The last survivor of the Great Escape has died aged 99.
Squadron Leader Richard Churchill was among the 76 men who crawled through tunnels in 1944 to escape Stalag Luft III, a Nazi prisoner of war camp.
However, only three of the men got clean away and 50 were rounded up and shot on Hitler’s direct orders.
Mr Churchill was recaptured three days after the escape. He and his comrade Bob Nelson were found by farmers hiding in a barn and were handed over to the Germans. The RAF man believed he was not shot because the Nazis thought he may be related to Winston Churchill.
After his recapture Mr Churchill, of Crediton, Devon, was forced into gruelling winter marches across Germany.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6706909/Last-survivor-Great-Escape-dies-aged-99.html
Comments
My Uncle (Mother's sister's husband) was in The Great Escape - never spoke about it.
The film compared to the facts:
I didn't realize that the 3 who made it home were Norwegian, and there was only 1 American involved in the escape.
( Other Americans had helped but had been moved to other camps by the time of the great escape)
There was no motor bike invovled.
The early part of the film was the most accurate with Ives cracking and being shot in the barbed wire.
Great true story, great film.
RIP Richard.