Fury over Channel 4 insult to MP Airey Neave killed by the IRA | Daily Mail Online comments Channel 4 is facing furious demands to axe a controversial drama that hijacks a real terrorist murder of a senior Tory MP for entertainment. The family of Airey Neave are fighting to ban the fictional thriller, which uses genuine news footage of the car bomb that killed him in the Commons car park, from being aired tomorrow. Producers of the drama Utopia pretend that his 1979 death was perpetrated by a secret MI5 cell, when in fact he was murdered by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), an IRA splinter group. Close: Margaret Thatcher with her friend and advisor Airey Neave at a 1978 press conference Slurs: Airey Neave is shown drinking and plotting in Channel 4's Utopia His devastated family – who were not consulted by the channel – last night said they were intending to take action after learning how the prime-time series had fictionalised the atrocity ‘in the name of entertainment’ as well as falsely depicting him as a debauched and conniving figure.

The drama muddies the line between fact and fiction, drawing heavily on debunked conspiracy theories that Mr Neave – a war hero who escaped Colditz – was assassinated by the Government. The programme includes genuine footage showing the blood-stained wreckage of Mr Neave’s car, paramedics racing to save his life and Margaret Thatcher’s reaction to news of the murder of her close ally and confidant, lending the fiction a veneer of credibility. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Mr Neave’s youngest son William, 60, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I am upset and I would dearly like to protect my father’s reputation from lies and fabrication. 'It seems that when somebody dies, people can say whatever they like. We would love to stop it from airing.’ Norman Tebbit – a close friend and colleague of Airey Neave who himself survived an IRA bomb – said: ‘To attack a man like that who is dead and cannot defend himself is despicable.’ In the first episode of Utopia’s second series, which airs tomorrow at 10pm, Mr Neave – played by Blackadder’s Tim McInnerny – is portrayed as a hard-drinking double-dealer who connives with spies.

Downing red wine over lunch, he is seen striking a murky deal with the security services to bring down Jim Callaghan’s Government by silencing a prominent Labour MP – by whatever means necessary. Real murder: Airey Neave's bomb-damaged car on the ramp of the Commons car park Report: Daily Mail front page of the attack in 1979 William, a Lloyd’s underwriter who was 26 when his father was murdered, added: ‘I don’t know why Channel 4 would want to make such sensationalist claims when they are just not true. 'The suggestion that my father was a drinker is particularly upsetting and utterly dishonest. After his heart attack in 1959, he gave up drinking altogether. We may well have to take action over this.’ William’s brother Patrick, 66, branded the drama an ‘utter travesty and a cynical, money-making exercise’, adding: ‘Who do these people think they are, reinventing history for the purpose of entertainment? To show real-life footage of my father’s death is in incredibly poor taste, real in-the-gutter stuff. ‘We will be sending a very terse message of disapproval to the head of Channel 4.

They didn’t even have the courtesy to contact us about this. That is the very least they should have done. ‘This is nothing more than propaganda. Channel 4 is watched by people in their 20s and 30s. They will think this mock history is the truth. That is monstrous and wrong.’ Patrick’s wife Elizabeth, 61, added: ‘This is appalling – we all want to get it stopped. My father-in-law was a dear and able man. He was not a drinker and he was most certainly not killed by MI5. 'We will do all that we can to shut this series down. Frankly, it is disgusting that anyone would think that slurring a man’s character and reputation in the so-called name of entertainment is remotely appropriate.’ A hero's burial: Patrick, left, and William Neave grieve with their mother Diana at Airey's funeral in 1979 Mr Neave’s eldest child Marigold, 70, also called for the programme to be cancelled, saying: ‘We are not happy at all and I would like to see it banned because I don’t see any point in it.

