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List of Allied airmen from the Great Escape

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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.

Memorial to "The Fifty" Allied airmen murdered after the "Great Escape"

Murdered

[edit]
The graves of 48 of the 50 officers of the Great Escape at Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery
Name Rank Nation Unit Date of death/
Last seen alive		 Cremated
Birkland, Henry J.[1] Flying Officer Canada CAN No. 72 Sqn RAF 30 March 1944[a] Liegnitz (Legnica)
Brettell, E. Gordon[2][3][4] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 133 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig (Gdańsk)
Bull, Leslie G. "Johnny"[5] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 109 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Brüx (Most)
Bushell, Roger J.[6][7] Squadron Leader United Kingdom GBR[b] No. 92 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Saarbrücken
Casey, Michael J.[8][9] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 57 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Catanach, James[10][11] Squadron Leader Australia AUS No. 455 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Kiel
Christensen, Arnold G.[12] Pilot Officer New Zealand NZL No. 26 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel
Cochran, Dennis H.[13] Flying Officer United Kingdom GBR No. 10 OTU RAF 31 March 1944 Natzweiler (Natzwiller)
Cross, Ian E. K. P.[14] Squadron Leader United Kingdom GBR No. 103 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Espelid, Halldor Lieutenant Norway NOR No. 331 Sqn (Norwegian) RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel
Evans, Brian H.[15] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 49 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Fuglesang, Nils Jørgen[16] Lieutenant Norway NOR No. 332 Sqn (Norwegian) RAF 29 March 1944 Kiel
Gouws, Johannes S. Lieutenant South Africa ZAF No. 40 Sqn SAAF 29 March 1944 Munich
Grisman, William J.[17] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 109 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau (Wrocław)
Gunn, Alastair D. M.[18][19] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 1 PRU RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau
Hake, Albert H.[20] Flight Lieutenant Australia AUS No. 72 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Hall, Charles P.[21] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 1 PRU RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Hayter, Anthony R. H.[22][23] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 148 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Natzweiler
Humphreys, Edgar S.[24][25] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 107 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Kidder, Gordon A.[26] Flying Officer Canada CAN No. 156 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Mährisch Ostrau (Moravská Ostrava)
Kierath, Reginald V.[27][28] Flight Lieutenant Australia AUS No. 450 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Brüx
Kiewnarski, Antoni[29] Flight Lieutenant Poland POL No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944 unknown
Kirby-Green, Thomas G.[30][31] Squadron Leader United Kingdom GBR No. 40 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Mährisch Ostrau
Kolanowski, Włodzimierz A. Flying Officer Poland POL No. 301 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Król, Stanisław Z. Flying Officer Poland POL No. 64 Sqn RAF 12 April 1944 Breslau
Langford, Patrick W.[32][33][34] Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 16 OTU RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Leigh, Tom[35][36] Flight Lieutenant Australia AUS No. 76 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Long, James L. R.[37][38] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 9 Sqn RAF 12 April 1944 Breslau
Marcinkus, Romas[39] Flight Lieutenant Lithuania LTU No. 1 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig
McGarr, Clement A. N.[40] Lieutenant South Africa ZAF No. 2 Sqn SAAF 6 April 1944 Breslau
McGill, George E.[41] Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 103 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Milford, Harold J.[42][43] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 226 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau
Mondschein, Jerzy T.[44] Flying Officer Poland POL No. 304 Sqn (Polish) RAF 29 March 1944 Brüx
Pawluk, Kazimierz[45] Flying Officer Poland POL No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF 31 March 1944 unknown
Picard, Henri A.[46][47] Flight Lieutenant Belgium BEL No. 350 Sqn (Belgian) RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig
Pohe, John[48][49] Flying Officer New Zealand NZL No. 51 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Scheidhauer, Bernard W. M.[50] Lieutenant France FRA No. 131 Sqn RAF 29 March 1944 Saarbrücken
Skanzikas, Sotiris[51] Pilot Officer Greece GRC No. 336 Sqn (Greek) RAF 30 March 1944 unknown
Stevens, Rupert J. Lieutenant South Africa ZAF No. 12 Sqn SAAF 29 March 1944 Munich
Stewart, Robert C.[52][53] Flying Officer United Kingdom GBR No. 77 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Stower, John Gifford[54][55] Flying Officer Argentina ARG No. 142 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Liegnitz
Street, Denys O.[56][57] Flying Officer United Kingdom GBR No. 207 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau
Swain, Cyril D.[58] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 105 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Tobolski, Paweł Flying Officer Poland POL No. 301 Sqn (Polish) RAF 2 April 1944 Breslau
Valenta, Arnošt[59] Flight Lieutenant Czechoslovakia CZE No. 311 Sqn (Czechoslovak) RAF 31 March 1944[a] Liegnitz
Walenn, Gilbert W.[60] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 25 OTU RAF 29 March 1944 Danzig
Wernham, James C.[61][62] Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 405 Sqn RCAF 30 March 1944 unknown
Wiley, George W.[63][64][65] Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 112 Sqn RAF 31 March 1944 Görlitz
Williams, John E. A.[66][67] Squadron Leader Australia AUS No. 450 Sqn RAAF 29 March 1944 Brüx
Williams, John F.[68][69] Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 107 Sqn RAF 6 April 1944 Breslau

