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During the tunneling process, X had been assisted by several American prisoners. Unfortunately, by the time the tunnel was completed in March, they had been transferred to another compound. Waiting a week for a moonless night, the escape commenced after dark on March 24, 1944. Breaking through the surface, the first escapee was stunned to find that the tunnel had come up short of the woods adjacent to the camp. Despite this, 76 men successfully transited the tunnel without detection, despite the fact that an air raid occurred during the escape which cut off power to the tunnel's lights. http://therealgreatescape.com/stalag-luft-iii/the-great-escape/
"The Great Escape" of World War II
Posted from militaryhistory.about.com
WWII World War Two
POW/MIA
American History
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
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Thanks for reminding us there was a real back story to the movie "The Great escape" which thrilled so many in the mid-1960s.
Steve McQueen thrilled many in that movie. I wonder what the three men who escaped Stalag Luft III and were not recaptured and executed [Norwegians Per Bergsland and Jens Müller, and Dutchman Bram van der Stok] thought of the movie.
Steve McQueen thrilled many in that movie. I wonder what the three men who escaped Stalag Luft III and were not recaptured and executed [Norwegians Per Bergsland and Jens Müller, and Dutchman Bram van der Stok] thought of the movie.
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Awesome soldiers and airmen who risked life itself to escape the POW camp. It says something about the tenacity of these prisoners and their can do attitude. Great story indeed!
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