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| 'The Great Escape' commemorated in Poland | 'The Great Escape' commemorated in Poland |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A ceremony to commemorate the Great Escape, the famous breakout from German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III in 1944, is taking place. | |
| Survivors, families and UK and Polish officials are gathering at Zagan in Poland, 70 years after the escape plot. | Survivors, families and UK and Polish officials are gathering at Zagan in Poland, 70 years after the escape plot. |
| Of those who broke out of the camp, only three reached safety and of the 73 recaptured, 50 were shot. | Of those who broke out of the camp, only three reached safety and of the 73 recaptured, 50 were shot. |
| The ceremony, from 11:00 to 13:00 GMT, is the first formal act of remembrance held in their honour. | The ceremony, from 11:00 to 13:00 GMT, is the first formal act of remembrance held in their honour. |
| Between five and 10 survivors of the prisoner of war camp were expected to attend. | Between five and 10 survivors of the prisoner of war camp were expected to attend. |
| Afterwards, 50 RAF service personnel will march for four days to the cemetery at Poznan where they will lay wreaths at the graves of the 50 executed prisoners. | Afterwards, 50 RAF service personnel will march for four days to the cemetery at Poznan where they will lay wreaths at the graves of the 50 executed prisoners. |
| The RAF's Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha told those gathered the Great Escape was "an extraordinary chapter" in the history of the allied air forces "written by men with great courage and character". | |
| Those who escaped were "an exceptional band of airmen whose bravery, ingenuity and resilient spirit set an example for all time", he added. | |
| "When first captured, they did not accept that for them the war was over. | |
| "Far from it, they were not prisoners of war - they were prisoners at war. | |
| "And through their activities, they opened another front that distracted and diluted enemy forces and demonstrated that no fence, no Stalag Luft, could contain allied airmen." | |
| British ambassador to Poland Robin Barnett and former prisoner of war Charles Clarke were among others expected to speak. | |
| 10,000 prisoners | 10,000 prisoners |
| The daring bid for freedom was immortalised in the classic 1963 film The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough. | The daring bid for freedom was immortalised in the classic 1963 film The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough. |
| Stalag Luft III, which was 100 miles south-east of Berlin on the Polish border, held about 10,000 prisoners at the height of its occupation. | Stalag Luft III, which was 100 miles south-east of Berlin on the Polish border, held about 10,000 prisoners at the height of its occupation. |
| Members of the RAF, the US Air Force and other allied forces were among prisoners at the camp. | Members of the RAF, the US Air Force and other allied forces were among prisoners at the camp. |
| Because of border changes, the location of the camp is now in Poland. | Because of border changes, the location of the camp is now in Poland. |
| An escape committee was formed at the camp in spring 1943 and the escape plan hatched under the leadership of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell. | An escape committee was formed at the camp in spring 1943 and the escape plan hatched under the leadership of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell. |
| Three tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry, were started in April 1943. | Three tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry, were started in April 1943. |
| The tunnels were dug to a depth of 30ft and shored up with wooden boards from the prisoners' beds. | The tunnels were dug to a depth of 30ft and shored up with wooden boards from the prisoners' beds. |
| On the night of 24 March 1944, about 200 prisoners prepared to escape through Harry, a tunnel measuring over 300ft long, beneath Hut 104. | On the night of 24 March 1944, about 200 prisoners prepared to escape through Harry, a tunnel measuring over 300ft long, beneath Hut 104. |
| Only 76 were able to make their break for freedom using the tunnel. | Only 76 were able to make their break for freedom using the tunnel. |
| Norwegian pilots Per Bergsland and Jens Muller, and Dutch pilot Bram van der Stok - who all died in the 1990s - made it to safety. | Norwegian pilots Per Bergsland and Jens Muller, and Dutch pilot Bram van der Stok - who all died in the 1990s - made it to safety. |
| Of the 73 who were recaptured, 50 were subsequently shot by the Gestapo on Adolf Hitler's orders. | Of the 73 who were recaptured, 50 were subsequently shot by the Gestapo on Adolf Hitler's orders. |
| Hitler's 'rage' | Hitler's 'rage' |
| Times journalist Simon Pearson, who wrote a book about mastermind Roger Bushell, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that German high command were told of the escape 36 hours later. | Times journalist Simon Pearson, who wrote a book about mastermind Roger Bushell, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that German high command were told of the escape 36 hours later. |
| "Hitler flew into a rage," he said. | "Hitler flew into a rage," he said. |
| "He wanted all those who were recaptured shot but he was persuaded by Goering and Himmler to go for 50 instead in a perverse attempt to reduce the international outcry afterwards. | "He wanted all those who were recaptured shot but he was persuaded by Goering and Himmler to go for 50 instead in a perverse attempt to reduce the international outcry afterwards. |
| "The 50 were selected randomly by the SS." | "The 50 were selected randomly by the SS." |
| British ex-serviceman Andrew Wiseman, who is in Zagan for the commemoration, arrived as a prisoner at Stalag Luft III shortly after the Great Escape. | British ex-serviceman Andrew Wiseman, who is in Zagan for the commemoration, arrived as a prisoner at Stalag Luft III shortly after the Great Escape. |
| "When I arrived at the camp, the camp was in a state of shock, disbelief," he told Today. | "When I arrived at the camp, the camp was in a state of shock, disbelief," he told Today. |
| "Until the Great Escape, and the murder of the 50, the RAF prisoners of war were treated reasonably well by the Germans. | "Until the Great Escape, and the murder of the 50, the RAF prisoners of war were treated reasonably well by the Germans. |
| "But after the Great Escape, relations between us and the Germans changed. | "But after the Great Escape, relations between us and the Germans changed. |
| "The camp could not believe what the Germans had done to the 50 and there was shock, horror almost, and a great deal of sadness." | "The camp could not believe what the Germans had done to the 50 and there was shock, horror almost, and a great deal of sadness." |
| German disbelief | German disbelief |
| According to the Daily Telegraph, Dick Churchill, 94, is the last British survivor among the 76 escapees. | According to the Daily Telegraph, Dick Churchill, 94, is the last British survivor among the 76 escapees. |
| He and fellow escapee, Australian Paul Royle, are the only survivors, it says. | He and fellow escapee, Australian Paul Royle, are the only survivors, it says. |
| Mr Churchill, who says he was captured while hiding in a barn after heading towards Czechoslovakia, told the paper he was lucky not to have been shot. | Mr Churchill, who says he was captured while hiding in a barn after heading towards Czechoslovakia, told the paper he was lucky not to have been shot. |
| "I think it was my name - I'm pretty certain. | "I think it was my name - I'm pretty certain. |
| "I'm not related to Churchill, to my knowledge. But they thought I might be." | "I'm not related to Churchill, to my knowledge. But they thought I might be." |