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Delousing Break
The Delousing break was a mass escape attempt by allied aircrew officers of British and American nationalities who were held as prisoners of war during the Second World War. It occurred on 12 June 1943 from the North Compound of Stalag Luft III POW Camp in Germany. Main Party The plan was masterminded by Squadron Leader Roger Bushell RAF, who also organized the Great Escape from the same camp. Twenty-four officers, escorted by two fake guards (Allied POWs disguised as Germans), left the camp through the main gate to proceed to the neighbouring compound to be deloused. All twenty-six escapees were recaptured, many within hours. Twenty-four of them were returned to the camp, but Flight Lieutenant Lorne Welch and Pilot Officer Walter Morison were sent to Oflag IV-C at Colditz for attempting to steal an aircraft. Flying Officer Henry Birkland RCAF and Flight Lieutenant John Stower also took part in this escape attempt; both were later murdered following the Great Escape ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Model Stalag Luft III
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models can be divided into physical models (e.g. a model plane) and abstract models (e.g. mathematical expressions describing behavioural patterns). Abstract or conceptual models are central to philosophy of science, as almost every scientific theory effectively embeds some kind of model of the physical or human sphere. In commerce, "model" can refer to a specific design of a product as displayed in a catalogue or show room (e.g. Ford Model T), and by extension to the sold product itself. Types of models include: Physical model A physical model (most commonly referred to simply as a model but in this context distinguished from a conceptual model) is a smaller or larger physical copy of an object. The object being modelled may be small ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to by its location at Colditz Castle, overlooking Colditz, Saxony, was one of the most noted German Army prisoner-of-war camps for captured enemy officers during World War II; ''Oflag'' is a shortening of ''Offizierslager'', meaning "officers' camp". Colditz Castle This thousand-year-old fortress was in the heart of Hitler's Reich, from any frontier not under Nazi control. Its outer walls were seven feet (two metres) thick and the cliff on which it was built had a sheer drop of two hundred and fifty feet (75metres) to the River Mulde below. Timeline The first prisoners arrived in November 1939; they were 140 Polish officers from the September Campaign who were regarded as escape risks. Most of them were later transferred to other Oflags. In October 1940, Donald Middleton, Keith Milne, and Howard Wardle (a Canadian who joined the RAF just before the war) became the first British prisoners at Colditz. On 7November, six British officers, the " Lauf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
POW Escapes And Rescues During World War II
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war in custody for a range of legitimate and illegitimate reasons, such as isolating them from the enemy combatants still in the field (releasing and Repatriation, repatriating them in an orderly manner after hostilities), demonstrating military victory, punishing them, prosecuting them for war crimes, exploitation of labour, exploiting them for their labour, recruiting or even Conscription, conscripting them as their own combatants, collecting military and political intelligence from them, or Indoctrination, indoctrinating them in new political or religious beliefs. Ancient times For most of human history, depending on the culture of the victors, enemy fighters on the losing side in a battle who had surrendered and been taken as prisoners ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Stanford Tuck
Wing Commander Robert Roland Stanford Tuck, (1 July 1916 – 5 May 1987) was a British fighter pilot, flying ace and test pilot. Tuck joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and first engaged in combat during the Battle of France, over Dunkirk, claiming his first victories. In September 1940 he was promoted to squadron leader and commanded a Hawker Hurricane squadron. In 1941–1942, Tuck participated in fighter sweeps over northern France. On 28 January 1942, he was hit by anti-aircraft fire, was forced to land in France, and was taken prisoner. At the time of his capture, Tuck had claimed 29 enemy aircraft destroyed, two shared destroyed, six probably destroyed, six damaged and one shared damaged. Early years Tuck was born in Catford, southeast London. After a less-than-stellar school career he left St Dunstan's College, Catford in 1932 to join the Merchant Navy as a sea cadet (seaman's Discharge Number R112769) aboard the SS ''Marconi'' from 19 May 1933 before joining the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical British influence, including many Commonwealth countries but not including Canada (since Unification) and South Africa. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. It ranks immediately above squadron leader and immediately below group captain. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-4. It is equivalent to commander in the Royal and United States Navies, as well as to lieutenant colonel in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the United States Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and the Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and in Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (unti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bram Van Der Stok
