Halton Apprentices Celebrate 70th Anniversary of the Great Escape
The Annual Remembrance Service was held at
VIP guests who attended the Halton Apprentice event were Air Commodore Charles Clarke, a former RAF Prisoner Of War who was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 3 in 1944 when the Great Escape took place. Now aged over 90 he is still the President of the POWs Association, and Air Vice-Marshal Nick Kurth CBE a former Halton Apprentice, who was the senior British representative in 2009 at the 65th anniversary of the Great Escape, and attended the commemorative event at Zagan in Poland where he laid a wreath for the three aforementioned ex Halton Apprentices. AVM Kurth addressed the Service, saying: “As we approach Remembrance Day on 11 November, our minds turn to the pain, the human conflict, the suffering and the loss and moreover, we consider the sacrifices involved. Poignantly, this year marks 100 years following the outbreak of the First World War, often called ‘The Great War’. Losses endured by all involved were simply awful. However, we must not forget sacrifices in many wars since then. Indeed, the 13 year British campaign in
After the service, which included the Halton Apprentice hymn and prayer, the Apprentices were formed up by Station Warrant Officer George Mifsud, and marched to the Tribute to the sound of the Golden Oldie Pipe and Drum Band, where the Act of Remembrance took place led by The Station Commander, Group Captain Adrian Burns. Next stop was Halton House for the reception where Air Commodore Clark was interviewed by local and national TV saying: “When we heard how many of the escapees had been shot it was an unbelievably bad day after all the hard work and hope, and at that stage the British Senior Officer decreed that there would be no more escaping. It was a very sad time but too many lives had been lost.”