🇨🇦 WWII uncovered: Heroes of the Great Escape: Flying Officer Henry Birkland of the Royal Canadian Air Force:

 ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡¦ WWII uncovered: Heroes of the Great Escape: Flying Officer Henry Birkland of the Royal Canadian Air Force:


Four Canadian POWs at Stalag Luft III, Sagan. Top, left to right - Sam Sangster; John Gordon "Scruffy" Weir.

 Below, left to right - Flight Lieutenant Clarke Wallace "Wally" Floody and Flying Officer Henry "Hank Birkland, one of six Canadian Great Escapers that were shot after being recaptured.

 Sangster, Weir and Floody all survived the war.

Soon after the war began, Henry Birkland enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

 He was called to Toronto in September 1940 for training and assigned to 72 Squadron in England.

"While flying his Spitfire over Dunkirk on a diversionary operation, Birkland was shot down and crashed on a beach.

 Pulled from the wreckage, Hank was taken to a hospital and then sent to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Poland.

"In June 1943, Birkland was part of a mass escape attempt known as the delousing break. 

Two dozen officers escorted by fake guards left for a neighbouring compound on the pretence of being deloused.

 Most didn’t get far and all were recaptured. Birkland was found in the forest south of the camp.

"Following this unsuccessful operation, a new scheme was hatched to dig their way out. 

Birkland’s friend, Flight Lieutenant Wally Floody (pictured first row left), a mining engineer from Chatham, Ontario oversaw the excavation of three separate tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick, and Harry.

 On March 24, 1944, the prisoners made their 95-meter dash to freedom. 

Birkland was a hauler and pulled cars filled with 20 prisoners through the tunnel before escaping himself - only to be caught 3 days later by the Germans.

Flying Officer Hank Birkland was 26 years old at the time of his passing. 

He lies in rest at Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland. Lest We Forget.

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