Great Escape Legend Unveils Donald Pleasence Plaque

Stars turn out to see ceremony on Strand on the Green

Vicki Michelle and Air Commodore Charles Clarke OBE. Picture: Mike Abbott

A ceremony to unveil a plaque in honour of Donald Pleasence took place on Strand on the Green near the Bulls Head this Sunday (22 October).

As well as members of his family, there were many well-known actors present and representatives from the RAF with which Mr Pleasence had served during the second world war.

The Heritage Foundation blue plaque was unveiled by Air Commodore Charles Clarke OBE who had met Donald Pleasance while filming the Great Escape. Charles Clarke is one of the three surviving prisoners from Stalag Luft III during the real great escape in March 1944 when 76 allied servicemen broke out. Aged just 19 he was shot down over Stuttgart in 1944 on his eighteenth mission in a Lancaster bomber and was one of four survivors from a crew of seven. He was captured by a German soldier on his way to Switzerland and taken to the supposedly inescapable prison in Poland.

As he had only recently arrived he wasn’t involved in the escape but realised something was up when he heard a shot fired by a guard at men escaping from the tunnel. In the event only three of the men managed to make it back to Britain with 50 of the others being shot on the personal orders of Hitler.

Picture: Mike Abbott

In the film Donald Pleasance’s character is Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, ‘the forger’ who goes blind due to the intricate work of creating papers for the escapees. Guided by James Garner he nearly makes it over the Swiss border only to be shot and killed. The character is fictional but loosely based on Eric Dowling who was in Stalag Luft III at the same time as Charles Clarke. Donald Pleasence did serve with Bomber Command and was shot down and taken prisoner but not at Stalag Luft III.

Picture: Tom Doran

The ceremony to unveil the plaque on the house where he lived for many years was attended by his ex-wife, daughters and granddaughter as well as a host of well-known British actors including Vicki Michelle, Valerie Leon, Vivienne Martin and Graham Cole, best known as PC Tony Stamp from ‘The Bill’. Vicki Michelle jointly unveiled the plaque with Charles Clarke. Also present were members of the RAF past and present.

Vicki Michelle, Air Commodore Charles Clarke OBE and Tom Doran

The Heritage Foundation honours actors and actresses and those in the entertainment industry and its Arts and Entertainment Charitable Trust has strong links with the Bomber Command Association.

October 20, 2017