Stalag III Prison-Guard “Popeye” and the “Good Germans”…

…WHO HELPED SAVE OUR POWs DURING WW II. My father was a downed B24 copilot who spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III (The “Great Escape” prison camp). He and other POWs fondly remember “Popeye”, the elderly Luftwaffe guard who helped save their lives at the end of the war. The Luftwaffe guards left warnings to the freed prisoners regarding the Soviets, which foretold the ensuing Cold War.

My father was a downed B24 copilot in Stalag Luft III, “The Great Escape” prison camp. Here he met Luftwaffe guard “Popeye”, who ended up saving countless POW lives at war’s end (during the Winter ’45 forced march, through snow and away from the invading Soviets). No, my father was not played by Steve McQueen in the movie.

The recent series “Masters of the Air” brought to mind the stories of my father, a downed B24 copilot who spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III (The “Great Escape” prison camp depicted in the series). Aside from the daunting logistics/perils of World War II bombing runs (my father flew out of Italy, escorted by Red Tails and more in line with “Catch-22”), something that really stands out for me is the humanity of a certain Luftwaffe guard nicknamed “Popeye”. Not only was Popeye mentioned in several prisoner accounts as a likable character, he may well have saved thousands of Allied prisoners (along with others) at war’s end. Popeye and others kept in touch with ex-POWs after the war, and his boss gave the Allies warnings about the Russians.

From my father’s own account (15th AF, 451st Bomb Group): “Afternoon appel (roll call) lasts only long enough for another recount — about 15 minutes. One of the more popular guards…