The following 50 Prisoner of War officers were murdered by the Gestapo following their recapture after having escaped through tunnel "Harry". In all 76 men broke out and Hitler ordered them all to be found and shot, but he was persuaded by Hermann Goering to reduce this number of deaths to 50; otherwise their guilt in the murder of Prisoners of War would be impossible to conceal. The deaths, without any heed to elaborative details, were each simply explained away as shot "while attemping to re-escape".
The Fifty
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Flying Officer Henry J. Birkland Born: 16th August 1917 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 72 Squadron, RAF Service No.: J/5233 POW No.: 689 Recaptured: near Sagan, transferred to Görlitz Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant E. Gordon Brettell DFC Born: 19th March 1915 Nationality: British Unit: 133 Squadron, RAF Service No: 61053 POW No.: 760 Recaptured: Schneidemühl Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Lester J. Bull DFC Born: 7th November 1916 Nationality: British Unit: 109 Squadron, RAF Service No: 43932 POW No.: 667 Recaptured: near Reichenberg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Squadron Leader Roger J. Bushell Born: 30th November 1910, South Africa Nationality: British Unit: 92 Squadron, RAF Service No: 90120 POW No.: 621 Recaptured: Saarbrücken Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Michael J. Casey Born: 19th February 1918 Nationality: British Unit: 57 Squadron, RAF Service No: 39024 POW No.: 24 Recaptured: near Görlitz Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Squadron Leader James Catanach DFC Born: 28th November 1921 Nationality: Australian Unit: 455 Squadron, (RAAF) Service No: 400364 POW No.: 702 Recaptured: Flensburg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Arnold G. Christiensen Born: 8th April 1922 Nationality: New Zealander Unit: 26 Squadron, RAF Service No: 413380 POW No.: 676 Recaptured: Flensburg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Dennis H. Cochran Born: 13th August 1921 Nationality: British Unit: 10 OTU, RAF Service No: 122441 POW No.: 727 Recaptured: Lörrach Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Squadron Leader Ian E. K. P. Cross DFC Born: 4th April 1918 Nationality: British Unit: 103 Squadron, RAF Service No: 39305 POW No.: 2 Recaptured: Görlitz Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Lieutenant Hallada Espelid Born: 6th October 1920 Nationality: Norwegian Unit: 33 Squadron, RAF Service No: 378 POW No.: 634 Recaptured: Flensburg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Brian H. Evans Born: 14th February 1920 Nationality: British Unit: 49 Squadron, RAF Service No: 42745 POW No.: 456 Recaptured: Halbau Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Lieutenant Nils Fuglesang Nationality: Norwegian Unit: 339 Squadron, RAF Service No: 742 POW No.: 1264 Recaptured: Flensburg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Lieutenant Johannes S. Gouws Born: 13th August 1919 Nationality: South African Unit: 40 Squadron, (SAAF) Service No: 103275 POW No.: 118 Recaptured: Lindau Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant William J. Grisman Born: 30th August 1914 Nationality: British Unit: 109 Squadron, RAF Service No: 45148 POW No.: 673 Recaptured: Görlitz Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Alastair D. M. Gunn Born: 27th September 1919 Nationality: British Unit: 1 PRU, RAF Service No: 60340 POW No.: 5 Recaptured: near Görlitz Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Albert H. Hake Born: 30th June 1916 Nationality: Australian Unit: 72 Squadron, RAF Service No: 403281 POW No.: 6 Recaptured: near Görlitz Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Charles P. Hall Born: 25th July 1918 Nationality: British Unit: 1 TRU, RAF Service No: 50896 POW No.: 1423 Recaptured: near Sagan Died: 30th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Anthony R. H. Hayter Born: 20th May 1920 Nationality: British Unit: 148 Squadron, RAF Service No: 42124 POW No.: 199 Recaptured: near Mulhouse Died: 6th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Edgar S. Humphreys Born: 5th December 1914 Nationality: British Unit: 107 Squadron, RAF Service No: 44177 POW No.: 406 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Gordon A. Kidder Born: 9th December 1914 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 156 Squadron, RAF Service No: J/10177 POW No.: 42822 Recaptured: near Zlfn Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Reginald V. Kierath Born: 20th February 1915 Nationality: Australian Unit: 450 Squadron, (RAAF) Service No: 402364 POW No.: 1268 Recaptured: near Reichenberg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Antoni Kiewnarski Born: 26th January 1899 Nationality: Polish Unit: 305 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0109 POW No.: 42801 Recaptured: Hirschberg Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Squadron Leader Thomas G. Kirby-Green Born: 28th February 1918 Nationality: British Unit: 40 Squadron, RAF Service No: 39103 POW No.: 652 Recaptured: near Zlfn Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer A. Wlodzimierz Kolanowski Born: 11th August 1913 Nationality: Polish Unit: 301 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0243 POW No.: 678 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Stanislaw Z. Krol Born: 22nd March 1916 Nationality: Polish Unit: 74 Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0237 POW No.: 1392 Recaptured: Oels Last seen alive: 12th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Patrick W. Langford Born: 4th November 1919 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 16 OTU, RAF Service No: C/1631 POW No.: 710 Recaptured: near Görlitz Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Thomas B. Leigh Born: 21st February 1915 Nationality: British Unit: 76 Squadron, RAF Service No: 46462 POW No.: 63 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 12th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant James L. R. "Cookie" Long Born: 21st February 1915 Nationality: British Unit: 9 Squadron, RAF Service No: 89375 POW No.: 522 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 12th April 1944 |
