Errr there is such a thing as an illegal order and carrying out that order makes you a war criminal.. True the option to say no and survive was probably slim, but some did. Personally I don't think I could live with myself murdering prisioners, let alone women and children. But they did.
In this months Britain at War there is the story of one of those that died and his young wife who never got over his death and died having never remarried. Oddly enough he was an Austrailian Warrant Officer who rightly believed he would have an easier life in an officers camp so concealed his rank when his uniformed was burnt abandoning his Spitfire.
Hangar shuffle, the person I mentioned manufactured compasses for all of the escapers and marked them all made in Stalag luft 3 thus showing they were prisoners and not hiding that fact to prevent that happening. The camp commandant was so horrified he allowed the prisoners to build the memorial.
Last edited by NutLoose; 24th Mar 2014 at 22:52.