Williams, Kierath Bull and Mondshein were also recaptured by a German mountain patrol near the border, taken to Reichenberg jail and interrogated by the Gestapo. The Germans had already initiated a national alert, which resulted in the capture of many groups of prisoners within a short time after the escape, especially those who were on foot. The four airmen began walking in the direction of Harrachov and tried to cross the snow covered Giant Mountains to reach Czechoslovakia, walking the last 20 kilometres or so in waist deep snow drifts. The clerk behind the counter was somewhat suspicious of the group, but Jerzy’s nerve held and the group successfully boarded the train heading south toward Boberröhrsdorf, at the Czechoslovakian border.Īfter leaving the Boberröhrsdorf,train station, the group divided, leaving Williams, Kierath, Bull and Mondschein together to continue on foot. This is the true story of four of those brave airmen, included in the 100 selected to take part in this bold escape to freedom…Īfter escaping from the camp Squadron Leader John Edwin Ashley Williams DFC, RAF Flight Lieutenant Reginald Victor Kierath, RAAF Flight Lieutenant Leslie George Bull, DFC, 109 Squadron RAF and Flight Officer Jerzy Mondschein, 304 (Polish) Squadron RAF, joined up with a group of eight other airmen and started to walk in an easterly direction to a small train station in Tschiebsdorf, Poland, disguised as foreign workers on leave.Īt about 4am, they finally reached the train station where Jerzy Mondschein with his flawless German, was to buy twelve train tickets to Boberröhrsdorf, Germany near Jelenia Gora, Poland. Finally 76 prisoners made it through the tunnel and into the surrounding forest. Initially the plan was to include about 200 prisoners in the escape but on the night in question this was reduced to 100 due to freezing temperatures snow an air raid and a collapsing tunnel. In the process of digging, 'Tom' was detected by the Germans and blown up, and 'Dick' was stopped as a new part of the camp was to be built over it, and its exit. The tunnels were known as Tom, Dick and Harry. This escape involved the simultaneous digging of three tunnels in the hope that at least one would not be detected by the Germans. It was the night of a major prison escape. The 24/25 March 1944 was a momentous night for those hundreds, incarcerated in Stalag Luft III, a German Prisoner of War camp for air force officers located at Zagań, Poland.
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