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Lieutenant Clement A. N. McGarr Born: 24th November 1917 Nationality: South African Unit: 2 Squadron, (SAAF) Service No: 95691 POW No.: 655 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant George E. McGill Born: 14th April 1918 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 103 Squadron, RAF Service No: J.5312 POW No.: 1431 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Romas Marcinkus Born: 22nd July 1910 Nationality: Lithuanian Unit: 1 Squadron, RAF Service No: 89580 POW No.: 19 Recaptured: Schneidemühl Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Harold J. Milford Born: 16th August 1914 Nationality: British Unit: 266 Squadron, RAF Service No: 103586 POW No.: 715 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
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Flying Officer Jerzy T. Mondschein Born: 18th March 1909 Nationality: Polish Unit: 304 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0913 POW No.: 680 Recaptured: near Reichenberg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Kazimierz Pawluk Born: 1st August 1906 Nationality: Polish Unit: 305 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0740 POW No.: 23 Recaptured: Hirschberg Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Henri A. Picard Born: 17th April 1916 Nationality: Belgian Unit: 350 (Belgian) Squadron, RAF Service No: 87693 POW No.: 685 Recaptured: Schneidemühl Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer John Porokoru Patapu Pohé Born: 10th December 1914 Nationality: New Zealander Unit: 51 Squadron, RAF Service No: 402894 POW No.: 2433 Recaptured: near Görlitz Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Lieutenant Bernard W. M. Scheidhauer Born: 28th August 1921 Nationality: French Unit: 131 Squadron, RAF Service No: 30649 POW No.: 832 Recaptured: Saarbrücken Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Pilot Officer Sotiris Skanzikas Born: 6th August 1921 Nationality: Greek Unit: 336 (RHAF) Squadron, RAF Service No: 213 POW No.: 1822 Recaptured: Hirschberg Died: 30th March 1944 |
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Lieutenant Rupert J. Stevens Born: 21st February 1919 Nationality: South African Unit: 12 Squadron (SAAF) Service No: 47431 POW No.: 712 Recaptured: Rosenheim Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Robert C. Stewart Born: 7th July 1911 Nationality: British Unit: 77 Squadron, RAF Service No: 130452 POW No.: 1279 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flying Officer John G. Stower Born: 15th September 1916 Nationality: British Unit: 142 Squadron, RAF Service No: 107520 POW No.: 836 Recaptured: Reichenberg Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Denys O. Street Born: 1st April 1922 Nationality: British Unit: 207 Squadron, RAF Service No: 123026 POW No.: 992 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Cyril D. Swain Born: 15th December 1911 Nationality: British Unit: 105 Squadron, RAF Service No: 37658 POW No.: 388 Recaptured: near Görlitz Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flying Officer Pawel Tobolski Born: 21st March 1906 Nationality: Polish Unit: 301 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Service No: P.0375 POW No.: 300 Recaptured: Stettin Last seen alive: 2nd April 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Ernest Valenta Born: 25th December 1912 Nationality: Czechoslovakian Unit: 311 (Czech) Squadron, RAF Service No: 82532 POW No.: 415 Recaptured: near Görlitz Last seen alive: 31st March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant Gilbert W. Walenn Born: 24th February 1916 Nationality: British Unit: 25 OTU, RAF Service No: 73022 POW No.: 3776 Recaptured: Schneidemühl Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant James C. Wernham Born: 15th January 1917 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 405 Squadron, (RCAF) Service No: J/6144 POW No.: 564 Recaptured: Hirschberg Died: 30th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant George W. Wiley Born: 24th January 1922 Nationality: Canadian Unit: 112 Squadron, RAF Service No: J/7234 POW No.: 930 Recaptured: near Görlitz Died: 31st March 1944 |
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Squadron Leader John E. A. Williams DFC Born: 6th May 1919 Nationality: Australian Unit: 450 Squadron, (RAAF) Service No: 40652 POW No.: 838 Recaptured: Reichenberg Died: 29th March 1944 |
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Flight Lieutenant John F. Williams Born: 7th July 1917 Nationality: British Unit: 107 Squadron, RAF Service No: 106173 POW No.: 216 Recaptured: near Sagan Last seen alive: 6th April 1944 |
