Pity there's no mention of NZ Army Capt Charlie Upham VC & Bar who was held prisoner at Colditz after several escape attempts. Immediately upon liberation he asked the Americans for a gun & grenades, the latter his favourite weapon, in order that he could resume fighting the Germans. I'm unsure how far he got in his personal vendetta before the Brit authorities caught up with him and ordered him to pack it in.
Bernard Hepton was my Uncle's brother on my mother's side of the family, real name Heptonstall, he was born in Bradford where I grew up, he used to come to family Christmas parties when I was a boy, he shook my hand once, I didn't wash it for a week lol..he was a lovely man..R.I.P. Uncle Bernard, loved and never forgotten...
My Grandfather spent almost 5 years a POW, captured at Dunkerque. He spent 6 months recuperating after liberation. Didn't hate the Germans. Never spoke of the march west, his camp was in what is now Poland.
Because Coldiz for ALL its acclaim was an Officers game place...Even Douglas Bader was placed there..and he TOLD the medic who was treating him (who was due repatriation) NO...because HE could not go home... FACT
The first British person to escape Coltiz and came back In to Britain was Airy Neave and later in M.I09,,after the War became a MP and was killed the PIRLA 1979
One episode that stands in my memory is about a prisoner who feins mental illness, if you could convince the Germans that you were mentally ill then you'd be sent home. The problem was that he ends up doing too good a job and actually drives himself insane for real.
We all watched when young ; Do u remember him A Valentine in "Raffles" played high class thief used to watch with my sister when parents went back out for drinks
A fantastic programme that I remember from my youth. I have just binge watched both series over three days and thoroughly enjoyed them. Does anyone know what happened to Anthony Valentines character Major Mohn(?)
I've just watched this series for the first time since it was originally aired, and really got engaged with it. Great series. I was fortunate to know one of the prisoners who built the glider in the attic, thoroughly nice self-effacing chap who kept on flying well into his 80's (he had a little Jodel aeroplane). It felt like a connection to this story.
This is the 4th episode I have watched and it has left me humbled and in awe that the script and actors have painted such a vivid and moving story so succinctly, in every step, in such a short period of time to do so.
The character of Pat Grant is clearly based on Major P. R. Reid, who wrote the Colditz books on which the TV series was based, and he is mentioned as a Technical Adviser in the closing credits. Pat Reid held the position of Escape Officer overseeing British escape attempts in Colditz until he made his successful "home run" to neutral Switzerland in late 1942. I remember watching this series and the sequel when it first aired and I actually had the honour to meet the man himself at a Colditz Exhibition, where I got a signed copy of his book.
remember Anthony Valentine's role in Callan & Colditz, but he also appeared a couple of times in 'Minder', as a professional gambler (called Maurice), once as the boss of a team of folk trying to beat the casino, (this was based on the real activities of a guy called Norman Leigh, 'Thirteen Against the Bank') & at least once as a professional card player. An excellent actor....
Reliable information is that this was all cloud cuckoo land, and I think Reid’s work is classified as fiction. POWs were all too poorly fed to be capable of making escape attempts diet consisting of bare minimum required under Geneva convention plus supplements from Red Cross Parcels