Bram van der Stok, (13 October 1915 – 8 February 1993), also known as Bob van der Stok, was a World War II fighter pilot and flying ace, and is the most decorated aviator in Dutch history. In March 1944, he broke out of Stalag Luft III – a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany – during the mass break-out known as " The Great Escape". After crossing much of occupied Europe, to reach neutral Spain, Van der Stok became one of only three out of the 76 escapees to reach Britain, along with two Norwegians, Per Bergsland and Jens Müller (who together managed to reach neutral Sweden). Early years Van der Stok spent his childhood between Sumatra, the Netherlands, and the Dutch West Indies, where his father was employed with Shell Petroleum. After finishing his primary education at the Lyceum Alpinum in Switzerland, he studied Medicine at Leiden University with the intention of pursuing a career as a physician. While at Leiden he was an enthusiastic sportsman with a parti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Stower (Great Escaper)
John G. Stower (1791 Madison, Madison County, New York – December 20, 1850 in Chittenango, Madison Co., NY) was an American lawyer and politician from New York and Florida. From 1827 to 1829, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Life He married Harriet (1795–1823), and they had several children. In 1817, he began publishing the ''Hamilton Recorder'' with P. B. Havens. He was Surrogate of Madison County from 1821 to 1827. On September 2, 1824, he married Amelia Kellogg (1804–1882), and their only child died in infancy. Congress Stower was elected as a Jacksonian to the 20th United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1829. On April 20, 1829, Stower received a recess appointment from President Andrew Jackson as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and took up his duties at Key West, Florida. He resigned in March 1830, before the U.S. Senate took a vote on the nomination. Later career and death He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RCAF
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and chief of the Air Force Staff. The Royal Canadian Air Force is responsible for all aircraft operations of the Canadian Forces, enforcing the security of Canada's airspace and providing aircraft to support the missions of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army. The RCAF is a partner with the United States Air Force in protecting continental airspace under the North American Aer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Birkland
Henry Birkland (16 August 1917 – 31 March 1944), was a Canadian Spitfire pilot who was taken prisoner during the Second World War. He took part in the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III in March 1944, but was one of the men re-captured and murdered by the ''Gestapo''. Early life Birkland was born in Caldwell, Manitoba, Canada and educated in Calgary. He worked as a packer for the Burns Co. in 1937–38, as a truck driver for a gas company in the middle of 1938, briefly as a dishwasher and then a gold miner at Gold Belt mining company in British Columbia for the year until May 1940. War service Birkland enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1940 as an aircrew candidate. Following basic training Birkland was promoted to leading aircraftman and posted for flying training to No.11 Elementary Flying Training School RCAF. Graduating in January 1941 he transferred to No.9 Service Flying Training School. As a fully qualified pilot he was promoted sergeant on 26 April 194 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colditz
Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the city of Leipzig. The town centre is located on the banks of Zwickau Mulde river, south of its confluence with the Freiberg Mulde. The municipality had a population of 8,374 in 2020. The town Colditz consists of Colditz proper and the ''Ortsteile'' (divisions) Bockwitz, Collmen, Commichau, Erlbach, Erlln, Hausdorf, Hohnbach, Kaltenborn, Koltzschen, Lastau, Leisenau, Maaschwitz, Meuselwitz, Möseln, Podelwitz, Raschütz, Schönbach, Sermuth, Skoplau, Tanndorf, Terpitzsch, Zollwitz, Zschadraß, Zschetzsch and Zschirla. History The first record of a burgward on the Mulde river, called ''Cholidistcha'', dates to the year 1046, when Emperor Henry III dedicated it to his consort Agnes of Poitou. The name is possibly of Slavic origin. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Morison
Flight Lieutenant Walter McDonald Morison (26 November 1919 – 26 March 2009) was a Royal Air Force pilot who became a prisoner of war and was sent to Colditz for attempting to steal an enemy aircraft during the Second World War. Early life He was born at Beckenham, Kent. While in his first year at Trinity College, Cambridge, the Second World War began; he volunteered the same day. Royal Air Force service Morison joined the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of war in September 1939, and was trained as a pilot (he already knew how to fly a glider). He was commissioned as a pilot officer on 30 November 1940 and assigned to No. 241 Squadron, flying Westland Lysanders. He was soon transferred to a training unit as an instructor, before joining No. 103 Squadron in May 1942. On the night of 5/6 June 1942, while flying a Wellington bomber on his third mission and the first as captain, he was hit by another Wellington X3339 from 156 Squadron, piloted by Sgt Guy Chamberlin RAFVR. He w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
