During the German occupation of Rome from 1942–1944, Irishman Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty ran an escape organization for Allied POWs and civilians, including

Story of Monsignor Hugh J. O'Flaherty and his underground rescue operation that led thousands of Allied POW's to safety before the eyes of the Nazis.

It has all the hallmarks of a best-selling fictional thriller:

During the German occupation of Rome from 1942 to 1944, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty devoted his time and energy to running an escape organisation for Allied POWs