The Historical Association: The Great Escape: How Great was it?

This lecture explores the true story behind the famous Great Escape, the mass break-out from Stalag Luft III in March 1944. It looks at how the escape earned its name, the scale of the operation, and the extraordinary range of skills and talents involved in preparing the tunnels and planning the breakout.

The talk also considers what happened after the prisoners left the camp, when crossing occupied Europe to reach a friendly border became a formidable challenge in its own right.

The lecture invites audiences to reflect on the balance between history and Hollywood, asking whether the film version of events captures the reality of what took place. It also includes the human dimension of the story, including the fact that one of the escapees was from Taunton.

The event is led by lecturer Andrew Hopper and is organised by the Historical Association’s Taunton Deane branch.