Posted on 02/13/2019 6:04:52 PM PST by DFG
A remarkable set of photographs showing how captured Allied soldiers dug a tunnel used for the famous 'Great Escape' have appeared in a new book to mark 75 years since the event.
They depict the ingeniously engineered tunnels which helped nearly 80 soldiers escape from the notorious Nazi POW camp Stalag Luft III, in Sagan, Poland on March 25, 1944.
Of the 76 Allied airmen who broke out, 50 were later executed by the Gestapo on the direct orders of a humiliated Adolf Hitler - only three successfully evaded capture.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
An amazing true life event — why free people will always defeat tyrants.
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Could never be made in this form today. Not a single woman in the cast.
God bless them all, especially the 50 that were murdered by the gestapo
My brother was incarcerated there starting in August 15th 1944. He was a bombardier on a B17 called the Tiny Angel and shot down on their 17 mission over Wiesbaden Gr. Patton’s tanks liberated them...
Thanks for starting this thread, DFG.
Squadron Leader Douglas Bader would have also been captured, undoubtedly, (and likely executed)had he not been transferred away from this camp for being so intransigent. Though legless before the War from an airplane accident, he still became a decorated fighter pilot and was central to the plans for this escape.
The last survivor of ‘The Great Escape’ camp tells his story
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-44769549/the-last-survivor-of-the-great-escape-camp-tells-his-story
What really happened on the night of The Great Escape
http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/great-escape/index.html
Mar 24, 1944 CE: The Great Escape
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar24/great-escape/
The Great Escape, Stalag Luft III – Zagan, Poland
https://www.landmarkscout.com/the-great-escape-stalag-luft-iii-zagan-poland/
File:Harry entrance great escape.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_entrance_great_escape.jpg
We just watched the movie this week. Three hours was a bit long for the 10 year old. Exceptional acting up and down. Great pacing. One of the best ensemble films ever. My wife just read the book, which had many tricks and stunts that the movie just didn’t have time for.
One story in the book was when some high ranking Kraut got a new fancy car, and wanted to show off its German engineering. The head of the camp told him to leave it outside, but the muckety-muck insisted on bringing it inside, and the driver will watch the car. The POWs swarmed the car, taking all sorts of items that would be turned into tools and barter items.
The poor driver was afraid to report the incident because HE would get in trouble!
Eventually, the POWs agreed to return a secret book that was in the car, but only after they finished consuming its contents, and putting a special stamp imprinted inside the book (stamp made from heel of a boot) stating that the book had passed inspection at some British Department of something other. No one does cheeky like the Brits, and no one is more fun to have be the butt of such cheekiness as a Kraut. (I am one quarter both).
“only three successfully evaded capture.”
Freedom: worth the risk. worth the price.
Wow! Your brother was an amazing man. God bless him. I’m guessing you have a special family. Thanks.
Bader got transferred to “Der Sonderlager” or Colditz for his escape effort. Impressive for a man with tin legs.
CC
God bless your brother. My thanks to him for my freedom.
I’m 86 and still choke up when I think back to that era as both of my older brothers were drafted in early 1945 plus a sister enlisted in the WACs and the other sister left home to work in a defense plant and our home was suddenly quite and little sister were alone. Brother Werner made the Air Force, Brother Herb was in a combat engineering battalion unit that built the structures that were used on D-Day plus his unit was one of many that put Bailey Bridges across France and sister Wilma worked in a Calif military hospital . Later my two sisters married men that served. One was in a aircorp division that built the first P47 dirt strip behind Utah beach on DD + 7 or 8 and the other fought in 2 or 3 fierce Naval battles in the South Pacific. They all cane home, Married, raised kids and lead normal lives...
Thanks for sharing. So glad they all came home. A truly great American family! I’m honored to know you.
Wow! Fantastic family to be very proud of!!
I remember the day the lady from the Red Cross delivered the message that Werner was MISSING IN ACTION. That was usually followed by “WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU... but then the jubilant news that he was a POW. (if you can imagine that)
I worked with a man that flew on B-17s. God bless the fliers and those that survived and those that fought to rescue them. Bless them all, those that came before, and those that follow.
Some contribution. Nothing like it in my family. My Dad served in WW2 on a pt. Early 70s I was in Navy AOCS and was instructed by the DI to call home.
Did so. My older brother was missing after an F4 mission from a csrrier off N Vietnam. I remember the call clearly because my Mom acted so matter of fact. Like just a minor fender bender. Because of that composure, I did not turn to jello. Just proceeded on and learned a day or two later that he had been recovered at sea with no real ill effects after an ejection. Stay calm and Carry on.
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