Survivors

[edit]

In boldface, the three escapees who managed to reach freedom.

Name Rank Nation Unit
Armstrong, Albert Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR RAFVR (General Duties Branch)
Bergsland, Per Sergeant Norway NOR No. 332 Squadron RAF
Bethell, Richard A. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 268 Squadron RAF
Broderick, Leslie C.J. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 106 Squadron RAF
Cameron, William J. Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 72 Squadron RAF
Churchill, Richard S.A. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 144 Squadron RAF
Day, Harry M.A. Wing Commander United Kingdom GBR No. 57 Squadron RAF
Dodge, John B. Major United Kingdom GBR The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
Dowse, Sydney H, Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF
Dvořák, Bedřich Flight Lieutenant Czechoslovakia CZE No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
Green, Bernard Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 44 Squadron RAF
James, Bertram A. Pilot Officer United Kingdom GBR No. 9 Squadron RAF
Langlois, Roy B. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 12 Squadron RAF
Marshall, Henry C. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF
McDonald, Alistair T. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF
Müller Jens E. Second Lieutenant Norway NOR No. 331 Squadron RAF
Neely, Alexander D. Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 825 Squadron Fleet Air Arm
Nelson, Thomas R. Flight Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 37 Squadron RAF
Ogilvie, Alfred K. Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 609 Squadron RAF
Plunkett, Desmond L. Flight Lieutenant Southern Rhodesia RSR No. 218 Squadron RAF
Poynter, Douglas A. Lieutenant United Kingdom GBR No. 825 Squadron Fleet Air Arm
Royle, Paul G. Pilot Officer Australia AUS No. 53 Squadron RAF
Shand, Michael M. Flight Lieutenant New Zealand NZL No. 485 Squadron RNZAF
Thompson, Alfred B. Flight Lieutenant Canada CAN No. 102 Squadron RAF
Tonder, Ivo Flight Lieutenant Czechoslovakia CZE No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
Trent, Leonard H. Squadron Leader New Zealand NZL No. 487 Squadron RNZAF
van der Stok, Bram Flight Lieutenant Netherlands NED No. 41 Squadron RAF
van Wymeersch, Raymond Flight Lieutenant France FRA No. 174 Squadron RAF

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Flying Officers Włodzimierz Kolanowski, Robert Stewart and Henry Birkland and Flight Lieutenants Ernst Valenta, Edgar Humphreys, George McGill, Cyril Swain, Charles Hall, Patrick Langford and Brian Evans. The men had been taken to Breslau for interrogation, and at about 7 p.m. one evening, they were placed in a lorry and taken on the road to Sagan, with a car driven by Schröder[who?] in the lead. The night was freezing, and about halfway to Sagan, the vehicles stopped. Walters[citation needed]
  2. ^ Born in South Africa

References

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