Story here. In Shrewsbury, England. He had lived in Ludlow.
He made at least 11 unsuccessful escape attempts in five years as a POW, including the Great Escape a la Steve McQueen fame, during which James was the 39th of the 76 men through the tunnel in the real-life episode. Alas! Only three made it to freedom that time, and he was not one of them.
RIP, Lieutenant James.
Interesting fellow. Before reading that obituary, I wasn’t aware that Hitler ordered the execution of 50 of the 73 recaptured after the Great Escape, and that only 3 made it out. Bloody sad. Mr James was a fortunate man.
Actually, Hitler’s first reaction was to order them all executed. He relented only after Göring pointed out that doing so might lead to retaliations against German POWs, and then only to the extent that “more than half” had to die. I believe that it was Artur Nebe who had to make the selection, and his secretary reported that he was very upset over it.
I first read about Jimmy James in Paul Brickhill’s book about the Stalag Luft III breakout. Indeed a colo(u)rful character.
Only the British could call someone who never escaped “The Great Escapee”, like the victory at Dunkirk.
He was executed as well, later, for treason against Hitler after a failed conspiracy. Some say he was killed using piano wire, but no one seems to have proof of that.
That’s what he’s called in Australia as well. So far, apart from the International Herald Tribune and the title of this thread, that’s the only reference to Mr. James as such I can find.
Well, he did actually escape twice. Was just recaptured. He definitely put his heart into his efforts.
All that and he was D.B. Cooper too!
My respect to a fallen hero. A failure at his named task? Perhaps, but that’s what it’s all about: it doesn’t matter that he didn’t achieve his goal; just that he tried, incessantly, indomitably, in the face of evil, and with humility.
His generation has a lot to teach mine, and I only hope we can learn beore it’s too late.
My father knows a guy(American) who was a bomber pilot in WWII. Got shot down and interned. Escaped, and was recaptured, three times. Once he stayed free for almost two weeks, due to a German farmer allowing him to hide out in his barn.
After the war he raced motorcycles, then took up work as a cropduster. So he flew again.
Doobie Keebler