Biography

He spent nearly five years as a prisoner of war. After the war, he returned to Australia and worked in the mining industry.

He was one of the last survivors of WWII's most famous prison camp break, known as the Great Escape. An RAF flight lieutenant from Australia, he was one of 76 airmen who escaped from Nazi Stalag Luft III camp in March 1944. 73 of the escapees, including Royle, were soon recaptured; 50 of those men were shot on Hitler's orders.

His death leaves only one survivor of the 76 men who escaped from Stalag Luft III: Dick Churchill who was born Richard Sydney Albion Churchill 21 January 1920, in East Molesey, Surrey, England and died on 12 February 2019 in Crediton, Devon, England, UK.

His contribution to the escape operation was to distribute dirt excavated from the 360-foot tunnel around the camp grounds. This was done by surreptitiously releasing the soil down his trouser legs.