The man portrayed is not the man I knew.’ David Ray, the secretary of the Colditz Society, added: ‘Channel 4 has crossed the line. Airey Neave was a war hero, the first Englishman to get back from Colditz. He had a fine record. 'I am very saddened to hear this drama is going out. It’s terrible that a great man’s name should be dragged through the mud.’ The script weaves conspiracy with real life. Mr Neave, who was Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary at the time, was killed just two days after the vote of no confidence which brought down Callaghan. WRITER HAS 'NO MORAL CENTRE' In 2005, Utopia creator Dennis Kelly wrote a stage play Osama The Hero, about a teenager in thrall to Al Qaeda. But he is best known for writing Matilda The Musical with comedian Tim Minchin and BBC3 sitcom Pulling with Sharon Horgan, who quipped of the show: ‘There isn’t a moral centre because Dennis and I don’t have one.’ Kelly himself admitted of Utopia: ‘I’m capable of being a c***, a not very nice person.’ The vote would have made Mr Neave Northern Ireland Secretary.

The INLA killed him because they believed he would have brought their ‘armed struggle to its knees’. But on screen, Mr Neave is silenced by The Network, a fictional, secret clique within the intelligence community, to prevent him from revealing its existence. The drama also suggests that Sir Richard Sykes – the British Ambassador to the Netherlands who was shot dead by the IRA just a week before Mr Neave’s assassination – was killed by security services for the same reason. Again, genuine news footage of the diplomat’s killing is used, with a graphic shot of a pool of Sir Richard’s blood shown after an agent is told: ‘Deal with Sykes.’ Laura Sykes, 56, the wife of Sir Richard’s son Andrew, said: ‘The family has been made aware of the programme but we do not wish to comment.’ The episode ends with an agent from The Network, played by Downton Abbey’s Rose Leslie, admitting responsibility for Nr Neave’s murder. Perversely, the 27-year-old actress has even suggested the fiction is, in fact, a ‘history lesson’. She said: ‘The political intrigue, the way the Airey Neave story is woven in, it’s brilliant.

‘It was a real history lesson for me as well. I was embarrassed about how little I knew of the 1970s.’ Claims that Mr Neave was killed by the security services were first raised by Kevin Cahill, an Irish journalist, who believes the politician was killed by MI6 agents working with the CIA because he was about to expose corrupt, senior members of the intelligence community. Propaganda: Utopia star Rose Leslie says the untruths are 'a history lesson' But Lord Carlile, a counter-terrorism expert, said: ‘There’s no evidence to support these spurious conspiracy theories. They were totally discredited at the time. ‘All right-minded people always realised it was just tittle-tattle. It is incredibly offensive to the family of Airey Neave to give these claims oxygen again.’ A Channel 4 spokesperson said: ‘The drama series Utopia is entirely fictional. 'A conspiracy thriller about a fictional organization called The Network, Utopia occasionally blends real moments in history with fictional storylines, and therefore some events and characters have been adapted for dramatic licence.

'It was not our intention to cause offence and Utopia does not suggest that any other real organisation was responsible for the death of Airey Neave. That period in history has been both widely reported and dramatized over the last 35 years and is the subject of many conspiracy theories.' A nauseating new low in British broadcasting Norman Tebbit and his wife Margaret narrowly avoided death when Brighton’s Grand Hotel was blown up by the IRA during the 1984 Tory Party conference, killing five and leaving Margaret requiring a wheelchair. Here he describes his ‘disgust’ over Channel 4 using Airey Neave’s murder for entertainment. I struggle to find the words to describe the extent of my disgust at the piece of so-called television drama concerning my dear, late friend Airey Neave, on Channel 4. If reports that they are proposing to use real news footage of his cruel murder by Irish terrorists are accurate, it must surely mark a new low point in British broadcasting. It is a nauseating example of the victory of greed and sensationalism over respect for the dead, over the feelings of the loved ones of those who have died, and over that derided old-fashioned quality, decency.

