author
Mervin C. Simmons
A Canadian soldier turned memoirist, he is best remembered for a vivid World War I prison-escape narrative shaped from his own experience behind enemy lines. His story has endured because it feels direct, human, and remarkably suspenseful.
1 Audiobook
Three Times and Out Told by Private Simmons, Written by Nellie L. McClung
by Mervin C. Simmons, Nellie L. McClung
About the author
Born in 1886 near Verschoyle in Oxford County, Ontario, Mervin Cecil Simmons later worked in British Columbia before enlisting at the outbreak of World War I. During the war he served as a private and was captured by German forces, spending time in prisoner-of-war camps before eventually escaping.
Simmons is known for Three Times and Out, a firsthand wartime memoir told from his experiences as a prisoner and escapee. The book was written with Nellie L. McClung and stands out for its plainspoken account of captivity, repeated escape attempts, and determination under pressure.
He died in 1964, but his name remains linked to one unforgettable survival story from the First World War. For audiobook listeners, his work offers both a personal witness to history and the pace of a real-life adventure.