Stalag Luft III Williams, the book "Stolen Journey" by Philpot and the 1950 film "The Wooden Horse". There had been escape attempts (one of which inspired the film "The Wooden Horse") and many tunnels had been started and discovered before completion. In March 1943, Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for a mass escape from the North Compound, which took place on the night of 24/25 March 1944. He was being held with the other British and Commonwealth airmen and he was in command of the Escape Committee that managed all escape opportunities from the north compound. Falling back
Darr H. Alkire Stalag Luft III. When the West Compound at Stalag Luft III opened on April 27, 1944, Alkire was made the senior officer in command until liberation in April 1945. Both a book and a movie were made about the Great Escape by prisoners in the North Compound of Stalag Luft III during Alkire's internment. The USAAF filmed the "Lurchin Urchin" B-24 Liberator on the mission in which Colonel Alkire was shot down. On February 14, 1944 the B-24's in the 449th had a large "Bar A" painted on their tail in his honor. In 1929, Alkire took a three month