33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III: A World War II Airman Tells His Story

For readers knowledgeable about the Great Escape, most of the content of this book is familiar. A unique feature of this book, apart from the undercover photos taken within the camp and during the evacuation on the heels of the Red Army, is the Christmas card sent by Glemnitz to Clark in 1980 (p. 106). Clark also sheds light on the surveying error that led to tunnel Harry coming up short of the treeline. Buildings had stood in the way, making accurate triangulation impossible (73). He also discusses his experiences in the construction of fly-proof latrines, and how he put this practical skill to use in order to solve the insect-latrine problems at Stalag Luft III--to the approval of the Germans (pp. 47-48). Clark was not directly involved in the Great Escape, as he was in a different compound at the time. But he heard the 5 AM shot that ended the escape. His version of events differs from those of others. He speaks of 50-60 men being forced to crawl back in the tunnel Harry (p. 116). The other works on the Great Escape all describe the use of trolleys to ferry men and equipment through the tunnel, with no more than several men being in the tunnel at any one time. Furthermore, at the time of the Germans' discovery of the tunnel, it was already first dawn, and, for this reason, no more than several additional men were then scheduled to escape out of the tunnel anyway. It would have been 83 total instead of the 76. The Allied POWs housed in Stalag Luft III included those who were openly Jewish (p. 114). Yet the Germans did not kill them. (This adds refutation to the argument that the Holocaust was unique in that the Nazis sought to kill all known Jews in their grasp.) Clark elaborates on the horrible treatment of the Polish and Russian untermenschen at the hands of the Germans. (p. 49, 178) It is sobering to realize that an American or British Jewish POW had a greater right to live than a Russian gentile POW (of whom 2 million--some sources say 3 million--died in German captivity). There are only a few obvious errors in this work. Clark repeats the myth of the Polish Air Force getting destroyed on the ground (p. 36) and confuses the city of Lubin with Lublin (p. 102). In general, however, this is a good all-around book.

Before this book, I had no idea what it meant to be a prisoner of war in WWII. I was astonished at the things this man and his comrades survived and endured. Crammed into these camps for months (or years, in most cases), they created a community and did their best to keep their bodies and souls alive. I had no idea that the camps were this big or this intricate. 33 Months is an amazing piece of history that makes the reader feel grateful for the creature comforts we all take for granted, as well as for the efforts of the many soldiers who have sacrificed so much for our country. Reading this book, I realized that most of the veterans of the big, historic wars are all almost gone from this earth, and that with them a huge piece of history will become less real to us. General Clark is obviously a very honorable man with a good heart, and I'm grateful that he shared his story with the rest of us.