The Great Escape: How Castors Could Have Helped Tom, Dick and Harry

The Great Escape – these three words will almost certainly bring the irresistible and somewhat annoying theme tune of the 1963 Steve McQueen film to mind. It will also conjure up images of Stalag Luft III as it was depicted in the film, although it was of course based upon the real Luftwaffe run POW camp near Sagen in Germany. Yes, the whole story behind the Hollywood film was real, as was the creation of three tunnels known as Tom, Dick and Harry, and finally also the escape that occurred on the night of March 24th, 1944. The tunnels took the better part of a year to construct in their rough state and the 200 men that attempted to escape through them took the better part of the night to make their way through them (although only 76 made it) but both tasks would have been much simpler and quicker had they had a few castors on hand to help them.

Castors had been invented by the time World War II broke out and were being used in industrial settings, medical centres and hospitality environments but prisoners of war were unlikely to have any access to them at that point in time. Given how creative the prisoners were, they would have been used for sure. After all, an inventory after the attempted escape revealed that 90 bunk beds, 52 20 man tables, 76 benches, 635 mattresses, 1000 feet of electric wire, 3424 towels, 478 spoons and 161 pillow cases had gone missing, amongst other things.

The wooden beams on the beds and tables had been used to prop the tunnels up but flatbeds and trolleys on little wheels would have made it easier for them to transport the rubble out. These items would have also made it possible to move down the tunnels much quicker so that they could have tunnelled efficiently and got out on time rather than facing setbacks. Even small castors like the BZMM series would have helped the POWs. Holding between 50kg and 350kg, they would have been ideal for holding men, digging equipment like spoons and Klim cans, and dirt alike.

Had the men planning the great escape had castors they may have been able to get more of a head start on the Germans and escape more effectively. Even with tunnel Harry collapsing at 1am, had they had a flatbed with wheels on which to transport themselves down the tunnel, the majority would have made it out on time and been able to catch the trains that they planned to catch that night. Instead, most missed the trains and were either forced to wait or take the roads. 73 of the 76 men were caught with 50 being executed and several, including the leader of the escape RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, being shot on sight. Had they had castors at their disposal, Steve McQueen may have got to ride off into the sunset after all.