![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Paul-Royle-240x300.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nEx-Garbage Gun Shooter sends us the sad news<\/a> of the passing of Paul Royle at the tender age of 101 years. He was an Australian survivor of “The Great Escape” from Stalag Luft III in what is now Poland, but in 1944 it was in the German Provence of Lower Silesia. He had been one of the 76 Kriegsgefangener, or “kriegies” as they called themselves who escaped through Tunnel Harry on March 25, 1944. Only 3 made it to freedom, Royle was not one of them. He did, however, survive the execution of 50 escapees which resulted as punishment for the escape. His partner in the escape, Flight Lieutenant Edgar Humphreys wasn’t so lucky.<\/p>\n Interviewed last year about his wartime experiences, Mr Royle said he had vivid memories of escaping into a snow-covered pine forest.<\/p>\n “It was very pleasant and all we saw was great heaps of snow and pine trees. There was snow everywhere, it was cold,” he said.<\/p>\n With another escapee, he walked through the night and hid in bushes but they were soon recaptured by the Nazis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Royle had been captured by the Germans when he crash landed after being attacked by German aircraft while on a reconnaissance flight on May 17, 1940. He was liberated by British troops on May 2, 1945. <\/p>\n Royle’s passing leaves only one survivor of the escape still with us, 95-year-old Dick Churchill<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"