Glan Evans, from Wales, had crashed his plane and been taken prisoner.

He had been sent to a prison camp which contained a number of airmen who had become experts at trying to escape. 

Some had tried many times. 

But they had not been able to get away.

These experts formed a secret group at the camp. 

It planned escape attempts. 

It included people who knew how to make secret tunnels out of the camp.

It also featured experts on making documents which could help an escaper pretend he was just an ordinary person.

<table><thead><tr><th scope="col" colspan="2">Tricky Word</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th scope="row">Experts:</th><td>People who know a great deal about certain things or have certain skills.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Glan Evans, from Wales, had crashed his plane and been taken prisoner by soldiers of Nazi Germany.

He was sent to a prison camp called Stalag Luft 3, which contained a number of airmen who had become experts at trying to escape. 

These experts formed the X Committee, a secret group which planned escapes through the wire and through tunnels. 

Many of the X Committee are featured in a scrapbook which Glan kept in the camp:

Harry ‘Wings’ Day had led a mass escape at a previous prison camp, but had been recaptured.

Alastair Panton set up events designed to disguise the sound of tunnelling, such as noisy games of football.

Peter Fanshawe designed a way for prisoners to dispose of the earth from the tunnels. They would hide it in tubes (made from towels) inside their trousers and then release it secretly on the recreation ground and trample it in.

Wally Floody was an experienced tunneller, who was actually almost buried alive while digging one.

There were also people involved with the items needed by a prisoner if he escaped ‒ people like Buck Casson, who became an expert in forging documents which escapers would need to travel.

<table><thead><tr><th scope="col" colspan="2">Vocabulary Checkpoint</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th scope="row">Experts:</th><td>People who know a great deal about certain things or have certain skills.</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Committee:</th><td>A group of people chosen to decide on a particular issue.</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">To forge documents:</th><td>To create false documents.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Glan Evans, from Wales, had crashed his plane and been taken prisoner by soldiers of Nazi Germany.

Glan’s prison camp, known as Stalag Luft 3, contained a number of airmen who had become experts at trying to escape. Many had already got out of previous prison camps and almost reached safety in Switzerland, which was neutral (on neither side in the war).

Many people tried to escape by disguising themselves as guards and trying to bluff their way out of the camp. But larger escapes, involving groups of people, normally involved the construction of a tunnel.

The escape experts at Stalag Luft 3 called their group the X Committee. It was led by a pilot called Roger Bushell, who was nicknamed Big X. Bushell was to lead the famous ‘Great Escape’ from the camp. 

The X Committee included some fascinating people, and many are featured in a scrapbook which Glan kept in the camp:

Harry ‘Wings’ Day had led a mass escape at Dulag Luft early in 1941 but had been recaptured. He had been at the prison camp known as Oflag XXIB with Glan. Harry had escaped from there too and been recaptured again.

Alastair Panton organised the digging of tunnels and set up events designed to disguise the sound of tunnelling, such as noisy games of football.

Peter Fanshawe’s job was to work out what to do with the earth and dirt which came out of the tunnels. He created a system where prisoners could conceal earth in tubes (made from towels) pushed inside their trousers and then release it secretly on the recreation ground and trample it in.

Wally Floody was a tunneller. He was actually almost buried alive while digging one.

There were also people involved with the items needed by a prisoner if he escaped - people like Buck Casson, who had been a draughtsman before the war and became an expert in forging documents which escapers would need to travel.

Glan Evans, from Wales, had crashed his plane and been taken prisoner by soldiers of Nazi Germany.

Escaping

The Escape Experts