Anger: Lord and Lady Tebbit I had the privilege of knowing Airey Neave, a man who showed the kind of bravery and dedication to his country that is alien to broadcasters in cynical pursuit of titillation, higher ratings and money. In a bygone world, a man of Neave’s honour would have challenged the film maker to a duel. Sadly, Airey is not around to throw down the gauntlet. To trash his reputation in this way is bad enough, but to do it to a man who is dead and cannot defend himself is despicable. I have a much better film idea for Channel 4. It has all the drama and excitement they like. It is about the first British officer to escape Colditz, who nearly starved to death on the way back to Britain as he avoided the Germans, but made it in one piece, who spent the rest of the war directing the operation that enabled other heroic PoWs to negotiate the same perilous route back home and was awarded the Military Cross.

A man who played an important role in the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, became an MP, survived a heart attack, was among a small band of far-sighted and self-effacing politicians who saw the remarkable talent of a grocer’s daughter from Grantham, helped her save the country and was rewarded for all this by being blown to bits in the House of Commons itself by terrorists. A film about this story was made many years ago, but a new one would be most welcome. The star, Airey Neave. There is only problem: every word is true, so I doubt Channel 4 will be interested. My hero father's Colditz escape- William Neave | UK | News | Daily Express UK My hero father's Colditz escape- William Neave HIS daring escape from Colditz Castle was one of the most thrilling acts of bravery during the Second World War. PUBLISHED: 00:00, Sun, Oct 24, 2010 Colditz castle in Germany [] Yet while Airey Neave’s flight to freedom has passed into legend, little is known about the effect his exploits had on his family.

* WIN A LUXURY LONG WEEKEND FOR TWO IN CAIRO!!! INCLUDES BA CLUB CLASS FLIGHTS, FIVE STAR ACCOMMODATION AND £1,000 SPENDING MONEY! * Speaking publicly for the first time, William Neave has revealed how his father’s grit and determination remained his driving force. William, 57, told the Sunday Express: “Although his time at Colditz was rarely mentioned at home I know it loomed heavy in his mind.What had kept him going was a total, fanatical desire to escape that bordered on obsession. “That determination and focus remained with him throughout his life and was something he passed on to us.” On January 5, 1942, Neave, a member of the Territorial Army, became the first British prisoner of war to break out of “escape-proof” Colditz. Disguised as German soldiers, he and a Dutch officer called Anthony Luteyn dropped through a trapdoor beneath a theatre stage. As they made their way out of the castle, they were challenged by a sentry but quick-thinking Luteyn cried out in German: ‘Why don’t you salute?’.

The pair reached Switzerland weeks later and Neave made his way back to Britain via Gibraltar. William, an insurance underwriter, said: “My father never boasted about his escape, he was a quiet, modest man, but that drive remained with him. One thing he always said to me was if I wanted something desperately, I would achieve it. “It was his way of saying never give up.” Neave became a Tory MP after the war and was a close ally of Margaret Thatcher. He was assassinated in 1979 by the Irish National Liberation Army. A documentary featuring Neave’s story titled Colditz – The Legend can be seen tomorrow at 10pm on satellite television channel Yesterday. The Colditz Story Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 18 out of 18 people found the following review useful: First class prisoner of war tale - with British stiff-upper-lips to the fore from United Kingdom 13 March 2004 Allied prisoners - that normal prison of war camps can't hold - are sent to a mountain stronghold that they are told is "escape proof." Colditz Castle (in Germany) remains one of the most daunting and visited memorials of World War II.

Looking a little like Count Dracula's castle from the outside the very sight of it must have made many a heart sink - especially those that didn't know if they were going to their deaths. Even when they found out that they weren't they still had to be vetted to see if they were not stool pigeons! This was originally a book and in the fullness of time it would be turned in to this film, a TV series (and a very good one at that) and even a hit board game. The film has to scrap a great deal of the (excellently written) book and can only represent a few of the many plot lines. In truth the prisoners ran out of escape ideas near the end and had only one left - to build a glider to escape from the roof. The war ended before it was tested! Anything with John Mills in is usually pretty good (ok - Who's That Girl, with Madonna falls short) and this is no exception. The prisoners realise that escape committee's are needed so escape attempts - between various nationalities - wouldn't cross one another. Everything here is based on a real incident, although some of the facts around it are fictionalised.

