One of the few - Northumberland man's great escape
28 Mar 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
An exhibition about the life of one of the few survivors of the Great Escape – one of the best know events of World War II – has gone on show at County Hall, Morpeth.
The virtual exhibition tells the story of Squadron Leader Dudley Craig’s involvement in the event, made famous by a 1963 Hollywood blockbuster starring screen legends Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, loosely based on what happened.
In reality Dudley was one of the fortunate ones living to return to his home and family and to tell the tale, until his death in 1974. He was awarded an OBE in 1949.
The exhibition, which runs until April 14, will be shown on a screen in reception. It has been created from letters and papers deposited by his family with Northumberland Archives.
Dudley joined 607 (County of Durham) Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1937 and flew his first solo flight after just seven hours of training.
He volunteered for active service in France and while flying over Le Touquet, France, his aircraft was hit by flak and he was forced to crash land in the sea.
He managed to escape from the stricken aircraft and swam to the shore into the arms of a party of German soldiers.
During his time as a prisoner of war Dudley was involved in several escape attempts and was transferred to Stalag Luft III, a maximum security camp at Zagan, Lower Silesia, now Poland - from where the Great Escape took place on March 24, 1944.
The escape plan was to build three tunnels, ‘Tom’, ‘Dick’ and ‘Harry’ to get over 200 men out of the camp in one go.
More than 600 prisoners were involved in the construction of the tunnels with ‘Harry’ the only one completed. Of the 76 prisoners who escaped 73 were captured and Hitler ordered the execution of 50 of them. Dudley was caught in the tunnel.
He was released from Stalag Luft I as Soviet forces advanced and force-marched to Luckenwald before returning to England in 1945 where he returned to his law practice in Newcastle, later becoming a partner.
Councillor Jeff Watson, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage and Libraries, said: “I’m sure we’ve all seen the film over the years but to think one of our own was involved and to see this first-hand evidence is fascinating.
“Dudley must have been a very brave man and it is great to know he played a part in such a pivotal event in World War II.”
Perhaps setting the scene for what was to come, Dudley’s early life was somewhat exotic, as his father Richard was legal advisor to the King of Siam at the time of his birth.
On the family’s return to the UK Dudley was educated at Aysgarth School in Yorkshire and read Law at Pembrooke College, Cambridge and was articled to Wilkinson and Marshall Solicitors in Newcastle. He married Anne Monica Charlton, the daughter of Col. F.H. Charlton of Hesleyside in 1940. They had a son Nicholas and a daughter Ann.
The exhibition contains photographs of his family, fellow servicemen, and aircraft along with copies of his pilot’s licence and ration book and accounts of his time as a prisoner. It can also be viewed at Northumberland Archives Exhibitions - Northumberland Archives.