What if you were part of "The Great Escape"?

On the night of March 24-25, 1944, 76 Allied prisoners of Stalag Luft III, a German prison camp in Sagan, 100 miles southeast of Berlin, escaped through a tunnel named "Harry." Within days most were recaptured. An outraged Hitler had 50 of them shot, an appalling abrogation of the Geneva Convention, to which Germany was a signatory. Twenty-three were reincarcerated. Only three made it all the way to freedom—a Dutchman and two Norwegians, all flyers with the British Royal Air Force.
So here is the challenge. Lets say YOU were part of this escape and you were one of the lucky 76 that got out that night.
1. What method, path, or means would you have chosen for escape? For example would you have tried by train, walking overland, hitching rides, etc…?
2. What persona or disguise would you have put on? Use any you saw in the movie, book, or video game like a German soldier, French worker, German civilian…
3. What would have been your final destination like Switzerland, Spain, Italy, France?
4. How would you have prepared?
Now the movie took a few liberties so we should to in this game. In reality nobody stole a motorcycle or airplane BUT, in this case you can pick escape by motorcycle or airplane if you choose.

Now here is another part. Lets say you were the German commander of the camp. What methods would you have used to prevent such tunneling?
Have fun!
 
Video game?

With the benefit of hindsight, I'd probably head southeast, along the rivers, using barges and other river traffic, with the goal of reaching the Danube and following it into Romania, potentially reaching Soviet lines or the Adriatic, depending on the breaks.
 
Well, I wouldn't want to spend the rest of the war interned in Switzerland.

My preferred option would be using the uniform of a Nazi official or party honcho. Someone the normal police and guards would hesitate to question too strenuously. The (military) police would be well aware of all the nuances of army ID papers and such and the local police would know what a civilian would have. But a Nazi official was something they'd probably not want to mess with and thus wouldn't probe their papers too closely.

I would also try to make my way to Sweden by way of a ship in Hamburg or similar port plying the Baltic trade. It seems the best way of eventually making your way to England.
 
In the movie they show many of them going by train. With all the allied attacks on trains I dont think this would be wise.

If I was a good woodsman I'd probably just try to walk out. And I'd probably try to sneak over to Poland and join up with their resistance.
 

Sachyriel

Banned
With my knowledge I am heading to France to sabotage the Great Wall of Europe with the French Resistance. I don't think I know enough French to get by but I'd have to try.
 
If I was the German commandant I play my Tunnel Detected before any POWs could get out of the end of it. Sorry, that is Escape From Colditz boardgame;)
 
Being an MD I who speaks French & German I would go in guise of SS Charlemagne Division (French volunteers) doctor on medical leave back to France (I can fake a very good limp with a cane).
 
Top