A good memorial to a tough place and some tough people that were prepared to risk machine guns and attack dogs to get over-the-wall to continue the war. While this type of movie always has many dramatic plus points built in, it is - still - one the top hundred British movies ever made and one of my top two hundred (made anywhere) films. There isn't a second of boredom in the whole movie. Was the above review useful to you? 14 out of 14 people found the following review useful: A classic of the genre from the big screen 19 December 2007 Shot in stunning B&W Colditz is exactly what you'd want from a 1950s British war film - horrible conditions, very stiff upper lips, and lots of self-deprecation and self-deprecating humour. THe surprise is how well it is directed and the acting - all of which are classic for its genre. Now overshadowed by bigger productions like the fictional Guns Of Navarone, Colditz is actually probably one of the truest to its source material, and is a rewarding view.

For this viewer it is notable because it is at times an uncomfortable watch - it really did try to understand what being in Colditz meant - and yet it is exciting, human, and full of wonderful moments. Highly recommended. from San Antonio, Texas 22 February 2008 The Colditz Story was one of a number of movies the British made during the Fifties which relived the victories and bravery of their armed services during WWII. Often these movies starred John Mills. The Colditz Story is based on fact. Colditz Castle in Germany was used to imprison the most incorrigible prisoners-of-war, those who persistently made escape attempts. British, French, Polish and Dutch officers were sent there. Unfortunately for the Germans, they wound up trying to keep inside men dedicated to escaping, and who had skills they now could share. The result was that more prisoners of war escaped from Colditz than from any other prisoner of war camp in either the First or Second World Wars. The movie is based on the memoirs of Pat Reid (John Mills), who served as an escape officer at Colditz and then was one of the first to break out and make it back to England.

While the movie is a bit dated, it also is a dramatic and efficient telling of escape attempts, ruses played against the German captors and, of course, of the unfailing courage and good spirits of the British officers. Take the film for what it is, a demonstration for British audiences of the pluck and courage of their military during a horrendously threatening war which they won, and you won't be disappointed. If you're fond of old British movies, you'll recognize, among others, Eric Portman, Lionel Jeffries, Bryan Forbes and Ian Carmichael. Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Made at the height of post - war optimism 5 February 2008 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Most P.O.W.s had a fairly pragmatic attitude to their fate.They settled down,got on with life as best they could and sat the war out.Opportunities for successful escapes were very limited,punishments harsh,and chances of reaching home via a neutral country extremely slim. With a bit of judicious bribery life could be relatively tolerable and most of the German guards were all for a quiet life.

But to some the very idea of imprisonment was an affront.They became obsessed with the idea of escape,making attempt after attempt.Colditz castle was opened up to hold officers from all over occupied Europe and the U.K.with such a history. "The Colditz Story" was adapted from a book by Major Pat Reid ( it says "novel" in the titles)about his time in the camp. He is played by Mr John Mills as a man almost exploding with frustration. He clashes with the Senior British Officer ( a first - class performance by Mr Eric Portman)in a most insubordinate and untypical manner over a planned escape attempt in the key scene of the movie where Mr Mills learns what burdens are borne along with high military rank. Mr Richard Wattis and Mr Ian Carmichael do a splendid turn as "Flanagan and Allen" at the concert party put on to cover the major escape attempt - the chorus warbling "I belong to Colditz" bringing a more modern interpretation to the term Camp Entertainment. Fun is poked at the Brits total inability to speak any other language than their own,the Poles,French and Dutch all being multi - lingual.

