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Funeral of 'Great Escape' veteran Funeral of 'Great Escape' veteran
(10 minutes later)
The funeral of a veteran who took part in the prison breakout immortalised in the film The Great Escape is taking place in Shropshire on Thursday. The funeral of a veteran who took part in the prison breakout immortalised in the film The Great Escape has taken place in Shropshire.
Sqn Ldr Bertram "Jimmy" James was one of 76 men who broke out of Stalag Luft Three, the supposedly escape-proof Nazi prisoner camp, in World War II.Sqn Ldr Bertram "Jimmy" James was one of 76 men who broke out of Stalag Luft Three, the supposedly escape-proof Nazi prisoner camp, in World War II.
His funeral will be held in St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Ludlow, at 1400 GMT. An RAF fly-past is expected. His funeral was held on Thursday in St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Ludlow and was led by Father Jim Robinson.
Sqn Ldr James, 92, died earlier this month at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.Sqn Ldr James, 92, died earlier this month at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Military historian Howard Tuck, a close friend of the veteran, said Sqn Ldr James had been the country's greatest living war hero. Real life hero
David Blakeway Smith, a friend of Sqn Ldr James for more than 30 years said: "Jimmy is the only real life hero and the single most remarkable person I have ever met."
He said that when he went to collect his friend's death certificate he told the Registrar it should list his occupation as "escaper".
"The idea of escape dominated the whole five years of his captivity," he added.