[News] RIP - Jack Lyon - The Great Escape

[Westdene Seagull]

Forget Brexit, forget all those RIPs for 'famous' people ....

RIP Jack Lyons the last Great Escape survivour .... a true hero. And obviously respect to those that were killed during the escape. ** doffs cap to real heros **

 

[Blue3]

Forget Brexit, forget all those RIPs for 'famous' people ....

RIP Jack Lyons the last Great Escape survivour .... a true hero. And obviously respect to those that were killed during the escape. ** doffs cap to real heros **

Absolutely the passing of these last few RIP we must never forget

 

[Hastings gull]

Absolutely the passing of these last few RIP we must never forget

Exactly.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

A Bexhill man too.

RIP Jack

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

RIP Jack. We will remember.

 

[portslade seagull]

RIP Jack.

 

[el punal]

Forget Brexit, forget all those RIPs for 'famous' people ....

RIP Jack Lyons the last Great Escape survivour .... a true hero. And obviously respect to those that were killed during the escape. ** doffs cap to real heros **

My Dad was also in Stalag Luft lll and was there from December 1941 until the end of the war. He was a big bugger with a fierce temper and the German guards were always wary of crossing him. So, because of this, a lot of forged documents and other stuff for the escapers were stashed under his bunk knowing that the “goons” would never search there. Due to his large frame he was not able to take part in the escape (too big for the tunnel!).

Like Jack Lyons, my dad also watched the film ‘The Great Escape’ - in fact he was invited to watch the premier along with other P.O.W.s - he too thought it was rubbish and as far away from the real events as possible, and yes, no Americans were involved. To put it succinctly my old man thought the film version made Stalag Luft III look like a holiday camp. Anyway, he and Jack came home, 50 didn’t.

R.I.P. Jack

 

[banjo]

R.I.P

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

My Dad was also in Stalag Luft lll and was there from December 1941 until the end of the war. He was a big bugger with a fierce temper and the German guards were always wary of crossing him. So, because of this, a lot of forged documents and other stuff for the escapers were stashed under his bunk knowing that the “goons” would never search there. Due to his large frame he was not able to take part in the escape (too big for the tunnel!).

Like Jack Lyons, my dad also watched the film ‘The Great Escape’ - in fact he was invited to watch the premier along with other P.O.W.s - he too thought it was rubbish and as far away from the real events as possible, and yes, no Americans were involved. To put it succinctly my old man thought the film version made Stalag Luft III look like a holiday camp. Anyway, he and Jack came home, 50 didn’t.

R.I.P. Jack

Respect to your Dad
RIP Jack

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[colinz]

My Dad was also in Stalag Luft lll and was there from December 1941 until the end of the war. He was a big bugger with a fierce temper and the German guards were always wary of crossing him. So, because of this, a lot of forged documents and other stuff for the escapers were stashed under his bunk knowing that the “goons” would never search there. Due to his large frame he was not able to take part in the escape (too big for the tunnel!).

Like Jack Lyons, my dad also watched the film ‘The Great Escape’ - in fact he was invited to watch the premier along with other P.O.W.s - he too thought it was rubbish and as far away from the real events as possible, and yes, no Americans were involved. To put it succinctly my old man thought the film version made Stalag Luft III look like a holiday camp. Anyway, he and Jack came home, 50 didn’t.

R.I.P. Jack

Your Dad wasn't wrong. The Steve McQueen character (Hilts) was actually an NZer. Hilton Rayment
Did your Dad ever mention him ?

Shot down and captured after attacking an enemy airfield in 1943, he was transported to Germany where he spent the next two and half years in Stalag Luft III along with fellow New Zealander Bill Griffith (who, like himself, later retired to Katikati in New Zealand). The two New Zealand pilots both played vital roles in the escape attempts from the prisoner of war camp, later made famous in the movie “The Great Escape”, when Hilton used his experience as a carpenter and a rower to devise ventilation bellows which operated on the principle of a rowing machine, using hockey sticks, leather bags, ping pong bats and tin cans to ventilate the famous 336-foot long Stalag Luft III escape tunnel called “Harry”.

Hilton dedicated his interment at Stalag Luft III to making things as difficult as possible for his captors and as a result spent time in solitary confinement for escape attempts and disrespectful comments about Hitler and the camp commandant. Although some of the prisoners did escape, the attempt was discovered by German guards and an enraged Hitler ordered 50 air force officers to be executed as a warning to others.


Read more at https://one-name.org/service_story/hilton-digby-rayment/#J1Apel1c3kB4iEGs.99

 

[AmexRuislip]

Hero RIP

 

[el punal]

Your Dad wasn't wrong. The Steve McQueen character (Hilts) was actually an NZer. Hilton Rayment
Did your Dad ever mention him ?

My Dad died in 1977, so a long time ago to remember specific details. What I do know are a few anecdotal bits and pieces. For example the old man never ate swede - as this was the staple diet for the POWs. He was a great friend of Wings Day, a legendary escaper who ended up in Colditz and was a subject for This is Your Life. Believe it or not, some of the other friends my Dad was with behind the wire were the actors Rupert Davies, who played Maigret in the TV series in the 1960s, and, Peter Butterworth who played in numerous Carry On films.

One enlightening bit of info. he told me was that RAF personnel were more enthusiastic and determined to escape than those from the Army or Royal Navy. This was, in his opinion, that the RAF boys were stationed at home (Blighty) or in decent overseas surroundings, whereas those from the other two services were used to more uncomfortable conditions and would therefore adapt better to POW life - believe that if you will!

He never mentioned certain events that occurred, but when it was announced to all in the camp that 50 of the 76 had been “shot trying to escape” I’m pretty certain he developed an intense loathing of Germans.

With regard to Hilton Rayment and Bill Griffith I’m sure my Dad would have crossed paths during the time he was there. It was a tight knit community, as you can well imagine, and the circumstances were such that most did get on. They had to - no one knew how long they were going to be there.

 

[Invicta]

My Dad died in 1977, so a long time ago to remember specific details. What I do know are a few anecdotal bits and pieces. For example the old man never ate swede - as this was the staple diet for the POWs. He was a great friend of Wings Day, a legendary escaper who ended up in Colditz and was a subject for This is Your Life. Believe it or not, some of the other friends my Dad was with behind the wire were the actors Rupert Davies, who played Maigret in the TV series in the 1960s, and, Peter Butterworth who played in numerous Carry On films.

One enlightening bit of info. he told me was that RAF personnel were more enthusiastic and determined to escape than those from the Army or Royal Navy. This was, in his opinion, that the RAF boys were stationed at home (Blighty) or in decent overseas surroundings, whereas those from the other two services were used to more uncomfortable conditions and would therefore adapt better to POW life - believe that if you will!

He never mentioned certain events that occurred, but when it was announced to all in the camp that 50 of the 76 had been “shot trying to escape” I’m pretty certain he developed an intense loathing of Germans.

With regard to Hilton Rayment and Bill Griffith I’m sure my Dad would have crossed paths during the time he was there. It was a tight knit community, as you can well imagine, and the circumstances were such that most did get on. They had to - no one knew how long they were going to be there.

Interesting insight, thanks for sharing. So much respect for people who served.