RAF officers and airmen held a photo of each of the 50 members of the great escape who died 75 years ago during yesterday's ceremony.
In 1944, 76 prisoners of war attempted to escape from a Nazi camp through tunnels they had painstakingly dug underground at Stalag Luft III.
Only three of the men managed to escape to safety, while 50 of the 73 who were recaptured were killed.
Each RAF Officer and Airman hold a single photo of each of the 50 Great Escape members that were killed upon capture. The British MOD report that personnel from the British Royal Air Force (RAF) have on March 24, 2019 marked 75 years since the Great Escape at two remembrance ceremonies in Poland, where the legendary escape took place
And those who died were remembered yesterday during a ceremony led by the Royal Air Force in Poland.
Many internees at the PoW camp were British airmen and the RAF took part in a flypast and formed a guard of honour alongside the Polish Air Force as part of the commemorations in Poland yesterday.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 'Today marks 75 years since our prisoners of war performed one of the greatest and most complex escape operations of all time.
'We must never forget that in the fight for freedom, and in the hopes of liberating themselves and their comrades, 50 courageous lives were lost.
'Their bravery is a testament to the camaraderie and strength of the RAF, who worked tirelessly to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation.
British Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen Hillier (Left) and Lieutenant General Mika (Right) of the Polish Army laying wreaths at the memorial service
British Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen Hillier (left) and Lieutenant General Mika (right) of the Polish Army after laying wreaths at a memorial service held at the former site of Stalag Luft III in Zagan, Poland, 24 March 2019, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Great Escape
'Sadly, we are slowly losing our heroes of the Second World War, so it is more important than ever that we preserve their legacies by continuing to tell their stories.'
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, joined Air Commodore Charles Clarke, a PoW who was held at Stalag Luft III at the time of the escape, in a ceremony on the site of the camp which at the time was in Germany, but is now in Poland.
Relatives of those who escaped and Government representatives were also present at the commemorations, which included a remembrance service at Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, where 48 of those executed are buried.
Air Commodore Charles Clarke (back row, second right) with his Lancaster bomber crew in 1943. Mr Clare was speaking on Tuesday at the RAF Club in London
Many internees at the PoW camp were British airmen and the RAF took part in a flypast and formed a guard of honour alongside the Polish Air Force as part of the commemorations in Poland yesterday
Down the hatch: A photo taken by officials at the German camp show the inside of the narrow tunnel, named 'Harry', in 1944. Some 76 men made it out before the escape was rumbled by Nazi guards
The story of the Great Escape heroes, who gave their three tunnels the code names Tom, Dick and Harry, gained even more prominence in 1963 when it became the basis for a Hollywood film of the same name starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough.
A special screening by the RAF Benevolent Fund will be part of a commemorative event, The Great Escape With Dan Snow, hosted by the TV historian, which will be streamed to cinemas across the UK.
Last month Dick Churchill, the last surviving member of the 76-strong group who made it out of the camp, died aged 99.
The former squadron leader, who lived in Crediton, Devon, was one of the 73 recaptured by the Germans within three days of the breakout after Hitler became aware and ordered locals to search their land and buildings.
Earlier this month Second World War pilot Jack Lyon, who was in the Stalag Luft III camp after his bomber plane was struck by flak near Dusseldorf, died aged 101.
Mr Lyon, who was a flight lieutenant, was recruited by other prisoners to carry out surveillance of the compound, but the plot was discovered before he could make his own escape.
Each RAF officer holds a single photo of each of the 50 great escape members that were killed when captured
Making do: Stalag Luft III prisoners are seen walking past a watchtower around the perimeter of the camp in the winter months to keep fit and stay warm
Deadly toll of escapees executed... and how WWII's greatest PoW story got a Hollywood makeover
In the spring of 1943, RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for a major escape from the German Stalag Luft III Camp near Sagan, now Żagań in Poland.
With the escape planned for the night of March 24, 1944, the PoWs built three 30ft deep tunnels, named Tom, Dick and Harry, so that if one was discovered by the German guards, they would not suspect that work was underway on two more.
Bushell intended to get more than 200 men through the tunnels, each wearing civilian clothes and possessing a complete range of forged papers and escape equipment.
In the spring of 1943, RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for a major escape from the German Stalag Luft III Camp near Sagan, now Żagań in Poland
To hide the earth dug from the tunnels, the prisoners attached pouches of the sand inside their trousers so that as they walked around, it would scatter.
The prisoners wore greatcoats to conceal the bulges made by the sand and were referred to as 'penguins' because of their supposed resemblance to the animal.
When the attempt began, it was discovered that Harry had come up short and instead of reaching into a nearby forest, the first man in fact emerged just short of the tree line, close to a guard tower.
Plans for one man to leave every minute was reduced to 10 per hour.
The Great Escape starred Steve McQueen (pictured above) as Captain Virgil Hilts
In total, 76 men crawled through to initial freedom, but the 77th was spotted by a guard. In the hunt for the entrance one guard Charlie Pilz crawled through the tunnel but after becoming trapped at the other end called for help.
The prisoners opened the entrance, revealing the location.
Of the escapees, three made it to safety, 73 were captured, and 50 of them executed.
... and the Hollywood film
The 1963 film The Great Escape was based on real events and, although some characters were fictitious, many were based on real people, or amalgams of several of those involved.
The film starred Steve McQueen as Captain Virgil Hilts, James Garner as Flight Lieutenant Robert Hendley and Richard Attenborough as Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, and was based on a book of the same name by Paul Brickhill.
Contrary to the film, no American PoWs were involved in the escape attempt, and there were no escapes by motorcycle or aircraft.
Hilts' dash for the border by motorcycle was added by request of McQueen, who did the stunt riding himself except for the final jump.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/25/great-escape-prisoners-of-war-are-remembered-with-50-photos-held-by-50-raf-officers/
Main photo article RAF officers and airmen held a photo of each of the 50 members of the great escape who died 75 years ago during yesterday’s ceremony.
In 1944, 76 prisoners of war attempted to escape from a Nazi camp through tunnels they had painstakingly dug underground at Stalag Luft III.
Only three of ...
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Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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