London, Oct 16 (ANI): For the first time in 70 years, a team of archaeologists, engineers and RAF servicemen has spent several weeks to explore the tunnels dug by British prisoners during the Second World War.
The audacious breakout has been replicated by digging a tunnel similar to those used by Allied Forces to break out of the supposedly escape-proof Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp and their exploits will feature in a Channel 4 documentary, the Independent reported.
The original escape saw scores of Allied servicemen burrow beneath their prison in narrow and claustrophobic tunnels over the course a year, and on a cold night in March 1944, after a series of failed attempts, the prisoners finally made a bid for freedom.
Many were captured immediately or caught later attempting to flee the country and around 50 of those recaptured were executed, in contravention of international law.
The four tunnels were given nicknames by the Prisoners of War (PoW) escape committees - Tom, Dick, Harry and George.
The archaeologists recovered escapees' artefacts, which had lain buried in the tunnels for more than 70 years, a homemade radio in the partially completed George tunnel, ventilation pipes made from empty tin cans and part of the "railway" track used by the prisoners to travel along the tunnels as they dug.
Channel 4's team also re-created many of the ingenious devices and processes used in the escape, which included making compasses from gramophone styluses and treading tonnes of sand from the tunnels into the earth around the camp - all done under the noses of German guards.
Several surviving Second World War airmen also joined the project. (ANI)
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