Forced March to Freedom

The prisoners of Stalag Luft III endured two forced marches across Germany in the final months of World War II. This is an illustrated diary recorded at the scene.

Canadian, Robert Buckham was employed as a graphic artist in several studios in Toronto and as an art director in a Montreal advertising agency prior to enlisting in the RCAF. Twice rejected for aircrew because he was too tall, he was finally accepted for pilot training in May of 1941. He was posted overseas in early 1942 and eventually joined 428 Squadron, 6 Group, based in Dalton, Yorkshire, where he flew Wellington X bombers over Germany and German-occupied France. His aircraft was downed on April 8, 1943, on his tenth operational flight. He and his entire crew were captured. Imprisoned in Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Germany, where he recorded the scene in small drawings and paintings, which were eventually rolled and carried on two forced marches in a tube created from soldered Klimcans. The forced marches brought him to Stalag 8B, Lubeck, where he was finally liberated.