Date of birth:

July 13th, 1911

Date of death:

December 24th, 1983 (Porto Cheli, Greece)

Service number:

117664

Nationality:

British

Eric Williams was the navigator of a Vickers Wellington bomber shot down on a bombing raid over Germany in December 1942. He evaded capture for three days, but was eventually caught and sent to Oflag XXI-B Schubin in Poland. There he quickly formed a friendship with Lieutenant Richard Michael Codner and together they planned and executed an escape through a tunnel. However, they were quickly recaptured and, as punishment, sent to Stalag Luft III in Sagan
They started making new plans to escape. Michael Codner, probably as a result of his classical education, thinking about the Trojan Horse, came to the idea of a wooden vaulting horse. Together with Williams, they developped the idea further.
Using bowls for shovels, Williams, Codner, and Oliver Philpot dug for three months, while gymnast used the vaulting horse for cover, before finishing the 100-ft tunnel. On the evening of October 29, 1943, the three men made their escape. Traveling north, Williams and Codner reached Stettin where they stowed away on a ship to neutral Sweden. Philpot, posing as a Norwegian businessman, took the train to Danzig and stowed away on a ship to Stockholm. The three men were the only prisoners to successfully escape from the camp's eastern compound.
In the late 1940's Williams put his experiences in the book "The Wooden Horse" which was made into a movie in 1950.
Williams settled in Greece in 1962 where he died in 1983.

Promotions:
? Temporary Flight Sergeant
22 September, 1941: Pilot Officer (probation)
1 October,1942: Flying Officer (war sub)
22 November, 1943: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)

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• - The London Gazette Issue 35498 published on the 24 March 1942
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35791 published on the 17 November 1942
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36307 published on the 28 December 1943
  - Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36702 published on the 12 September 1944
  - The Victoria Advocate, December 31st, 1983>br />