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The Great Escape

by Richard Taylor


“Everyone in this room is living on borrowed time. By rights we should all be dead! The only reason that God allowed us this extra ration of life is so we can make life hell for the Hun… three bloody deep, bloody long tunnels will be dug – Tom, Dick, and Harry. One will succeed!”

With those words the chief escape officer in Stalag Luft III, Squadron Leader Roger Bushell RAF, announced his plan for perhaps the most daring escape attempt of the war – the mass breakout of 200 men through the digging of three long tunnels (nick-named Tom, Dick, and Harry), an audacious feat of tunnelling that would be long and dangerous.

Just after 22.00hrs on the night of 24/25 March 1944, the first escapee broke through to the surface – only to find it well short of the surrounding trees. The escapees would have to crawl to the cover of the trees under the noses of the patrolling sentries.

17" x 22"

Available in the following editions

200 Limited edition Signed by one Stalag Luft III veteran who was involved in 'The Great Escape' $110
76 Escapers edition Signed by five Stalag Luft III veterans who were involved in 'The Great Escape' Very low inventory $225
25  Tribute edition Sold Out $345 
76  Folio edition  A pair of pencil prints depicting the escape, each signed by a Stalag Luft III veteran. $110 





Limited edition signature:
Flt Lt. William “Tex” Ash Took part in “The Great Escape” and later became involved in a dozen more escape attempts from camps through Europe.


Escaper's edition signatures:
Flt Lt. William “Tex” Ash Took part in the escape and later became involved in a dozen more escape attempts.
Sqdn Ldr. Dick Churchill  Number 63 out of the tunnel, he was recaptured.
Flt Lt. Jack Lyon Lyon was Stooge and was waiting as number 88 and ready to escape. 
Wing Co. Ken Rees  A tunnel digger, he was caught inside Harry after the escape was discovered. 
Warrant Officer Ron Wade Contributed to the tunnel digging but was moved out before the escape. 



THE GREAT ESCAPE – THE FOLIO DRAWINGS 
A Folio set by Richard Taylor featuring 76 pairs of limited edition Graphite proofs in memory of the 76 men who managed to escape the camp. 

The Railway

A tiny wooden railway, operated with rope-pulled trolleys, was constructed along the entire length of the tunnel "Harry" to carry men and equipment, and remove earth. On the night of March 24/25th 1994, it ferried the escaping POWs rapidly through the tunnel to the exit shaft. Overall size: 8" x 12¾" - Signed by Flt Lt. Jack Lyon. 
 
 
Coming Up Short
As the first POWs break through to the surface from the tunnel Harry on the night of March 24/25th 1944, the dreadful realization is made that the exit has come up 10 feet short of the woods surrounding Stalag Luft III.
Overall size: 7½" x 12¾" - Signed by Wing Co. Ken Rees.  



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