The Tunnel that made The Great Escape possible

[Alex P]

[url]http://www.kerman94.com/tunnelharry.html[/url]

When graphics appear, move cursor over the number to display an explanation of activity.

In 1943 work had begun on 'Harry', the tunnel that allowed over 70 men to escape from the German POW camp, 'Stalag III', during World War II. This was the same tunnel made famous by the movie 'The Great Escape'. The URL below takes you to a site where one of the men, after the War, drew a diagram with explanations of each of the sections.

It's amazing how accurate the movie was, even though it couldn't possibly include all the information involved in this great engineering feat. Hope you find this as interesting as I did.

[Antloony]

Interesting that, cheers Alex. Amazing how some people have the will and ingenuity to plan and overcome any problems they faced despite the odds being stacked against them. bet these guys would have been great on Scrap Heap Challenge

[Dombo]

Dunno about you guys, but even after a thousand times each time I watch it I'm on the edge of the seat thinking: "Come on Steve, get over that bloody fence!"

And he never does

[Alex P]

Even though the German's generally rode BMW's in the war Steve McQueen rode a Triumph 650 in the film, he played the part that you see of course but he also played the chasing German's on bikes too!!

[url]http://www.mcqueenonline.com/thegreatescapetriumph.htm[/url]

Also another legacy of the film is a regular football "terrace" chant...

[Andrew G]

My favourite story is the Colditz Glider. [url]http://www.colditz-4c.com/glider.htm[/url]

The POWs managed to design and construct a glider to escape in. I can't remember all the details of it but there was an excellent programme made about it which showed how they went about it and reenacted certain bits of it in location to show how hard it would have been. It was cut in with showing them using the original plans (such as they were) to remake the glider. They marked out the area they had to use and had to keep with in that. The people making it just couldn't believe how they even came up with the idea, let alone made it in the space in silence as they made quite a bit of noise. They did remake it using all period parts and methods that the POWs used. The finale was they got one (or the only) remaining survivor down to the airfield to see it and they had a pilot take it out and fly it. It worked beautifully and the look on the old POWs face was a joy to see.

[Grahame]

How disappointing. I thought this was going to be about PVT skiving off work for a long midweek ride.

[Sylv]

And I thought it was about the Chunnel to Calais!!!

[Jon H]

Tunnell made his great escape from Stalag Shirley a while ago and is now missing in action around the Horsham area.