Mass escapes from German POW camps
Mass escapes occur when 5 or more prisoners escape from a prison or Prisoner or War camp at the same time.
Most mass escapes occur after many months of careful planning and preparation, but Seldom achieve complete success as usually the detaining power maximises the effort to find and recapture the escapers.
Below is a list of Mass Escapes known to have taken place from German POW camps during the Second World War.
Date |
Escape known as |
POW Camp |
Nationality |
Main Organiser |
Number Attempted Escape |
Number Escaped from Camp |
Number Home Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 September 1940 |
Laufen Six |
Oflag VII-C |
British Army |
Pat Reid |
6 |
6 |
0 |
30 May 1941 |
Canteen Tunnel |
Oflag IV-C |
British |
Pat Reid |
12 |
12 |
0 |
June 1941 |
Dulag luft tunnel |
Dulag luft |
British RAF |
Harry Day |
18 |
18 |
0 |
13 September 1941 |
Biberach Tunnel |
Oflag V-B |
British Army |
Michael Duncan |
26 |
26 |
4 |
11 May 1942 |
Kirchain tunnel |
Stalag IIIE |
British RAF |
Sgt Alexander |
52 |
52 |
0 |
30 August 1942 |
Warburg Wire Job |
Oflag VI-B |
British |
Tom Stallard |
41 |
28 |
3 |
5 March 1943 |
Schubin Tunnel |
Oflag XXI-B |
British RAF |
Harry Day |
35 |
35 |
0 |
3 June 1943 |
Eichstatt Tunnel |
Oflag VII-B |
British Army |
Jock Hamilton-Baillie |
65 |
65 |
0 |
12 June 1943 |
Delousing break |
Stalag Luft III |
British RAF |
Roger Bushell |
32 |
26 |
0 |
3 September 1943 |
Franz Josef Attempt |
Oflag IV-C |
British |
Mike Sinclair |
38 |
0 |
0 |
24 March 1944 |
The Great Escape |
Stalag Luft III |
British RAF |
Roger Bushell |
200 |
76 |
3 |