By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The last of a group of airmen who were involved in the greatest ever escape bid from a German prison in World War II – immortalised in the Hollywood film “Great Escape” – is no more.
Former Royal Air Force pilot Jack Harrison, 97, passed away in the veterans’ hospital at Erskine, in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
A hospital spokesperson said: “Harrison, thought to be the last survivor of the escape, passed away with his son, Chris, and daughter, Jane, by his side.”
It was 68 years ago, in November 1942, when Harrison flew on his first mission to bomb German supply ships at the Dutch port of Den Helder, when his Lockheed Ventura was shot down.
He was captured and arrived later that month at Stalag Luft III, that expands to Stammlager der Luftwaffe III – meaning a camp for airmen – established at Sagan, in what is now Poland and 160 km southeast of Berlin.
Within a year, Harrison was part of a group of airmen which planned to escape from the prison. He acted as a “runner” for Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who was played by Richard Attenborough in the film.
Bushell was the mastermind behind the digging of the three escape tunnels, which were started in April 1943 and codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry. His plan was to dig down to a depth of 30 feet and then tunnel on three fronts towards the perimeter of the camp and into the woods beyond.
It was hoped that on the night of the escape – March 24, 1944 – around 200 prisoners would go through Harry to the outside.
Harrison was prisoner number 96 — his place in the escape queue — and waited in hut 104 to take his turn. He was dressed as a civilian engineer, with fake papers to prove it, when he heard gunfire from outside.
Harrison once recalled: “The 77th prisoner was escaping when I heard the shots. I was 96th in line and I was ready to go into the tunnel. I had my kit, false ID, railway passes and German money. But unfortunately, “Harry” had fallen 30 feet short of the wire surrounding the camp. Only 76 men had emerged before a guard, who had gone to the woods to relieve himself, raised the alarm. We heard a rifle shot and it was all over. I quickly burned the forged documentation in the stove and changed out of the civilian clothing.”
Of the 76 who made it out of the tunnel, only three – two Norwegians and a Dutchman – eventually made it home. Hitler ordered the rest of them to be shot, but some of them, including Harrison, were eventually spared.
He was released when the Russians marched into the camp. A Latin and classics’ teacher before the war, Harrison returned to the post after the war before moving on to the Isle of Bute in Scotland in 1958 where he took up a post as director of education. He married Jean, his school sweetheart.