We lived for a while in the 60s in Abilene. I had a friend there whose dad was in Stalag Luft III. He had helped dig tunnels but did not participate in the escape itself, fortunately for him and his future descendants (including my friend).

GasAg90 said:

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Fun fact for you and others. Three Doolittle Raiders ended up on Stulag Luft 3. Greening, Jones, Griffin.

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backstory?

GasAg90 said:

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Fun fact for you and others. Three Doolittle Raiders ended up on Stulag Luft 3. Greening, Jones, Griffin.

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Greening was in Stalag 1: After his leave, he reported to McCord Field where Ross volunteered to go with Brig General DOOLITTLE to North Africa for Operation Torch and fly Martin Maurader B-26 Bombers. As a Group Commander, Greening flew 27 missions before he was shot down over Mt. Vesuvius, Italy. He was captured by the Germans. Ross escaped and was recaptured. Ross spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41499308/charles_ross-greening

GasAg90 said:

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Fun fact for you and others. Three Doolittle Raiders ended up on Stulag Luft 3. Greening, Jones, Griffin.

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Jones was @ Stalag III: On September 1942, Jones was assigned to the new 319th Bombardment Group, preparing for combat in North Africa. He was assigned to develop low-level bombing tactics and techniques due to his experience with the Doolittle project and his belief in low-level bombing tactics.

On 4 December 1942, he was shot down over Bizerte, North Africa, and spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III. As a result of his constant agitation and harassment of the enemy, he was selected for the "escape committee" by fellow prisoners. The committee reviewed escape plans and directed escapes Jones led the digging team on tunnel "Harry" used in the Great Escape, chronicled in Paul Brickhill's autobiographical book, and portrayed in the 1963 movie The Great Escape. Jones was commended for leadership among his fellow prisoners

Friend of mine's father was one of the prisoners there. In the movie, his trombone is the top of the liquor still.
Another lost opportunity for me to have heard some amazing stories, though had I asked he might not have wanted to discuss it. Crazy though, we met them in Germany while he was going back to his old sites there, who knows what he saw on that trip.