102:
266:
335:
517:
The
Gestapo executed a group of 50 of the recaptured prisoners representing almost all of the nationalities involved in the escape. Post-war investigations saw a number of those guilty of the murders tracked down, arrested and tried for their crimes.
494:
for conspicuous gallantry as a prisoner of war as none of the other relevant decorations then available could be awarded posthumously. It was awarded in (Canadian
Government) AFRO 1729/44 dated 11 August 1944 and published in a supplement to the
289:. Over the target the bomber caught fire and filled with smoke. The pilot headed away from the attack but took care that he was not over the sea before ordering the crew to bale out. McGill and the others baled out becoming prisoners of war.
1096:
406:
His name was amongst those in the list of the murdered prisoners which was published when news broke on or about 19–20 May 1944, and he is also mentioned in the "Ottawa
Citizen" on 27 February 1946.
1091:
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1111:
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403:. His remains, which were originally buried at Sagan, were moved in November 1948 to the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery to lie beside those of his fellow escapers.
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officials on 30 and 31 March 1944 and were never seen alive again. Another account states that on 31 March 1944 a group of 10 officers including
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at
Toronto on 3 September 1940 and trained at No.1 Initial Training Squadron from 9 November 1940, graduating and being promoted
160:
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on 8 December 1940. His initial flight training as an observer and bomb aimer commenced 2 March 1941, he was promoted
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235:
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on 13 May 1941. He sailed from Canada on 14 July 1941 and completed his training in
England at No. 21
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270:
255:
145:
852:
477:
355:
239:
725:
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in
February 1942 he joined a small group of aircrew working towards an escape, one of the men was
858:
Under the Wire: The
Wartime Memoir of a Spitfire Pilot, Legendary Escape Artist and 'cooler King'
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193:
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between 1936 and 1938 . His wife was
Elizabeth Louise (née Goodman) and his son Peter Edward.
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by Mark Kozak-Holland. The prisoners formally structured their work as a project. This
876:
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The plates on their cremation urns showed that they had been cremated at
Liegnitz (now
383:
347:
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308:
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393:), 55 miles to the east of Sagan, but no dates were given. So he became one of the 50
1050:
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on 12 April 1941 and posted to No.1 Air
Navigation School. McGill was commissioned
155:
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McGarr was amongst the officers recaptured relatively locally who were taken to
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in March 1944, but was one of the men recaptured and subsequently shot by the
338:
Memorial to "The Fifty" down the road toward Żagań (Langford is on the right)
930:
33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III: A World War II Airman Tells His Story
363:
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McGill was the son of George Wellington and Rita (née Strahmayer) McGill of
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219:
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51:
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Western Morning News, Dundee Courier, Yorkshire Post, etc. 20 May 1944
78:
264:
906:
The Longest Tunnel: The True Story of World War II's Great Escape
285:(serial number "Z1142") attacking the German naval port city of
269:
The Merlin-engined Wellington Mark II. This aircraft belongs to
1043:
analyses their efforts using modern project management methods.
378:
and Bob Stewart were taken away in black cars by plain clothes
164:
674:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission casualty – George E McGill
1034:
Project Lessons from the Great Escape (Stalag Luft III),
408:
281:
On 10 January 1942 McGill was a member of the crew of
1097:
Participants in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III
1011:. Pacifica Military History; (Mar 2001). p. 41.
173:
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131:
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1092:Canadian military personnel killed in World War II
1072:Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II
318:During his time as a prisoner McGill was promoted
307:in the province of Lower Silesia near the town of
222:, Ontario. He studied chemical engineering at the
346:prison 36 miles south from Sagan. George McGill,
258:on 17 October 1941 and commenced operations in
1009:A Gallant Company: The Men of the Great Escape
734:(Supplement). 2 June 1944. pp. 2643–2644.
1082:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
714:Ottawa Citizen newspaper article – G E McGill
8:
300:who later participated in the Great Escape.
200:. He took part in the 'Great Escape' from
196:bomber, who was taken prisoner during the
20:
600:Canadian Veterans Website – George McGill
589:Pegasus Archive – Stalag Luft III murders
540:Canadian Veterans Website – George McGill
1112:Canadian military personnel from Ontario
333:
532:
192:officer, the observer (navigator) of a
188:(14 April 1918 – 31 March 1944), was a
1107:Extrajudicial killings in World War II
685:Pegasus Archive – 50 murdered escapers
7:
971:RAF Bomber Command Losses, Volume 3
948:Arthur A. Durand (1 January 1989).
