an interpreter attached to the British forces, named Lieutenant Perry.

After recovering for a fortnight in Lueneberg Military Hospital, Joyce was transported back to the U.K on 16 June 1945. His capture was seen as a significant coup for the authorities and, conveniently, the day before Joyce's arrival, the Treason Act 1945 had been granted Royal Assent by King George VI, enabling Joyce to be charged with three counts of high treason.