WONZ 303 – The Great Escape 80th Anniversary

[Dave Homewood]

WONZ 303 – The Great Escape 80th Anniversary is now online. In this episode Dave Homewood marks the 80th Anniversary of The Great Escape by talking with Larry Hill, Andy White and Tony Hoskins.
The Great Escape is the name given to a breakout of Allied prisoners from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III, at Sagan, West Silesia in Germany, on the night of the 24th-25th of March 1944.

A total of 76 prisoners, all members of the Royal Air Force and Allied Air Forces, managed to escape through a tunnel before the tunnel entrance was discovered by a German guard. Over the next few weeks 73 of the escapees were rounded up and recaptured after a massive manhunt. Three escaped.

And of those recaptured, the Gestapo murdered 50 of the airmen, upon Hitler’s orders. Three New Zealanders were among the murdered airmen, and other Kiwis were involved in the escape. They're all discussed here.

Andy and Tony give a great background to the prisoner of war camp and the escape. And Larry tells some stories of the New Zealanders involved that he knew personally.

cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2024/03/wonz-303-the-great-escape-80th-anniversary/

[Dave Homewood]

I just discovered another New Zealander who was in Stalag Luft III at the time of the escape. This from the New Zealand Herald, 31 May 1944. It would be really interesting to read his report.

[Antonio]

This from AWMM - Link:  www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/196938


"John Grocott is my Great Uncle from Cheam Surrey who emigrated to New Zealand & came back to the UK to fight at the start of WW2. His rank was Flight Lieutenant Air Gunner in Avro Ansons. He was shot down over the the Norwegian Coast & captured by a German U boat a very unusual event. He went on a full tour of Ops to the Atlantic & returned to Germany where he was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 111 famous for the Great Escape where 47 RAF & Allied Officers were shot & Killed. Douglas Bader was also a prisoner there for a short while.

John was granted early repatriation at the age of 44 & returned to the UK where he greatly assisted our Government Services with information about Nazi Germany.

He then returned to Auckland New Zealand after the War.

John came to stay with us in the UK in the 60s for a month.

He subsequently passed away in 1976.

A lovely brave man."

Written by Geoffrey - a direct descendanr

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Antonio.

[errolmartyn]

Some more about Grocott and another New Zealander, both of whom became PoW when their Whitley came down in the Atlantic, via research by Colin Hanson, Ross Macneil and myself.

Tue 26 Aug 1941
Coastal Command – 612 Squadron, RAF (Wick, Caithness – 18 Group)
Whitley V Z6086 WL-W – took off at 0815
MILLAR, Warrant Officer Patrick Henry.
NZ401210; Born Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland, 7 Jan 1911. RNZAF 7 May 1940 to 9 Dec 1945. Navigator. Forced down 26 Aug 1941 with 612 Sqn RAF (Whitley) during an Atlantic patrol. Safe UK 9 Apr 1945. On 26 August 1941 W/O Millar's aircraft suffered engine failure when 300 miles west of Scotland forcing them to ditch. No one was injured in the ditching and the crew safely scrambled into the two aircraft dinghies. In the rush to abandon the sinking aircraft the emergency rations were forgotten so W/O Millar swam back and secured them before the aircraft sank. Eight hours later just as hopes of rescue were fading with the approach of darkness and rising seas the crew sighted what appeared to be a small vessel and fired a Very light. They were dismayed when the vessel turned out to be a German submarine. They were picked up, interrogated by the Captain and sent below. They remained on board for the next fortnight confined for most of the time in the forward torpedo room. No ships were sighted during the U-boat patrol or on the return journey to St Nazaire but there were several crash-dives on account of aircraft. At the closing stages of the war W/O Millar, and many others, were forced-marched in the face of the advancing Russian forces suffering many hardships.

AND (same aircraft)
GROCOTT, Flight Lieutenant John.
RAF76905. NZ2383 then 133313. Born Nantwich, Cheshire, England, 20 Apr 1900 – to NZ 1920; RAF 30 Dec 1939 to 31 Dec 1943. RNZAF 1 Jan 1944 to 18 Dec 1946. RNZAF Reserve to 3 Oct 1958. WOAG. Ditched in the Atlantic 26 Aug 1941 with 612 Sqn RAF (Whitley) having flown 58 sorties. Rescued by a German U-boat. PoW #3806 - Dulag Luft; Oflag 6B. Repatriated to UK 28 May 1944. Flt Lt Grocott had begun pilot training with the RAF during WW I but was still undergoing ground training when the Armistice was declared, and did not get to fly.

During his research into this incident the late Arthur (Digger) Arculus was in contact with the son of the U-Boat captain.

Errol