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| Funeral of 'Great Escape' veteran | Funeral of 'Great Escape' veteran |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| The funeral of a veteran who took part in the prison breakout immortalised in the film The Great Escape has taken place in Shropshire. | 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 was held on Thursday in St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Ludlow and was led by Father Jim Robinson. | 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. |
| 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." | 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". | 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. | "The idea of escape dominated the whole five years of his captivity," he added. |