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#The great escape movie
Why then, in contrast to the movie versions of the camps, was escaping a minority activity? Although everybody wanted to be back home, only a third actually wished to mount escape attempts, according to the legendary escaper Jimmy Jones.
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It is tempting to suppose that many PoWs would have wished to escape, but surprisingly it appears that most had no desire to do so whatsoever. Even in a time far less sensitive to such matters, reports made by inspectors from the Red Cross showed that many prisoners suffered from mental health issues engendered by a sense of failure, boredom, captivity and claustrophobia. Food was minimal and largely unpleasant – a German dish called ‘fish cheese’ was particularly loathed – and conditions in the huts grew increasingly cramped and unhygienic as more prisoners inevitably entered the camp during the later stages of the war. Camps such as Stalag Luft III – which was established by no less a figure than the head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, to incarcerate downed Allied air force officers – were tough places.
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It made not an ounce of difference to the war effort The Great Escape should be seen as a hubristic failure that needlessly risked young lives.
The camps themselves, although looking pretty basic, seem relatively comfortable, and the prevailing atmosphere appears to be one of a jolly British public school transported to a Silesian wood. Thanks to their depiction in numerous stirring movies, we tend to think of Allied PoWs as robust chaps, escape-hungry heroes always ready to attempt a breakout when given the slightest opportunity.