It was the most famous prison break of the Second World War that inspired a major motion picture in 1963, but now Calgarians will be able have an up close look at the real history of the Great Escape.
On Sunday, The Military Museums will open its newest exhibit, a tribute to the largest escape effort conducted by Allied prisoners at the German-held Stalag Luft III prisoner of war (POW) camp.
Officials say the exhibit is "an immersive, interactive re-telling of the event that saw 76 men escape from their German guards using a 300-foot-long tunnel on March 24, 1944.
"Many of the men involved in this escape initiative were Canadian and brought unique skill sets gained in pre-war life to the complex operation," staff said in a news release.
"The Great Escape Exhibit will remain a place where these extraordinary individuals will be remembered and honoured."
It will also be used to honour the lives of 50 POWs who were executed under Hitler's orders after the operation.
The exhibit includes a recreation of a portion of the escape tunnel itself, along with a display of escape-related accessories and a recreated POW hut.
"Visitors are invited to traverse the tunnel to get a sense of the tense, claustrophobic conditions of the original tunnel."
Officials say only 76 of the planned 200 captives managed to get out of the tunnel during the escape and of those, 73 were recaptured and just three made it back to England.
The exhibit officially opens to the public at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
