List of Allied airmen from the Great Escape
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
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
CAN
No. 72 Sqn RAF
30 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz (Legnica )
Brettell, E. Gordon [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 133 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Danzig (Gdańsk )
Bull, Leslie G. "Johnny" [ 5]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 109 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Brüx (Most )
Bushell, Roger J. [ 6] [ 7]
Squadron Leader
GBR[ b]
No. 92 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Saarbrücken
Casey, Michael J. [ 8] [ 9]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 57 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Görlitz
Catanach, James [ 10] [ 11]
Squadron Leader
AUS
No. 455 Sqn RAAF
29 March 1944
Kiel
Christensen, Arnold G. [ 12]
Pilot Officer
NZL
No. 26 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Kiel
Cochran, Dennis H. [ 13]
Flying Officer
GBR
No. 10 OTU RAF
31 March 1944
Natzweiler (Natzwiller )
Cross, Ian E. K. P. [ 14]
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. [ 15]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 49 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Fuglesang, Nils Jørgen [ 16]
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. [ 17]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 109 Sqn RAF
6 April 1944
Breslau (Wrocław )
Gunn, Alastair D. M. [ 18] [ 19]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 1 PRU RAF
6 April 1944
Breslau
Hake, Albert H. [ 20]
Flight Lieutenant
AUS
No. 72 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Görlitz
Hall, Charles P. [ 21]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 1 PRU RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Hayter, Anthony R. H. [ 22] [ 23]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 148 Sqn RAF
6 April 1944
Natzweiler
Humphreys, Edgar S. [ 24] [ 25]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 107 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Kidder, Gordon A. [ 26]
Flying Officer
CAN
No. 156 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Mährisch Ostrau (Moravská Ostrava )
Kierath, Reginald V. [ 27] [ 28]
Flight Lieutenant
AUS
No. 450 Sqn RAAF
29 March 1944
Brüx
Kiewnarski, Antoni [ 29]
Flight Lieutenant
POL
No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF
31 March 1944
unknown
Kirby-Green, Thomas G. [ 30] [ 31]
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[ a]
Liegnitz
Król, Stanisław Z.
Flying Officer
POL
No. 64 Sqn RAF
12 April 1944
Breslau
Langford, Patrick W. [ 32] [ 33] [ 34]
Flight Lieutenant
CAN
No. 16 OTU RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Leigh, Tom [ 35] [ 36]
Flight Lieutenant
AUS
No. 76 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Görlitz
Long, James L. R. [ 37] [ 38]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 9 Sqn RAF
12 April 1944
Breslau
Marcinkus, Romas [ 39]
Flight Lieutenant
LTU
No. 1 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Danzig
McGarr, Clement A. N. [ 40]
Lieutenant
ZAF
No. 2 Sqn SAAF
6 April 1944
Breslau
McGill, George E. [ 41]
Flight Lieutenant
CAN
No. 103 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Milford, Harold J. [ 42] [ 43]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 226 Sqn RAF
6 April 1944
Breslau
Mondschein, Jerzy T. [ 44]
Flying Officer
POL
No. 304 Sqn (Polish) RAF
29 March 1944
Brüx
Pawluk, Kazimierz [ 45]
Flying Officer
POL
No. 305 Sqn (Polish) RAF
31 March 1944
unknown
Picard, Henri A. [ 46] [ 47]
Flight Lieutenant
BEL
No. 350 Sqn (Belgian) RAF
29 March 1944
Danzig
Pohe, John [ 48] [ 49]
Flying Officer
NZL
No. 51 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Görlitz
Scheidhauer, Bernard W. M. [ 50]
Lieutenant
FRA
No. 131 Sqn RAF
29 March 1944
Saarbrücken
Skanzikas, Sotiris [ 51]
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. [ 52] [ 53]
Flying Officer
GBR
No. 77 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Stower, John Gifford[ 54] [ 55]
Flying Officer
ARG
No. 142 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Liegnitz
Street, Denys O. [ 56] [ 57]
Flying Officer
GBR
No. 207 Sqn RAF
6 April 1944
Breslau
Swain, Cyril D. [ 58]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 105 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Tobolski, Paweł
Flying Officer
POL
No. 301 Sqn (Polish) RAF
2 April 1944
Breslau
Valenta, Arnošt [ 59]
Flight Lieutenant
CZE
No. 311 Sqn (Czechoslovak) RAF
31 March 1944[ a]
Liegnitz
Walenn, Gilbert W. [ 60]
Flight Lieutenant
GBR
No. 25 OTU RAF
29 March 1944
Danzig
Wernham, James C. [ 61] [ 62]
Flight Lieutenant
CAN
No. 405 Sqn RCAF
30 March 1944
unknown
Wiley, George W. [ 63] [ 64] [ 65]
Flight Lieutenant
CAN
No. 112 Sqn RAF
31 March 1944
Görlitz
Williams, John E. A. [ 66] [ 67]
Squadron Leader
AUS
No. 450 Sqn RAAF
29 March 1944
Brüx
Williams, John F. [ 68] [ 69]
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
Notes
^ 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 ]
^ Born in South Africa
References