Stalag Luft III it as a longer third-person narrative under the title "The Wooden Horse", which was filmed as "The Wooden Horse" in 1950. He included many details omitted in his first book, but changed his name to "Peter Howard", Michael Codner to "John Clinton" and Oliver Philpot to "Philip Rowe". Williams also wrote a prequel, "The Tunnel", an extended study of the mentalities of life as a prisoner of war. Although not an escape novel, it shows the profound urge to escape, and explores the ways that camp life affected men's emotions. Paul Brickhill was an Australian-born Spitfire pilot, shot down in
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