Some of the behaviour of our chaps is rather public schoolboyish,but these were officers in the 1940s and quite conceivably many of their number had been at Winchester,Salisbury,Charterhouse or Rugby a few short years before and therefore hadn't had the chance to grow up. The scene at the end when Mr Portman quietly calms them down and averts a riot on "appell" is very well done. It was a very popular film in its day when it was still thought that winning the war would be the end of the obscenity of genocide,bullying megalomaniac dictators and death from the sky - and the start of a brand new age of decency,justice, liberty and prosperity for all.The fact that that didn't happen is the worst betrayal of the Allied soldiers who gave their lives. Was the above review useful to you? 5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: An interesting tale.... from Bradenton, Florida 4 May 2011 This film is named after an actual German prison camp designated for incorrigible prisoners of war--those who had already attempted escapes from other camps.

And, not surprisingly, the multinational inmates spend most of their time plotting to escape. And, by the end of the film, some actually make it. In fact, the statistics on actual escapes is pretty impressive. What surprised me about all this is that the Germans were actually VERY forbearing and didn't just shoot the prisoners because of this--and the difference between these camps and the death camps is striking. It's odd. Although "The Colditz Story" is based on a true account of prisoners escaping from this German prison camp--yet I never was bowled over by the film. I must admit that normally my biggest complaint about historical films is their inaccuracy--and this one sticks pretty close to the facts--yet I didn't really love the movie. I am not saying it's bad--the acting is very good. But I just didn't get into this film as much as some of the fictional WWII British films like "In Which We Serve" or "The Life of Colonel Blimp". It is still well worth seeing. Was the above review useful to you?

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Very well done film from United Kingdom 7 April 2011 I don't think The Colditz Story is the best of the PoW films, but it is still a very well done film all the same. I don't think the film is flawless, I think it could have been longer to give more depth to the characters(though there is evidence of that) and the film could have focused a bit more on the psychology of imprisonment like the TV series did. Any faults aside, what I did love about The Colditz Story was the action. The Colditz Story has a carefully-constructed story about the daring escapes of the prisoners, and the action that forms this story is very well played, with a perfect balance of being tense in some scenes and music-hall jolly in others. The dialogue is thoughtful and quite literate, while Guy Hamilton who went on to greater projects since(primarily Goldfinger, my personal favourite of the Bond films) does a solid job directing.

The Colditz Story is beautifully shot and has the suitably foreboding German prison of the title to add to any authenticity, and there is a stirring and evocative music score too and the pacing ensures that there is very rare a dull moment. The acting is very strong, John Mills is perfectly cast, and Eric Portman also gives a performance worth of note. Ian Carmichael, Bryan Forbes and Lionel Jeffries successfully portray their heroic prison inmate characters too. All in all, a very well-done film that despite any small imperfections deserves to be better known. 8/10 Bethany Cox Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Enjoyable and good humoured prisoner of war story? from Blue Mountains, Australia 10 January 2005 This was bundled with 'Ice Cold in Alex', 'The Dam Busters' and one other British war movie. Of the four, I found this the least satisfying, probably due to the brilliance of the other three. There's a TV mini series on Colditz which is far more enjoyable, probably due to its attention to detail. The movie lacks those details, of course, as it's relatively short.

Nevertheless, it's still good but John Mills rather underplays his character, unlike his outstanding performance in, for example, 'Ice Cold in Alex'. It's all a little unreal, really, considering Colditz was reserved for the most troublesome of allied prisoners. You just won't believe that some of the characters shown created trouble for their captors in this version. However, as mentioned, it's still good to watch and better than the majority of movies with a similar theme churned out after 1960. Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: The record number of successful WW II escapes 1 November 2014 *** This review may contain spoilers *** This movie tells the story of Colditz Castle, the German POW camp (Oflag IV-C) for Allied officers who were escapees from other prisons during WW II. The Germans established Colditz as a maximum-security prison in 1939. It was supposed to be escape-proof. The guards outnumbered the prisoners. "The Colditz Story" is based on a book by British author Patrick Reid.

