Great Escaper's Auction

Kyt · Jun 26, 2009

Daily Express | UK News :: Secrets of The Great Escape

The wartime letters of a hero of The Great Escape are to be sold at auction next week.

Flight Lieutenant Bernard Green was 57 when he and 75 other airmen tunnelled out of a prisoner of war camp in Poland in 1944 – a feat celebrated in the 1963 film starring Steve McQueen.

The First World War veteran, nicknamed “Pop” by his much younger comrades, got 50 miles before being picked up and returned to Stalag Luft III.

He was lucky – 50 of the others were killed by the Germans and only three reached freedom.

Bernard, who was shot down off Denmark in 1940, died in 1971 aged 84.

Now his letters and medals, including a Military Cross he won as a machine gunner in the First World War, are to go under the hammer at Grantham, Lincs.
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http://www.goldingyoung.com/phpcatalogue2new/catalogue.html

Military Cross Medal Group awarded to Major/Flight Lieutenant Bernard Green who took part in 'The Great Escape' from Stalag Luft 3 in March 1944. To be sold on the instructions of his daughter Miss J Green and comprising: George V Military Cross, 1914-15 Star (inscribed), 1914-20 War Medal (inscribed) and 1919 Victory Medal with MID leaf spray, 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, 1939-45 War Medal with MID leaf spray and Special Constabulary Medal for long service. A full set of miniatures, a full set of ribbons and a set of ribbons minus 1935-45 War Medal. Together with World War I associated ephemera and postcard photographs relating to Major Bernard Green, and the East Kent Yeomanry, Royal East Kent mounted Rifles and Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Light Infantry, including a Roll Book belonging to Major Green for No 1 Platoon, 'A' Company. World War II ephemera collected by Flt Lt Bernard Green, including items of particular interest relating to 'The Great Escape' of which there are photographs of POWs and a collection of 'Sweetheart' letters from Stalag Luft 1 (7), Stalag Luft 2 (2) and Stalag Luft 3 (27). A programme and two ticket stubs for the film premiere of 'The Great Escape' from the World Charity Premiere screening on 20th June 1963, which Bernard Green attended. Various books relating to 'The Great Escape', including 'Scangriff' - Spotlight on Stalag Luft III (2), Brickhill [Flt Lt Paul] - The Great Escape, and Brickhill & Norton - Escape to Danger with inscription by Bernard Green, etc. Also Bernard Green's RAF officers cap and dress tunic with medal ribbons and 'AG' cloth badge and a further collection of related letters, certificates, service books, invitations, services association information, passport, and a collection of vintage postcards. Together with this lot two copies of The Illustrated London News, various books, and a collection of vintage maps and guides, formerly the property of Bernard Green.

BERNARD 'POP' GREEN

On 23rd/24th March 1944, 76 Airmen escaped from POW camp Stalag Luft 3 at Sagan in Poland. Their escape through the tunnel 'Harry' and the story of the days that followed became known as 'The Great Escape' and has now become part of British folklore.

Bernard Green was born in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire on 23rd December 1887.

He was educated at Clifton College, London University and Cambridge University.

At the outbreak of war in 1914 Bernard joined the Royal East Kent Rifles as a private.

He was subsequently commissioned into the Buckinghamshire Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire light Infantry as a Second Lieutenant in June 1914.

In 1917 he was mentioned in despatches, and in 1918 was awarded the Military Cross. He became a specialist machine-gunner, and when he resigned his commission in 1920 he was granted the rank of Major, although modestly it was a title that he very rarely used.

Between the war years he worked for the family paper making firm, and in 1926 became a Special Constable, eventually achieving a long service medal.

In 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War Bernard Green applied for a commission as an officer air gunner with the RAF Volunteer Reserve. In December 1939 he took up active service as Pilot Officer 76904, at the RAF Number 3 Bomb Gunnery School.

It's not clear why, in July 1940, at the age of 53 Bernard took up a place as rear gunner on a Hampden bomber. The plane was flying out of R A F Waddington with 44th Squadron on a mine laying mission. It may have been due to shortage of men or his strong sense of duty and loyalty to his squadron. In the early hours of 20th July the Hampden was hit by flak off the coast of Denmark and ditched into the sea in Tannis Bay, 300-400 metres off shore at Kandestederne. Two of the crew perished, but P/O Green and P/S Farrands survived and swam ashore. Later that morning Bernard Green came into contact with a party of local peat cutters and refused the opportunity of concealment from the enemy, as he knew what the consequences would be for his rescuers if found. A unit of German soldiers had been alerted and soon arrived to collect him.

Bernard Green was sent to Dulag Luft in Oberursel where he was interrogated and then sent on to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth. Subsequently he was moved to Stalag Luft 3 at Sagan, in Poland.

It seems that Bernard Green took a very active part in the daily operations of escape work at Stalag Luft 3. He was a popular character and would have been a father figure to the majority of the much younger men, hence his nickname 'Pop'.

He was certainly known to have acted as a 'penguin' in distributing the waste soil over the compound as tunnel 'Harry' took shape.

The events of the Great Escape have been well documented and are known to many through John Sturges' classic film. One fact that many are not aware of is that there was thick snow on the ground in that part of Poland in March 1944. Green and others did make their escape after overcoming the shortfall of the tunnel and gathered with a group of about twelve others all dressed as Czech workmen. They walked for some distance through the woods in thick snow and eventually made their way to a railway station south of Sagan. It was from there that they travelled about fifty miles and alighted from the train just short of Hirschberg.

Continuing on foot and approaching a village that was impassable because of heavy snow in the fields, Bernard Green was captured by a German soldier as walked straight through the village.

Flight Lieutenant Green as he was now known following promotion, was eventually taken back to Stalag Luft 3 and spent 14 days in the "cooler". Sadly, as is well known, many of the escapees were not so lucky. Bernard Green spent the rest of the war at Sagan. At 57 years old he was surely the oldest of the men who attempted such a brave escape.

In 1947 Flight Lt Green was mentioned in despatches as published in The London Gazette on 7th January.

In June 1963 Bernard and his wife attended the World charity film premiere of 'The Great Escape' at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square.

He died following ill health on 2nd November 1971.

The account of the personal military history to be available on view with the items, and facsimile copies of the documents only to handled on view, unless by special arrangement

2. RAF medal group for 1122289 Sgt Harry Tompkin, comprising: 1939-45 Star, Africa Star (1st Army clasp), Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal, together with a kit bag, Aircrew first aid kit, RAF service records and some coins and bank notes

3. RAF interest relating to 1424 Sgt Joan Tompkin, including medal ribbons only, and buttons, personal wartime diaries, RAF service record details, photographs and many wartime and other letters, and ephemera

4. A collection of vintage photographs, entires and assorted ephemera

5. RAF interest relating to Sqn Ldr Harry Pepper, including three dress uniforms, cap, tropical tunic, evening dress tunic, various club ties, buttons, etc, contained in a Pendragon leather trunk
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Hampden I L4087 ditched in Tannis bay off Kandestederne 20/7 1940

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