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Bertram "Jimmy" James, R.I.P.
Being an old coot, I often peruse the obits as I look for the SoDuKo puzzle. This a.m., I came across an obit for a true hero. I do not have any faith that the media will give it any notice, so I thought I could at least mention it here.
A funeral service was held Thursday for Bertram "Jimmy" James, one of the few British prisoners to avoid being executed for joining in the "great Escape" from a German prison in WWII.
James, 92 years old, died in Shrewsbury following a brief illness.
He was a Wellington bomber pilot when shot down near Rotterdam in 1940. Captured the next day, he went on to spend five years as a POW despite thirteen escape attempts. He once commented, "attempting to escape was our contribution to the war effort."
At Stalag Luft III, he was put in charge of dispersing some 40 tons of sand from a tunnel.
On March 24, 1944, James was the 39th man to escape. He, and a Greek companion made it to a railway station, but were recaptured two days later.
All but three of the 76 escapees were recaptured, and 50 were shot.
After being caught, James was one of eight sent to the Sachsenhaausen camp. James, never giving up, went on to escape from that prison in 1944, and was recaptured two weeks later.
R.I.P Jimmy.
PS.......if you are wondering who the actual prisoner that the Steve MQueen role was modeled on, these are Jimmy's words regarding the movie:
"A lot was Hollywood fantasy. There were no Americans in the escape."
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