He was one of 56 escapees who scored "home runs." They made it all the way back to their countries or Allied lines. The film condenses much of the book, and some of the characters are composites. But, all the events depicted in the film are true. The town and castle by the same name are located about 25 miles southeast of Leipzig in eastern Germany. The prison was just 40 miles from the Czech border and about 100 miles from Poland. The prison was opened in 1939 to hold Polish prisoners. By 1940, it was converted into the Allied officers prison. Other POWs soon arrived from England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium and France. Late in the war, inmates were primarily British, and a handful of Americans arrived near the very end. Colditz was otherwise unusual for a German POW camp. It adhered strictly to the Geneva Convention in the treatment of prisoners. These were all officers who enjoyed comforts and privileges that no other prison camp afforded. The higher ranking officers actually had enlisted orderlies. This film barely touches on that.

A later movie, "The Great Escape" told a greatly fictionalized story about the real escape from another POW camp, Stalag Luft III. That prison was run by the Luftwaffe (German air force) mostly for captured Allied pilots. It included a number who had escaped before. The conditions there were much inferior to those at Colditz. The first major film on German POW camp escapes, "Stalag 17" was made in 1953. It most accurately shows the conditions of the bulk of German POW camps and treatment of prisoners. The Colditz story is so interesting because of the concentration of escape-minded officers from so many countries. Those men were the epitome of the Allied prisoner code for attempting to escape. They tied down more German forces to maintain the prison, and then to hunt down escapees. These were all units and men that were kept from the German front lines. From its beginning until the liberation of Colditz by the U.S. Army in April 1945, POWs attempted about 320 escapes. That's about 60 per year. Of those, 130 made it out of the prison.

And, an incredible 56 total were 'home runs." The French had the most successful escapes  22. The Dutch had 15, the British 14 and the Poles had 5 prisoners who made it all the way to Allied lines. Colditz holds the record for most successful POW escapes in both world wars. John Mills plays Reid, the author and the only character from the book whose real name is used in the film. The rest of the cast are amalgams of other prisoners. The first British home run was Lt. Airey Neave in January 1942. The movie shows Reid as the first British escapee, but he wasn't. He served as the British escape officer and helped with many other escape attempts, including that of Neave and Dutch Lt. Tony Lewtegn. Christopher Rhodes plays Mac McGill in the film, a friend of Reid's. His character resembles Capt. Michael Sinclair who was the master of all escape artists. The Germans called the red-headed Brit the Red Fox and distributed his picture across Germany. Sinclair escaped nine times, including two times from Colditz. He was the only POW at Colditz who was killed trying to escape.

The film shows how it happened when Mac climbs a fence and heads toward the forest. One other famous prisoner of Colditz isn't covered in the movie, and didn't succeed in an escape. But, Douglas Bader tried to escape and was there when the Americans liberated Colditz. Bader was a top British ace, with 23 scores. He was captured on Aug. 9, 1941, after a mid-air collision over France. He parachuted to the ground and his captors were amazed to see that Bader had no legs. Both of his artificial legs had been destroyed in his collision. After several attempts to escape from other locations, Bader was finally sent to Colditz. Besides Mills and Rhodes, several; other actors gave excellent performances in this film. Most notable among these was Eric Portman as Col. Richmond. Denis Shaw was a very good German Capt. Priem. And, Lionel Jeffries and Bryan Forbes have very good roles as Harry Tyler and Jimmy Winslow, respectively. This is a highly entertaining film. More than one reviewer found the humor too much or out of place. But, I think it fit well and was very believable.

After all, humor is a balm for difficulties in life and trying times. Especially in the situation the POWs had in Colditz Castle, I suspect that the humor was very much like what the film shows. I highly recommend this film, and note that it's suitable for the whole family. Something rare, I think, for a wartime film. Viewers may also be interested to know that the first British Home Run from Colditz later served in Parliament. Airey Neave was an early friend, adviser and supporter of Margaret Thatcher. He was killed in a car bombing on March 30, 1979. A few weeks later, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of Great Britain. Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Colditz - the Alcatraz of WWII from Australia 28 April 2011 Sir John Mills plays a POW who attempts to lead an escape crew out of the notorious high security German POW camp during WWII but the penultimate attempt is almost thwarted from within after the plan's conceiver (Rhodes) is dissuaded from participating by the British Colonel (Portman) due to his bulky frame.

