Typical Route of a WWII Stalag Luft III-bound Airman When Captured

This map illustrates the route taken by Ed Bender when captured by the NAZIs just outside La Goulafriere, France (off map to the west). From the interrogation center at Dulag Luft (Oberursel, just north of Frankfort-am-Main, Germany), it is typical of the route that a captured Allied officer serving in the air corps would take if sent to Stalag Luft III in what was then Sagan, Germany (now Zagan, Poland). Following the forced march in the bitter cold of Jan/Feb, 1945, Capt. Bender was loaded onto a boxcar and sent to Stalag XIII-D in Nuremberg, Germany. Others were transported to Stalag VII-A in Moosburg. Later that year Bender and many others marched to the grossly-overcrowded Stalag VII-A and were liberated on April 29, 1945 by Gen. George Patton's army.

The link to more pictures is here
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Schedule for Reenactment of 1945 Forced March of Stalag Luft III POWs

Follow along with the progress of the 16 "Kriegie Kids," who will reenact the forced march of their fathers. Some will walk and some will cheer them on from the bus that will follow the group. Participant's first names and the states they are traveling from include:

Miriam (Tennessee)
Diane (Missouri)
Marilyn (Ohio)
Jim (Washington)
Evelyn and husband, Kirk (Colorado)
Val and husband, Jerry (Wyoming)
Becky (Michigan)
Marolyn (Arizona)
Wayne (Arizona)
Mark (Arizona)
Kathleen (Arizona)
Marianne and husband Richard (Kansas)
George (Illinois)

The schedule for the march and visits to other relevant sites is:

Sun, Jan. 25 - meet in Berlin. Spend the night at the Pension Peters.

Mon, Jan. 26 - Bus arrives. Travel to Zagan, Poland to tour the Stalag Luft III prison camp site, museum, and Great Escape memorial. Spend night at Zagan, Poland at the Willa Park hotel.

Tues, Jan. 27 - Ilowa and Grosselten to view the places some of the POWs stayed during the march; 23:00 local time - BEGIN THE MARCH reenactment traveling about 15 km (9.5 miles). Spend night at Ilowa at the Hayduk Hotel.

Wed, Jan. 28 - Around noon local time, commence walk through Godznica to Przawoz 26 km (16.12 mls). Spend night at Bad Muskau.

Thurs, Jan. 29 - Walk to Bad Muskau 21 km (13 miles). Spend night at Bad Muskau.

Fri, Jan. 30 - Visit factory in Bad Muskau where some of the POWs stayed; walk to Spremberg 24 km (14.9 mls); tour barn museum and train station where POWs were loaded onto crowded box cars to travel to camps in Nuremberg and Moosburg. Spend night at the Hotel Stadt Spremberg.

Sat, Jan. 31 - Visit train station at Spremberg and go by bus to Dresden - tour related sites. Bus to Nuremberg and stay at the Elch hotel.

Sun, Feb. 1 - Tour war-related Nuremberg sites and investigate location of Stalag 13-D. Spend night at Nuremberg.

Mon, Feb. 2 - By bus to Moosburg to tour the museum and the area of Stalag VII-A; by bus to Munich; spend night in Munich.

Tues, Feb. 3 and beyond - some will travel back to the States and some will tour other WWII sites in Munich and the surrounding area (Dachau, etc.)

We hope you'll tune in for a commentary on our travels!
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