Allied former prisoners at Stalag Luft III testified that he had followed the Geneva Conventions concerning the treatment of POWs and had won the respect of the senior prisoners. He was repatriated in 1947. He died in 1963 at the age of 82, less than two months before the film The Great Escape was released.

What happened to Colonel von Luger?

Following the escape of numerous prisoners, von Luger was arrested by the SS and taken away by Untersturmführer Steinach. His fate is unknown, although his final words before being driven away implying that he will be executed.

What happened to the prisoners from the Great Escape?

An outraged Hitler had 50 of them shot, an appalling abrogation of the Geneva Convention, to which Germany was a signatory. Twenty-three were reincarcerated. Only three made it all the way to freedom—a Dutchman and two Norwegians, all flyers with the British Royal Air Force.

How much of the Great Escape was true?

The Great Escape plays as much like a heist as a prison break. For the most part, however, it's a broadly accurate retelling of how, in March 1944, 76 POWs tunnelled their way out of Stalag Luft III. According to historian Guy Walters, author of The Real Great Escape, it's the tone that's wrong.

Does Stalag Luft III still exist?

Stalag Luft III was evacuated on 27 January 1945 and the prisoners eventually reached Stalag VII-A. This camp was liberated on 29 april 1945 by the U.S. 14th Armored Division. The camp today: There is not much left of Stalag Luft III, as it was demolished after the war.

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Why was Stalag Luft 3 so nice?

TREATMENT: Because of their status as officers and the fact that their guards were Luftwaffe personnel, the men at Stalag Luft 3 were accorded treatment better than that granted other POWs in Germany. Generally, their captors were correct in their adherence to many of the tenets of the Geneva Convention.

How many actually survived the Great Escape?

Only three men successfully fled to safety—two Norwegians who stowed away on a freighter to Sweden and a Dutchman who made it to Gibraltar by rail and foot. A furious Adolf Hitler personally ordered the execution of 50 of the escapees as a warning to other prisoners.

Why did Colin go blind in The Great Escape?

Blythe realises he is going blind due to progressive myopia, and Hendley takes it upon himself to be Blythe's eyes outside the camp. The POWs complete Harry, but on the night they break to the surface they find themselves 20 feet short of the woods.

What were the mistakes in The Great Escape?

Factual errors

The airmen did not pack overnight bags for their missions. The film shows the executions being carried out by uniformed German troops using a Spandau machine gun. In reality, the executions were done by Gestapo agents who used pistols at close range.

Who was the real great escaper?

The film tells the real story of Royal Navy veteran, Bernard Jordan, who “escaped” from his care home in June 2014 to attend the 70th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

Are any actors from The Great Escape still alive?

John Leyton - John Leyton played the role of Flight Lieutenant William Dickes, a tunnel digger. John Leyton is still alive as of today and is known for his music career as well [3]. Angus Lennie - Angus Lennie portrayed Flying Officer Archibald Ives, a blind prisoner of war.

Were there any Americans in The Great Escape?

And if you've seen the movie, you may think that the story is a British and American story. But it's not. It's a British and Canadian story. There were no Americans in the North Compound at Stalag Luft III near Sagan (now Zagan), Poland, when the mass breakout occurred.

Why did The Great Escape close?

Wyllie Group chief operation officer Todd Morcombe confirmed the park's closure was due to a tenancy issue. "The current operator no longer has the lease, so we are desperately looking to fill that tenancy," he said.

What is the meaning of Stalag Luft?

The German system separated officers from enlisted men and sent them out to the various camps, which were know as Stalag Lufts. These airmen's camps were administered by the German Luftwaffe and the Abwehr.

Who liberated Stalag Luft 3?

Stalag Luft 3

It was the site of the 'Great Escape' in March 1944. By July 1944 it covered 60 acres and housed 2,500 RAF, 7,500 American and 900 other Allied prisoners. It was liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945.

What happened to Stalag Luft IV?

With the Russian and Western Allied forces closing in rapidly, the POWs of Stalag Luft IV crossed the River Elbe on April 21, 1945 near Dahlenburg. On the morning of May 2, 1945 the POWs were all sitting in a ditch next to the River Elbe near Lauenburg, Germany, when the British arrived and liberated the camp.

How many prisoners died in The Great Escape?

The escape enraged the Germans and a directive was issued by Hitler to shoot all of the recaptured men. In the end 50 were killed, an act that horrified the Luftwaffe. Charles said: "The following day [after The Great Escape] we were kept most of the day on the parade ground.

How much of The Great Escaper is true on Wikipedia?

It is based on the true story of 89-year-old British World War II Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan who "broke out" of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France in June 2014.

How many prisoners were executed in The Great Escape?

Adolf Hitler was so incensed by the escape that he ordered the 73 recaptured men executed, and the Nazis eventually settled on killing 50 — all in violation of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of war prisoners.

Who was the highest paid actor in The Great Escape?

Watch the trailer for The Great Escape (1963)

By then, Steve McQueen was the undisputed big name, but he was actually paid $87,500, to James Garner's $150,000. During filming he had become powerful enough to threaten to walk off the project if he wasn't given a bigger role, and he made various other ego-driven demands.

Who was the mole in The Great Escape?

The Great Escape (1963) - Angus Lennie as Ives 'The Mole' - IMDb.

Were The Great Escape prisoners betrayed by their own side?

Had the Great Escapers been betrayed? A newly uncovered document in the National Archives has revealed that Flight Lieutenant Desmond Plunkett, the map-maker and unlucky 13th man out of the camp, believed the Great Escape had been brought down — by its own side.

Did Steve McQueen do the motorcycle jump in The Great Escape?

Ekins, acting as stunt double for Steve McQueen while filming The Great Escape, was the rider who performed what is considered to be one of the most famous motorcycle stunts ever performed in a movie. He was recognized for his stunt work by being inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.

Was Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape real?

They say Steve McQueen's character represented composites of the men involved – and one major inaccuracy is that in fact there was only one American prisoner involved in the escape. Jem explained: 'The classic movie is a strange mixture of fastidious creation and pure Hollywood fantasy.

Did any German Pows escape from Britain?

July 4, 1915 – Gunther Plüschow escaped from a POW camp at Donington Park, Leicestershire, England, and made his way back to Germany. This was the only successful escape from Britain in either world war.