Decorations of Great Escape Pilot Executed in WWII Brought Back to Former Squadron

The military decorations of a pilot, who was executed following his involvement in the renowned Great Escape during the Second World War, have been repatriated to his previous squadron. Flt Lt James “Cookie” Long, a Prisoner of War, was among 50 individuals executed in 1944 under the directives of Adolf Hitler, subsequent to their escape from the German Stalag Luft III camp. While 73 of the 76 escapees were apprehended, the extensive breakout gained lasting fame through the iconic 1963 film, The Great Escape, featuring Steve McQueen. The IX (Bomber) Squadron, stationed at RAF Lossiemouth, has now received his medals, following the finalization of an agreement with a private collector. The association linked to the squadron located the medals in New Zealand upon discovering they were scheduled for an upcoming auction. After obtaining pledges totaling thousands of pounds from its members, the association arranged a direct purchase. The 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, and 1939-1945 War Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf are now slated for exhibition in the squadron’s heritage room located at Lossiemouth. These items will be placed among other historical artifacts spanning the squadron’s 110-year existence. In 1941, Flt Lt Long served as co-pilot during a raid on Cologne when his Wellington bomber was engaged by a German fighter aircraft and subsequently crashed in the Netherlands. Following their parachute descent, the crew members were apprehended and first incarcerated in Stalag Luft I. Subsequent to multiple attempts to escape, he was transferred to Stalag Luft III in 1942. Within this camp, he acquired the moniker Cookie, reportedly due to his skill in producing unauthorized alcoholic beverages. It is rumored that he served as the inspiration for James Garner’s character, Hendley, who was known as “The Scrounger” in the film for his aptitude in acquiring materials beneficial for the escape. Gp Capt James Heeps, who holds the positions of Typhoon deputy force commander and president of the IX (Bomber) Squadron Association, stated: “We have always been proud of our squadron’s heritage and over the years have attended many Great Escape anniversary events to remember Cookie.” He further added: “But even so I was surprised by the speed and generosity of association members’ responses to the fund-raising campaign which enabled this purchase.” Gp Capt James Heeps indicated that the collector, who prefers to stay anonymous, had removed the medals from auction and sold them significantly under their estimated value to “enable their return home to the IX (Bomber) Squadron family”. The collector has been granted honorary membership in the association “in recognition of his generosity”. In a surprising turn of events, the present commanding officer of IX(B) Squadron identified his uncle in an archival photograph featuring Cookie alongside other prisoners at Stalag Luft III. Wing Cdr Chris Pearson commented: “I’d always known that my uncle Alec had helped with The Great Escape, distributing earth despite being too tall to crawl through the tunnels.” He continued: “I’d also known about Cookie, having served on the squadron as a junior officer. However, it’d never crossed my mind that they would have known each other.“ Pearson elaborated: “As the squadron was getting ready to receive the medals, we looked through a trove of documents gifted to us some years ago by Cookie’s family and found a photograph of the two men together in a signed menu for the Stalag Luft III Christmas dinner in 1942.” He described his reaction, saying: “I turned white and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.” The decorations belonging to Cooke’s lead pilot, Flt Lt (who later became Squadron Leader) John Shore, are additionally exhibited at RAF Lossiemouth. His son, Wing Cdr (retired) Ian Shore, remarked: “It was an honour to be present with my father’s medals at this special occasion.” Beyond Steve McQueen and James Garner, the cast of The Great Escape further included Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and Gordon Jackson. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.