Jack Harrison, the last survivor of The Great Escape, dies at 97

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 8th June 2010 | Jim McBeth

[naturalman1975]

In the end, it was only time from which he could not escape. Jack Harrison, the last of those involved in the 'Great Escape', has passed away, peacefully and quietly, at the age of 97.

It has been 66 years since the dark night when he waited with bated breath, preparing to crawl through ‘Harry’ and under the wire of Stalag Luft III.

Many years after the war the former RAF pilot, and his brave and resourceful comrades, would be immortalised by the iconic 1963 film - starring Richard Attenborough and Steve McQueen - which remains the staple fare of every Christmas Day celebration.

But, by then, the most audacious - and tragic - prisoner-of-war break out of the Second World War was only a memory to the Scots veteran, who had long since returned to his ‘real life’ as a husband, father and classics teacher.

Mr Harrison would go on to live a long and fruitful life, spending the last two-and-a-half years of it in the veterans' hospital at Erskine, in Bishopton, Renfrewshire.

Yesterday a spokesman for the charity that runs the hospital said: ‘It is with the greatest of sadness that we announce the passing of Great Escape veteran Jack Harrison.

‘Mr Harrison, thought to be the last survivor of the escape, passed away with his son, Chris, and daughter, Jane, by his side.’

The success of the film The Great Escape may have elevated the humble Latin teacher to the status of a war hero. But to his family, he will forever be ‘dad’. In a joint statement yesterday, his two children paid tribute to him.

[Outrance]

Watching Steve McQueen on the motorcycle jumping the fences and avoiding the Nazis started my love for motorcycles. Today I am a vets biker club President and ride every day.

[jocon307]

“...the 1963 film... remains the staple fare of every Christmas Day celebration.”

I saw this movie years ago, I really don’t remember much about it, besides Steve McQueen and the motorcycle, lol, and that it is a great movie.

Why is it a Christmas day tradition to watch it in England?

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[naturalman1975]

A lot of people like to watch a good movie to wind down at the end of Christmas Day with their family. This has become a traditional part of Christmas in England. The Great Escape came to be one of the films that often turned up in that role (James Bond films are another common choice. The idea is a classic film that everybody remembers and enjoys.

A few years ago, one the British TV companies did a poll to find out what movie most people would like to see on Christmas Day. The Great Escape came very high, and every year since then it's been broadcast on Christmas Day. It has become a tradition itself.

[originalbuckeye]

Ditto. What an embarrassment. Even worse than Clinton.

[jocon307]

Thanks, that’s interesting. Here in the US I think Christmas day is one of the very few days we don’t watch much TV.

In fact, one of the more popular “programs” (at least here in the NYC metro area-I don’t know if they have it in other places) was The Yule Log. It wasn’t a show at all, just a loop of a fire burning and the station would play Christmas music.

It used to be on overnight on one of the local stations, then it went away, but lately it’s been back (in High Definition, lol!) on Christmas morning.

[Constitution Day]

Rest in peace!

[alfa6]

Thansk for the post naturalman1975

Best Regards to Mr. Harrison's family

alfa6 ;>}

[Ready4Freddy]

On the right:

[Captain Peter Blood]

Me too, I saw this film with my brother when it first came out. My Mother would use the movies as her favorite babysitter and I guess my brother and I saw that film at least 3 times before she came and picked us up.
Never get tired of watching that movie.

[tubebender]

My brother was shot down over Wiesbaden Gr on Aug 15th 1944 and spent the rest of the war in Stalag III until the forced march in the worst cold weather in Jan 45 about 35 miles or more to get put on a cattle train and moved to another camp. He passed away late last year. There is a huge Keith Ferris mural on a wall of the Air and Space museum depicting the Wiesbaden raid...

[tubebender]

Was that at the camp?

[wagglebee]

Ping

[Ready4Freddy]

Hi tubebender, it's not stated where the pic was taken.

The caption of the pic is:

Jack Harrison, at right, the veteran thought to be the last survivor
of the World War II prisoner-of-war breakout from Stalag Luft III,
is seen with other prisoners-of-war in this undated file photo.

From this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37573325/ns/world_news-europe/

Unless he was moved to a different camp after the escape, I'd guess this was taken at Stalag Luft III.

[GonzoGOP]

I remember reading The Great Escape and being utterly fascinated by it. When I told my Dad about it, he said, “Oh, they made a movie of that - you’ll love it.” I have, all the many times that I’ve seen it. Thanks for all that you gentlemen did for us.

If you liked the book about the Great Escape try reading Escape from Colditz. Castle Colditz was where the Germans sent you if you had caused trouble or escaped from another POW camp. While it did make it easier to guard, putting that much escape obsessed talent in one place probably wasn't a good Idea. They had one Dutch guy, who because he spoke German without an accent, kept walking out the front door. The French POWs started a tunnel from the top of a bell tower (you have to admit you wouldn't look for a tunnel entrance there). The Brits built a glider and at one point had guys dressed as guards with fake guns relieve the Germans on the wire.

The book is also interesting as it has two authors, with rather different styles. The first author carries the story from capture in the battle to France until he breaks out and gets back to England. The second author picks up the story of the camp after his escape and carries the story through to the castle's relief by the Americans.

The Colditz author's comments on the great escape are telling. They were quite harsh as their goal was to maximize the home runs. So they did a smaller number of escapes, but with phenomenal prep work and documentation. They also took great pains to ensure that the Germans wouldn't miss the escaped prisoners for as long as possible. This included "Fake" escapes where they just hid guys for use later after a real escape, and manikins to throw off the German's prisoner counts. If the Germans didn't know somebody had escaped they didn't alert internal authorities and didn't watch train stations. Unless you had bad luck, if you got past the wire you could almost always make it to the frontier. In contrast in the Great Escape they put so many guys under the wire that it couldn't be hidden. And it alerted the Gestapo resulting in the capture of all but 3 POWs and the shooting of 50 POWs.

[wardaddy]

I saw this and Longest Day as a lad when they came out.

Steve McQueen was always so cool.

God bless. RIP to the last one.

[tubebender]

I have the worlds worst memory as my brother told me many stories of his interment there, the forced march and their short stay in Stalag VII-A where Patton himself rode a tank through the gate to liberate them. My brother remembered all of that right down to the Pearl Handled Pistols on his hip. Patton’s son in law was a POW of Stalag III and the march. Bro still had his hand written notes and our sister transcribed them and scanned them into his iMac. His daughter has the original scribbles...

[samiam1972]

Aww. Thanks for the ping.

[originalbuckeye]

I remember that story! My dad said that Patton on the tank was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen until he married and had children. And the forced march was the source of nightmares for my dad for the rest of his life. I have a book of remembrance of the POW camp called Clipped Wings. I don't know if it's available anywhere now. It belonged to my dad who passed away in 1996. Miss him every day.

[tubebender]

What color is the cover and who is the author?