My interview with Mr James, of The Great Escape

Hello everyone,

I figured somebody here might be interested in reading my interview from four and a half years ago, with Mr B A "Jimmy" James, an escapee of The Great Escape and other rather interesting events.

This is my edited version which I sent to WWII magazine. They accepted it oh, about four years ago. Haven't heard anything yet, haha, but I am not holdng my breath. As my father pointed out, what's the hurry for them? It's 60 years ago! Not to mention that the letter seemed to stress that it would be a while (though not perhaps four years.)

Anyway, here it is. I don't hate my writing as much as I do with things I wrote as a 15 year old. There are of course plenty of changes I will make if I try to do something else with it.

http://lucystag.livejournal.com/251725.html

Copyright 2002 Lucy Steigerwald

 

I met Jimmy James and 3 others from the Great Escape in May 2005, Also at the event was two actors from the film namely John Leyton and Angus Lennie.

 

Thank you for sharing, Lucy. Great interview.

 

Thanks for the link Lucy.

Very well written.

Never get tired of reading (or hearing) personal accounts.

Marek

 

Very interesting Lucy, thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you, Kyt and Marek! And Gnomey!

52nd, I am deeply jealous! I would love to meet Mr. James, and go to England for all sorts of reasons that mostly relate to WWII. Was Sydney Dowse present? I'm interested in him as well, because he's the only other remaining Great Escape and Sachenhausen escape member.

 

Thank you for sharing that Lucy. Very interesting.

 

No problem at all Owen and Spidge! Thanks for reading, because I am awfully glad to tell more people the story.

I of course have to reccomend "The Great Escape" by Paul Brickhill, to anyone who hasn't read it. As well as the not quite as well-written (Mr James not being a professional writer, as Brickhill was) "Moonless Night" by Jimmy James, because that's where you get the great detail of the Sachenhausen escape among other things.

 

The Longest Tunnel is well worth a read, as is a Gallent Company (Though is does contain several errors).

 

I've read the former, but not the latter. The former was pretty good, but "The Great Escape" beats it by a mile. The writing in it is still best of the bunch of books.

 

Excellent interview!

 

Oh thanks!

 

Don't know if this is of interest/common knowledge, but at the RAF Museum in London, there's a manuscript that was put together just after the war as a result of interviews with guys who'd been in the Great Escape & at SL3... it covers all parts of the camp & is a fascinating read.

 

Oooh, certainly of interest... Too bad I am in the United States!

 

By the way, if anyone is interested, the last news I got from Mr James was a letter in early August. He apologized for his long response time, said he was busy doing his usual talks at schools and such. Generally much busier than I, though he may be 72 years older.

He also delighted me with the response to my wondering if had ever met Douglas Bader. Yes, but "he wasn't the most popular boy in school." I love that someone can tell me about Douglas Bader personally, in a letter to me personally. History books can't quite compare.

It's such an honor to have letters from this man.

 

Sadly Mr James has passed away today -

BBC NEWS | England | Shropshire | 'Great Escape' war veteran dies

 

A real loss. I hope to see a great right up about this true character in the forth coming papers.

Nick

 

As I said in the other mention on these boards, getting this news today has made me cry. I also hate that it took me this long to find out.

I toasted him with gin today. A real gentlemen. Even to me as a weird little American teenager writing and asking so many questions. I never met him, but I have letters, and I phoned him twice. So this hits closer to home than it might.