The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, Cmd Ken Rees

Wing Commander Ken Rees was a pilot who was the real ‘Cooler King’ of Stalag Luft III — where he helped plan the ‘Great Escape’ RAF.

Pilot who dug tunnel in the ‘Great Escape’ to have train named in his honour by GWR.

A Second World War pilot who played a vital part in the ‘Great Escape’ from a Nazi Germany prisoner-of-war camp today had a train named in his honour by Great Western Railway.

Wing Commander Ken Rees, from Wales, was imprisoned in Stalag Luft III and helped to dig the tunnel from which a daring escape was made in March 1944.

A pilot with Bomber Command, Ken was shot down over Norway in October 1942 just two weeks after getting married. He was taken to Stalag Luft III, a prisoner camp designed for captured airmen and the scene of the ‘Great Escape’.

Ken was a digger on the Tunnel ‘Harry’, the longest of all the tunnels and the one used in the escape. In the 1963 film of the famous feat, Steve McQueen’s character is said to be based on Ken due to his antagonistic attitude towards his captors, a result of his brother-in-law, Squadron Leader Harold Starr, being shot under his parachute during the Battle of Britain.

Rees caused trouble at every opportunity and was often in the ‘cooler’, he attributed his antagonism to anger at his brother-in-law, S/Ldr. HM Starr (commemorated on this website) being machine-gunned in the air by German fighters after he had bailed out of his Hurricane during the Battle of Britain, Battle Of British Monument writes.

When Roger Bushell, the head of the escape committee, was making plans for a mass breakout by tunnels, Rees was chosen to be a member of the digging team. He believed he was chosen because he was a Welshman and it was assumed that he must have some experience of mining, which was not the case.

Rees spent long hours digging the tunnel ‘Harry’ and was one of those still making their way to the exit when the escape was discovered. His close friend, F/Lt. Lester Bull DFC, was amongst those shot by the Gestapo.

In late January 1945 Rees and his fellow prisoners were marched westwards ahead of the Soviets in bitter winter weather before being liberated by British troops on 2nd May.

Ken, who died in 2014 aged 93, always maintained he had nothing to do with the story that McQueen’s character was loosely based on him. “He is taller than I am, I’m heavier than he is, he’s American and I’m a Welshman – the only things we’ve got in common is that we both annoyed the Germans and ended up doing stretches in the cooler. I didn’t get out and if I did, I wouldn’t have been able to ride a motorbike anyway.”

Now the train operator is fulfilling its pledge to honour four more war heroes and Wing Commander Rees’ name will feature on Intercity Express Train 800310, forming the 1122 service from Swansea to London Paddington following the ceremony.