4 great prison escapes from WWII
Various inspirational prison escapes occurred during WWII, and we're going to be looking at some noteworthy escapes from Allied prisoners.
Image: A plaque marking the location of the 'Harry' tunnel, used during 'The Great Escape, at Stalag Luft III | Rob Atherton / Shutterstock.com
From both sides of the war and all around the world, captured soldiers, sailors and airmen dared the impossible to win their freedom. Greatest Escapes of WWII, starting Tuesday, 29th April on Sky HISTORY,tells the stories of the war's most incredible escapes.
World War II was a time of great despair, but it has also led to plenty of inspirational stories of survival and perseverance. Some particularly incredible World War II stories revolve around prison escapes.
These true stories tell the tale of bravery and resilience in the face of captivity. They are not only incredible stories to tell, but they are stories that remain in our hearts and minds today.
Prison escape stories highlight the indomitable nature of the human condition while also offering a glimmer of hope within the dark time that was World War II.
With this in mind, we’re going to be looking at five particularly memorable escapes from prisons during World War II.
1. Colditz Escape – 5th January 1942
Colditz Castle – also known by the name Oflag IV-C – was a prisoner of war camp often used for Allied prisoners of war during World War II. Several escape attempts were made, including an escape from Airey Neave. Neave was a British Royal Artillery Officer who would go on to have a significant role in the Nuremberg Trials.
Neave was captured after escaping from another prison called Stalag XX-A Thorn in German occupied Poland. He became an inmate at Colditz in May 1941.
Neave made his escape on 5th January 1942, alongside Dutch officer Anthony Luteyn. The two did so by creating their own fake German uniforms and, during a theatrical production, quickly leaving via a trap door under the stage. Neave was the very first British officer to successfully escape Colditz.
2. Warburg Wire Job – 30th August 1942
The Warburg Wire Job – or “Operation Olympia” – was a mass escape attempt from prison Oflag VI-B. The escape plan was in the works for months and saw inmates going over the fence rather than under it.
The escape attempt began when RAOC officer Major B.D Skelton Ginn fused the perimeter floodlights. When he did so, 41 prisoners emerged with four 12 foot tall scaling ladders made from bed slats. They rushed the fence and used the ladders to climb over.
Unfortunately, this plan was not hugely successful. One of the ladders fell apart, so only 28 of the 41 prisoners escaped. From those 28, only three managed to get home alive. The escape was inspirational nonetheless, as it highlights the incredible teamwork and determination of those involved.
3. The Wooden Horse Escape – 29th October 1943
The Wooden Horse Escape occurred at the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp. It was enacted by British Royal Air Force officers Michael Codner, Oliver Philpot and Eric Williams.
The prisoners built a three-foot-tall wooden gymnastic vaulting horse. Each day, they would carry the horse out to the same spot close to the perimeter fence. Two of the men hid within the horse, and a third inmate began digging a tunnel. As this happened, the other prisoners used the wooden horse to do vaulting exercises to avoid suspicion.
It took three months for the prisoners to dig a 30-foot tunnel that led outside the camp. All three men crawled through on 29th October 1943, successfully escaping into the woods and eventually making their way home to Britain.
4. The Great Escape – 24th March 1944
The Great Escape is arguably the most famous prison escape of all time. The 1963 film was highly fictionalised, as the real story was much more tragic. However, it is truly an inspiring story of determination in the face of unimaginable odds.
The plan was for a mass escape of around 200 inmates who would leave the prison via underground tunnels. The tunnels – labelled 'Tom', 'Dick', and 'Harry' – were dug by the prisoners 30 feet underground. They were built with stolen materials and used bed slats as supports.
The actual escape did not go as planned. The 'Tom' tunnel was discovered by the Germans, while 'Dick' was abandoned. 'Harry' was the only tunnel used for the escape. Tunnel collapses caused delays on the night of the escape, leading to only 76 of the 200 men getting out of the prison.
Within a few days, 73 of the 76 escapees were recaptured. 50 of these men were executed at Hitler’s orders, while the other 23 returned to Stalag Luft III. From the 200 inmates, only three escaped and made their way to freedom.
The Great Escape might not have been a success, but even today, it is remembered as a testament to the unwavering human spirit.
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