As the title above says, it was 80 years ago today that 76 men escaped via the tunnel called "Tom".
Of the 76 escapers, 50 were shot dead on the direct orders of Hitler.
6 of the dead were Australians.
Only 3 of the escapers made it safely to freedom.
Each day, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra holds a ceremony of The Last Post in which is detailed the life and death of an Australian Service person.
Our daughter, my father's granddaughter, and our grandsons were invited to lay a wreath of remembrance at the pool of reflection a couple of months ago when they attended the AWM to honour my own fathers passing.
If anyone is interested, todays service recounts the death of Squadron Leader James Catanach, one of the escapers. He was only 22y/o.
Watch it on Youtube. Move to the 8.20minute where the service starts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_kjv79znX8