In 1943 work had begun on 'Harry', the tunnel that allowed over 70 men to escape from the German POW camp, 'Stalag III', during World War II.
This is a fascinating look at a tunnel that was built in an "escape proof" German POW Camp, a tunnel which allowed 76 Allied POWs to escape. Check it out. Run your cursor over each number # 1-16 and it will tell you about it. Then click on the word "NEXT" in the corner of the same site window and the story will unfold.
http://www.kerman94.com/tunnelharry.html
This is fantastic! I just cannot imagine what it must have been like. Growing up I heard so many horror tales about these camps. My fathers' friends weren't too careful about little ears and held nothing back when describing what they saw and experienced in Germany or the South Pacific. Sometimes I would just get sick and have to leave the room. Maybe that is why I detest war and the thought of war so now. I still do not understand our mission in Iraq and I do not think I ever will.
WOW..... this is AMAZING!
As I was reading about that and going along their map( I did some more research on it too) I have to tell you that my heart was beating so fast at the thought of what they had to do in silence, so as to not get caught. Can you imagine how scary and stressful it would be to dig and plan for 11 months..not knowing that each day when they came up from the hole from digging your enemy;s guards might be waiting there for you? The preserverence and hard work plus the not knowing if they would make it makes me sick to my stomach. I can't imagine how they felt. And I'm sure that they worked on very little or no food.
Wow... unbelievable.
There was a similar Great Escape, German Style, from a German prisoner of war camp in Arizona.
They tunneled only about 200 feet and 25 escaped. All were recaptured.
Wasn't the movie, "The Great Escape", based on this? I enjoyed the movie but didn't realize it was based on a true story. I just noticed that many of the things they did was true Yankee ingenuity.
How many are aware we had a German prison camp at Cawker City Ks during WWII ? There are a few remains of cement floors at the site, but not much else. We used to go up there to hunt and fish.
I did not know there was one in Kansas.
Wilma,
The British were quite miffed about the movie the Great Escape when it was released because it was most, if not all, a British engineered effort.
There were a few American diggers, but the Americans had been moved to another compound when the escape took place.
that was really interesting. Must admit, tho, that as I was reading I "visualized" the actors in the movie "The Great Escape"