It’s been a rough week for WWII vets. The last member of the “Great Escape” has passed away in the UK:
“LONDON — Jack Harrison, who survived the Great Escape plot by Allied prisoners in a German prison in World War II, has died at age 97, his family said.
“Harrison died Friday at Erskine veterans’ home in Bishopton, Scotland.
“As a camp gardener, Harrison helped dispose of the dirt excavated from three escape tunnels. He was 98th on the list of some 200 inmates designated to make the escape on March 24, 1944, but only 76 got away before guards detected the breakout and raised the alarm. …
“Only three men managed to reach safety. Adolf Hitler ordered the execution of 50 recaptured escapers, and 23 others were returned to custody.
“British news reports said Harrison was believed to be the last survivor of the plot…”
The book on the escape fired my imagination as a teenager, and I strongly recommend it to all. (Here’s a PBS site on one of the escapers’ tunnels.)
The last of an extraordinary corps– RIP, sir.
