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The Great(est) Escape?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Sunday, 12th June 2011

  Not the Steve McQueen one, also based upon real events of 76 escapees from Stalag Luft III (?) during March 1944, but another real, and larger, escape of c.2000 Allied troops (out of 10,000 British dropped into Arnhem alone) later that year in late September.
  
  These troops were British, the theatre of war was at Arnhem, The Netherlands, after the huge but doomed Anglo-Polish-American operation Market Garden, in which allied Para's were to secure a series of bridges for the British armoured XXX Corps to smash through and secure the ultimate town of Arnhem (held by 1st British Para), thus opening the way to Nazi Germany's Ruhr industrial heartland.
  
  As we know, it failed, partly as the Anglo-Poles were dropped onto two SS Panzer units recovering from Normandy and, as the allies lost their grip of the town, the British were exfiltrated with the co-operation of the Dutch resistance and MI9.
  The original plan had been to supply forged ID papers etc but, as the numbers were too high, Hugh Fraser of MI9 (and Belgian 5 SAS having been assigned to V1 missile hunting in the region) came up with Operation Pegasus to exfil the British survivors through woods etc at night.
  
  Fraser himself waited anxiously for the men to swim to freedom. As shown in the film 'A Bridge too Far' (1977) men ditched their weapons and any kit weighing them down, and swam the river to safety.
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by PaulRyckier (U1753522) on Sunday, 12th June 2011

  Some information from wikipedia:
  
  Regards, Paul.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Monday, 13th June 2011

  Cheers, Paul. The 1977 Attenborough film obviously condensed events somewhat?

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Monday, 13th June 2011

  Paul
  Ever read Hackett's book on his escape, "I was a stranger"? How about Leo Heaps "Grey Goose of Arnhem"? Both worth it if you haven't.

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