The "Great Escape" was a World War II mass escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III. It resulted in the murder of 50 recaptured escapees.
It was the basis of The Great Escape, a book by Paul Brickhill describing the escape and The Great Escape, a film based on the book.
Murdered
Name Rank Nation Unit Date of death/ Last seen alive Cremated Birkland, Henry J. Flying Officer CAN No. 72 Sqn RAF 30 March 1944 Liegnitz (Legnica) Brettell, E. GordonMotor Sport, July 1944, Page 142: Obituary. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 133 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig (Gdańsk) Bull, Leslie G. "Johnny" Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 109 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Brüx (Most) Bushell, Roger J. Squadron Leader GBR No. 92 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Saarbrücken Casey, Michael J. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 57 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Catanach, James Squadron Leader AUS No. 455 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Kiel Christensen, Arnold G. Pilot Officer NZL No. 26 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel Cochran, Dennis H. Flying Officer GBR No. 10 OTU RAF 31 March 1944 Natzweiler (Natzwiller) Cross, Ian E. K. P. Squadron Leader GBR No. 103 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Espelid, Halldor Lieutenant NOR No. 331 Sqn (Norwegian) RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel Evans, Brian H. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 49 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Fuglesang, Nils Jørgen Lieutenant NOR No. 332 Sqn (Norwegian) RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel Gouws, Johannes S. Lieutenant ZAF No. 40 Sqn SAAF 29 March 1944 Munich Grisman, William J. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 109 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau (Wrocław) Gunn, Alastair D. M. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 1 PRU RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau Hake, Albert H. Flight Lieutenant AUS No. 72 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Hall, Charles P. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 1 PRU RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Hayter, Anthony R. H. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 148 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Natzweiler Humphreys, Edgar S. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 107 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Kidder, Gordon A. Flying Officer CAN No. 156 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Mährisch Ostrau (Moravská Ostrava) Kierath, Reginald V. Flight Lieutenant AUS No. 450 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Brüx Kiewnarski, Antoni Flight Lieutenant POL No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944 unknown Kirby-Green, Thomas G. Squadron Leader GBR No. 40 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Mährisch Ostrau Kolanowski, Włodzimierz A. Flying Officer POL No. 301 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Król, Stanisław Z. Flying Officer POL No. 64 Sqn RAF 12 April 1944 Breslau Langford, Patrick W. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 16 OTU RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Leigh, Tom Flight Lieutenant AUS No. 76 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Long, James L. R. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 9 Sqn RAF 12 April 1944 Breslau Marcinkus, Romas Flight Lieutenant LTU No. 1 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig McGarr, Clement A. N. Lieutenant ZAF No. 2 Sqn SAAF 6 April 1944 Breslau McGill, George E. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 103 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Milford, Harold J. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 226 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau Mondschein, Jerzy T. Flying Officer POL No. 304 Sqn (Polish) RAF 29 March 1944 Brüx Pawluk, Kazimierz Flying Officer POL No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944 unknown Picard, Henri A. Flight Lieutenant BEL No. 350 Sqn (Belgian) RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig Pohe, John Flying Officer NZL No. 51 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Scheidhauer, Bernard W. M. Lieutenant FRA No. 131 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Saarbrücken Skanzikas, Sotiris Pilot Officer GRC No. 336 Sqn (Greek) RAF 30 March 1944 unknown Stevens, Rupert J. Lieutenant ZAF No. 12 Sqn SAAF 29 March 1944 Munich Stewart, Robert C. Flying Officer GBR No. 77 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Stower, John Gifford Flying Officer ARG No. 142 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Street, Denys O. Flying Officer GBR No. 207 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau Swain, Cyril D. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 105 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Tobolski, Paweł Flying Officer POL No. 301 Sqn (Polish) RAF 2 April 1944 Breslau Valenta, Arnošt Flight Lieutenant CZE No. 311 Sqn (Czechoslovak) RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz Walenn, Gilbert W. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 25 OTU RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig Wernham, James C. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 405 Sqn RCAF 30 March 1944 unknown Wiley, George W. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 112 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz Williams, John E. A. Squadron Leader AUS No. 450 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Brüx Williams, John F. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 107 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau
Survivors In boldface, the three escapees who managed to reach freedom.
Name Rank Nation Unit Armstrong, Albert Flight Lieutenant GBR RAFVR (General Duties Branch) Bergsland, Per Sergeant NOR No. 332 Squadron RAF Bethell, Richard A. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 268 Squadron RAF Broderick, Leslie C.J. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 106 Squadron RAF Cameron, William J. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 72 Squadron RAF Churchill, Richard S.A. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 144 Squadron RAF Day, Harry M.A. Wing Commander GBR No. 57 Squadron RAF Dodge, John B. Major GBR The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Dowse, Sydney H, Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF Dvořák, Bedřich Flight Lieutenant CZE No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF Green, Bernard Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 44 Squadron RAF James, Bertram A. Pilot Officer GBR No. 9 Squadron RAF Langlois, Roy B. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 12 Squadron RAF Marshall, Henry C. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF McDonald, Alistair T. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF Müller, Jens E. Second Lieutenant NOR No. 331 Squadron RAF Neely, Alexander D. Lieutenant GBR No. 825 Squadron Fleet Air Arm Nelson, Thomas R. Flight Lieutenant GBR No. 37 Squadron RAF Ogilvie, Alfred K. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 609 Squadron RAF Plunkett, Desmond L. Flight Lieutenant RSR No. 218 Squadron RAF Poynter, Douglas A. Lieutenant GBR No. 825 Squadron Fleet Air Arm Royle, Paul G. Pilot Officer AUS No. 53 Squadron RAF Shand, Michael M. Flight Lieutenant NZL No. 485 Squadron RNZAF Thompson, Alfred B. Flight Lieutenant CAN No. 102 Squadron RAF Tonder, Ivo Flight Lieutenant CZE No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF Trent, Leonard H. Squadron Leader NZL No. 487 Squadron RNZAF van der Stok, Bram Flight Lieutenant NED No. 41 Squadron RAF van Wymeersch, Raymond Flight Lieutenant FRA No. 174 Squadron RAF
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