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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 12:37pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

When I was a lad, the name of Colditz castle hung heavy in my imagination. An infamous German prison, during WW2 it housed many of the most incorrigible Allied captives, including a personal hero of mine, Douglas Bader (baah-der) the legless* fighter ace.

So I was delighted, visiting a local bookstore on Saturday, to find a new history of the Colditz war years by Ben Macintyre. Only 60 pages in, but so far having a jolly good time.

Looking forward to Bader’s arrival.

———-

* He’d lost both legs, and nearly his life, in a training accident. Nevertheless he became a hero of the RAF, until the Germans managed to shoot him down. Then he became a thorn in their side until the War ended.

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Oliver Denker
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 18 August 2018
Location: Germany
Posts: 209
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 12:51pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Interesting. Next time I'm near Leipzig or Dresden, I'll take a look.
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James Best
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 02 March 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 875
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 2:00pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I have read three other books by Ben Macintyre within the last year (Double Cross, Rogue Heroes, and The Spy And The Traitor) and enjoyed each one. 

I have to admit that I have zero knowledge about the WWII Colditz prison. But given Macintyre's track record I guess I should start looking for that book at my local library.

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Darren Ashmore
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 945
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 2:44pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

As a slight tangent, Reach for the Skies, the film
version of Bader's story is one of my all time
favourite movies. Starring the great Kenneth More,
the B&W film is very gung ho but also very
atmospheric, particularly the immediate post
accident scenes and rehabilitation.

Bader, from the day he entered Colditz, was
determined to escape the camp. No mean feat for a
man with heavy cumbersome metal legs.
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 3:45pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

REACH FOR THE SKY is a most excellent movie, albeit a bit sanitized. Bader was his own biggest fan, and there’s no trace of that in the film.

A bit of good luck, I found a copy of the book at a second hand store in NYC, and after I’d bought it discovered it was autographed.

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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1204
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 5:05pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

My mum met Bader during her time working for the MOD. To say that she thought he was a 'difficult' person is an understatement!
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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4410
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 5:17pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

It's always interesting how some otherwise odd ducks or misfits will really shine and have great purpose in some circumstances, such as wars. What brings the worst out in some can bring out the best in others. Thus we need to keep variety in our apples, squirrels and human beings! :^)

"Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?" - Matthew 21:42

Edited by Rebecca Jansen on 28 March 2023 at 5:19pm
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Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15729
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 6:44pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

As a young child I used to play the boardgame Escape from Colditz and I vaguely remember there was a BBC TV series called Colditz, though I don't think I ever watched it.

Never thought to look up what the actual Colditz Castle looked like -- until today!
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Paul Gibney
Byrne Robotics Member.


Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1070
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 8:18pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

According to Top Gear, it’s now a hotel.
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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7581
Posted: 28 March 2023 at 8:55pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Colditz the series was a regular in our house when I was a kid.

I was so young that pretty much the only thing I can remember is the theme
tune.
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Richard Fisher
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1221
Posted: 29 March 2023 at 12:26am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

I have never heard of any of this. Well, except for WW2.
It sounds quite interesting, I'll have to read up on it.
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 29 March 2023 at 3:56pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Bader was invited to Calgary to serve as a Grand Marshal at the Stampede. I was about 16.

In those days Harry Hays, one of the city’s big wigs, would hold a “Stampede Breakfast” on his farm in Haysboro, the district where my family lived. Since my Dad was highly placed at City Hall we were invited to the breakfast. Easy enough to attend, since the gates to Hays Farm were literally facing the end of 89th Ave, where we lived.*

My parents were introduced to Bader, who threw an arm around my mother’s waist and declared to the crowd “We’ve been secretly in love for years.” My Uncle Ivan, her brother, was thoroughly unimpressed when Mom told him of this encounter. RAF himself, he was more familiar with the caustic side of Bader’s personality.

Overwhelmed to even be breathing the same air, I hung back and denied myself the opportunity to meet my hero.

————

* Hays Farm was eventually developed into condominiums, one of which was occupied by Gary Cody’s mother. Because, you know, there are only 800 people in the world.

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