Radio Times

Review by:

James Gill

Surprises lie hidden in many of our family histories, but few of us are likely to discover ancestors whose stories inspired a Hollywood blockbuster. Yet presenter Chris Hollins and a team of experts help three women do just that as they uncover the instrumental roles their relatives played in the Great Escape from PoW camp Stalag Luft III.

Seventeen-year-old student Rebecca Goodchild finds out how
her great uncle’s artistic talents came in handy when forging German documents, while Gill Owen and Tanya Millard hear first-hand from prisoners how their relatives masterminded the bid for freedom. The tragic fate of the escapees makes these genealogical discoveries all the more affecting.

About this programme

6/10. Participants Tanya Millard and Gill Owen learn how their ancestors were involved in an audacious plan to free prisoners of war from a Nazi camp. They discover how their relatives paid the ultimate price for making the bid, though their story inspired a book and Hollywood film.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

Chris Hollins

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