Below is Wing Commander Robert Stanford Tuck (with pipe), a Battle of Britain veteran who had something like 28 air to air kills before he was shot down and captured. Next to him is Roger Bushell, the famous mastermind of the Great Escape, later executed by the Germans. This photo was taken in the Stalag Luft III prison camp. Bushell was Tuck’s commanding officer before Bushell was shot down in 1940, and the two were close friends (and roommates in the camp). Tuck was one of the group of prisoners purged from Stalag Luft III by the Germans, and therefore did not take part in the Great Escape. Given his previous history of being a troublesome prisoner with multiple escape attempts, he almost certainly would have been among the executed escapees had he been there. Thus, the purge likely saved his life. His flying career and time as a prisoner were very interesting, and anyone interested in the period should read his biography “Fly For Life” if you can find a used copy of the book.
