by Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The community room at the Walpole Public Library (WPL) was packed for a presentation by local author and historian Jeffrey A. Denman. Denman was there to discuss the “Great Escape” of 1944, the event in which 76 Allied airmen escaped from prisoner-of-war (POW) camp Stalag Luft III.
The event began at 7:00 p.m., when Denman promptly began his lecture. “The Germans spent a great deal of time and effort on the construction of the new camp, which would to be situated far from any ally or neutral country. Therefore, if escapes were attempted, they’d be extremely difficult, and recapture would be the likely result,” he stated. “For most Airmen fortunate to survive their plane being shot down, the war took on a different role once they found themselves behind the wire. No longer were bombing runs or engaging enemy fighters the primary concerns. Now the Airmen needed to survive.” This fact, coupled with the knowledge that there was not one but two escapes at Stalag Luft III (which translates to Main Camp, Air, III), offer insight into the hardships that the prisoners faced. The courage, planning, effort and ingenuity that went into the Great Escape are quite remarkable, as Denman outlined, and involved the digging of three tunnels which were named Tom, Dick and Harry.
Jeffrey A. Denman is a retired World Geography and American History teacher. He previously taught in the Brookline Public School system. He is a graduate of both the University of Connecticut and the University of Maine. Denman has written several articles about American history, including “One Magnificent Gesture,” an account of the Great Escape that appeared in a 2011 World War II History magazine. Denman has also authored the book “John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist” and co-authored the tome “Greene and Cornwallis: The Pivotal Struggle of the American Revolution, 1780-1781”. In addition to his writing accolades, Mr. Denman was a member of the Historical Committee of the Great Escape Memorial Project from 2003-2008. This project raised money to build memorials to commemorate both the survivors of the escape and those that were ultimately executed by the Gestapo.
This event was sponsored by the Friends of WPL. More information about WPL, upcoming events, or the Friends of WPL can be found at WalpoleLibrary.org.