This Woodbine Cottage in Bishops Cleeve which used to be the home of Squadron Leader Eric Foster, Eric was quite a famous character and the film The Great Escape was based on his war time exploits... Eric was a nice guy and very approachable, I remember him when he was over 100 years old bombing around Cleeve on his mobility scooter and I have to say that I was so jealous because at 100 years old he still had a mass of wavy black hair, I often thought when I saw him that I must have been at the back of the queue when they dished out the hair!! :) A little about Eric.... A Second World War pilot who escaped seven times from prisoner of war camps has died aged 102. Friends said Sqn Ldr Eric Foster, who died peacefully at his home in Bishops Cleeve, Glos, on Sunday, was part of the inspiration behind Steve McQueens character in the film The Great Escape. As a flight lieutenant with 38 Bomber Squadron, Mr Foster was shot down over Paris while flying a Wellington bomber in 1940 and captured by German troops. Over the next four years he escaped seven times from prisoner of war camps, sometimes dressed as a German officer. He was taken to a German prisoner of war camp at Homark, near the Polish border, and tried to break out by shinning down a fire escape. At Spangenberg Castle, which was surrounded by a moat, he sneaked out disguised as a member of the Hitler Youth. He took a train to Switzerland but was caught during a chase. He was taken to the Nazi camp of Schubin, where he spent eight months digging escape tunnels, which guards discovered. He was then taken to Stalag Luft III camp on which The Great Escape was based. He convinced his captors he was insane and was sent home. He was promoted to squadron leader in 1945. He later wrote about his exploits in his autobiography Life Hangs by a Silken Thread, which was published in 1992. Michael Beresford, 74, a friend, said some of Mr Fosters wartime activities were depicted by McQueen, who played Captain Virgil Hilts in the popular 1963 film. Hilts, nicknamed The Cooler King, was a fictional character but was believed to have been based on several real escapees. Mr Beresford said: Eric lived an extremely active life. After he was shot down he escaped seven times, but was recaptured. Eric had some good tales from the war, which he told in his autobiography. The RAF said: We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of the many great RAF heroes who fought bravely against Nazi tyranny. His service was exemplary and his heroics legendary.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:30:27 +0000
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