The Great Escape

The real camp can be visited today in Sagan, Poland. It's a ruin now, that's mostly used for archaeological purpose. A replica of the camp is located forty kilometers (twenty-five miles) south, where you can enter a model of tunnel "Harry" yourself. In the movie, they confused the actual names of the tunnels.

Strong timbers are needed to support thousands of pounds of dirt above a tunnel. The three foot long, 1/2 inch thick boards taken from the bed frames shown used in the tunnel seemingly could not support the weight. However, documentary interviews and excavation of the actual Stalag Luft 3 site, reveal that the film's depiction of the tunnel's construction was accurate. While the materials used may not have been adequate for a professional tunnel or mine, they were apparently adequate to the task and some are still holding up the tunnel even now.

Some TV versions edit the scene in which Ives is shot and killed for trying to escape over the fence.