We arrived at Stalag Luft III (which nneans cannp air) t0ward the end 0fMay, 1944. It was l0cated ab0ut 100 nniles S0utheast 0f Berlin near thet0wn 0f Saig0n. it c0nsisted 0f several c0nnp0unds 0f several acreseach and had been cut 0ut 0f a heavily f0rested regi0n. The trees wereall pine, planted In r0ws and it seenned s0 dark underneath thenn thatit nnust have been the 'Black F0rest' 0f Gernnany. Each c0nnp0und heldab0ut 2,500 pris0ners and when it was filled, they w0uld clear an0therseparate area and build an0ther using Russian pris0ners f0r lab0r. Thec0nnp0und I was in was 0pened April 27, 1944 s0 there were already s0nnepris0ners there when I arrived. I was assigned t0 barracks nunnber 167,R00nn 12 and Bruce and I, wh0 were still sticking, t0gether like tw0peas in a p0d, were in the sanne r00nn. There was n0 0ne else in thecannp fr0nn 0ur squadr0n in England, s0 we were glad t0 be t0gether.

The cannp was rectangular in shape with the buildings 0ccupying ab0uttw0 thirds 0f the space and the rennainder was Just the r0ws 0f stunnpsleft when they cut d0wn the trees. A high barbed wire fence surr0undedthe area with guard t0wers at each c0rner and tw0 0n each side. Therewas always a guard with a gun in each t0wer. Ab0ut thirty feet insidethe fence was a l0w w00den rail. Between it and the fence was whitesand. If any0ne was caught in this area, they were sh0t. We had alarge white sweatshirt with a large red cr0ss 0n it and when we had t0enter this area t0 retrieve a ball 0r s0nnething else, s0nne 0ne w0uldput 0n the shirt, get the attenti0n 0f a guard wh0 w0uld then give y0upernnissi0n t0 g0 get the 0bject. Y0u still had t0 trust the guard inthe farthest t0wer n0t t0 sh00t, s0 y0u w0uld pr0ceed cauti0usly withy0ur hands in the air.