14:
1067:Royal Canadian Air Force officers
951:Stalag Luft III: The Secret Story
551:Canadian Government – G E McGill
414:Nationalities of the 50 executed
100:
16:Royal Canadian Air Force officer
77:Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery,
1:
885:. W.W. Norton & Company.
1077:Canadian World War II pilots
954:. Patrick Stephens Limited.
329:
1128:
1007:Vance, Jonathan F (2000).
969:William R Chorley (1992).
744:Read (2012), p.288 and 291
909:. Naval Institute Press.
833:Jonathan F Vance (2000).
252:Operational Training Unit
855:; Brendan Foley (2005).
322:on 13 May 1942 and then
292:Arriving at prison camp
236:Royal Canadian Air Force
190:Royal Canadian Air Force
108:Royal Canadian Air Force
1087:People from Old Toronto
511:Stalag Luft III murders
492:Mentioned in Despatches
254:. McGill was posted to
234:McGill enlisted in the
178:Mentioned in Despatches
988:Allen Andrews (1976).
816:The Last of the 39-ers
780:. Dundurn Publishing.
637:Read (2012), p.244-245
376:Wlodzimierz Kolanowski
339:
273:
837:. Pacifica Military.
762:Andrews (1976), p.196
664:Andrews (1976), p.209
579:Vance (2002), p.53-54
395:executed and murdered
337:
268:
224:University of Toronto
114:Years of service
973:. Midland Counties.
646:Andrews (1976), p.49
628:Burgess (1971) p.158
619:Andrews (1976), p.49
610:Burgess (1971) p.270
256:No. 103 Squadron RAF
186:George Edward McGill
146:No. 103 Squadron RAF
34:George Edward McGill
25:George Edward McGill
814:Sean Feast (2015).
795:Simon Read (2012).
776:Ted Barris (2014).
753:Vance (2000), p.310
303:McGill was held at
240:Leading Aircraftman
731:The London Gazette
695:Read (2012), p.307
655:Read (2012), p.303
570:Vance (2000), p.53
561:Vance (2000), p.53
490:McGill received a
340:
283:Vickers Wellington
274:
260:Vickers Wellington
194:Vickers Wellington
1102:Canadian escapees
1018:978-0-935553-47-5
990:Exemplary Justice
961:978-1-85260-248-2
940:978-1-55591-536-0
916:978-1-59114-097-9
892:978-0-393-32579-9
868:978-0-593-05408-6
844:978-0-935553-47-5
835:A Gallant Company
825:978-1-909166-15-8
806:978-1-4721-1262-0
787:978-1-4597-2844-8
483:
482:
446:2 New Zealanders
386:were taken away.
324:flight lieutenant
183:
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126:Flight Lieutenant
54:, Ontario, Canada
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441:3 South African
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358:, George Wiley,
352:Patrick Langford
326:on 13 May 1943.
198:Second World War
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933:. Fulcrum Pub.
925:Albert P. Clark
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366:, Cyril Swain,
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305:Stalag Luft III
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277:Prisoner of war
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1027:External links
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348:Henry Birkland
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330:'Great Escape'
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503:Other victims
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49:14 April 1918
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478:1 Lithuanian
466:1 Frenchman
451:2 Norwegian
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368:Charles Hall
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315:in Poland).
302:
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271:No. 104 Sqn.
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214:Pre-war life
205:
185:
184:
156:World War II
152:Battles/wars
64:(1944-03-31)
18:
1062:1944 deaths
1057:1918 births
853:William Ash
726:"No. 36544"
426:6 Canadian
421:21 British
372:Brian Evans
294:Spangenberg
230:War service
1051:Categories
992:. Harrap.
861:. Bantam.
797:Human Game
522:References
476:Lithuania
456:1 Belgian
356:Mike Casey
86:Allegiance
45:1918-04-14
31:Birth name
431:6 Polish
364:John Pohe
360:Tom Leigh
298:Chaz Hall
262:bombers.
117:1940–1944
927:(2005).
903:(1990).
879:(2004).
471:1 Greek
244:Sergeant
94:Service/
400:Gestapo
397:by the
391:Legnica
380:Gestapo
344:Görlitz
220:Toronto
207:Gestapo
52:Toronto
1015:
996:
977:
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937:
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486:Awards
174:Awards
137:J/5312
105:
96:branch
89:Canada
79:Poland
73:Buried
527:Notes
313:Żagań
311:(now
309:Sagan
1040:book
1013:ISBN
994:ISBN
975:ISBN
956:ISBN
935:ISBN
911:ISBN
887:ISBN
863:ISBN
839:ISBN
820:ISBN
801:ISBN
782:ISBN
509:See
142:Unit
122:Rank
68:near
59:Died
39:Born
165:POW
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