When Rhodes makes an opportunistic and futile attempt to escape, Mills feels compelled to stand down, but is persuaded by Portman to carry on regardless. Timid account bares similarities with "The Great Escape" made almost a decade later, most notably Rhodes vis-a-vis John Leyton's character. The tunnelling method used for the final escape attempt is also an obvious source of comparison but the daring and audacity in Colditz is more pronounced (during a vaudeville theatre show put on by the prisoners to distract the guards). Distinguished cast includes future comedians Ian Carmichael and Lionel Jeffries, as well as Bryan Forbes and Richard Wattis. Frederick Valk, who plays the German commandant has a few "Hogan's Heroes" moments with Portman and his corpulent watchman (Heller, who made a career of playing this type) which contributes to the film's sometimes casual tone, lacking tension and suspense. Satisfying conclusion and some well timed humour (the "my wife went to the West Indies of her own accord" gag still rates a chuckle) hit the high notes needed, and consequently, Colditz rates as a watchable if somewhat formula war-time prison escape fare. Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Often Amusing, Often Exciting 30 March 2012 *** This review may contain spoilers *** If you ask anyone in Britain to name a German prisoner-of-war camp from World War II, the answer (unless it is "don't know") will almost certainly be Colditz; few, if any, other camps have achieved anything like the same level of fame. Much of the reason for this lies with this film, the book by Pat Reid that it was based on and the 1970s television series "Colditz". The camp, officially known as Oflag IV-C, was regarded by the Germans as a "Sonderlager", or "special camp"; it was also referred to by them as a "Straflager", or "punishment camp". Situated in a mediaeval castle in the heart of the Third Reich, it was used to house prisoners- British, Polish, French, Dutch and Belgian- who were regarded as particularly anti-German or who had escaped from other camps before being recaptured. The Germans were determined to house such men in an especially secure, escape-proof camp where the inmates would always be outnumbered by their guards.

The prisoners, naturally, were equally determined to prove the enemy wrong about the camp being escape-proof. The opening credits state that the film is based upon "the novel by Pat Reid", which is incorrect because Reid's book is not a novel but an autobiographical memoir. The film is, however, a good example of how to adapt a work of non-fiction for the screen by rewriting it as though it were a novel. All the incidents shown in the film are described either in Reid's memoir or in his later book, "The Latter Days at Colditz", which describes life in the camp after the author's successful escape to Switzerland in October 1942. In the film, however, the chronological order in which those incidents occur is radically different to their order in real life. The reason this is done is to give the film a traditional narrative structure akin to that of a work of fiction. The prisoners arrive at the camp and almost immediately set about making their plans to escape. The various national groups therefore set up their own "escape committees" to vet all escape plans and to weed out those judged to have no chance of success. Each nationality appoints its own escape officer to ensure closer co-operation.

It is discovered that an informer (a Polish officer) is supplying information to the Germans. Even after the man is removed from the camp, however, the Germans are successful in foiling all escape attempts. Morale among the prisoners drops, and in desperation a British officer named McGill makes a foolhardy escape attempt which results in his death. Eventually, however, Reid and another officer, Jimmy Winslow succeed in making their "home run", and morale soars. The film ends with the British prisoners and their allies cheering their success. In reality one British prisoner (named Mike Sinclair rather than McGill- all names other than Reid's have been changed) was indeed shot dead while trying to escape, but this did not happen until 1944, two years after Reid's escape. Contrary to what is shown in the film, Reid and his companion (actually a Canadian called Hank Wardle) were not the first British officers to make a successful "home run"; that was the future Conservative MP Airey Neave who walked out disguised as a Nazi officer. (Neave's achievement is acknowledged in the closing credits). By rearranging the sequence of events in this way the film achieves a greater impact.

McGill's death marks the film's emotional low point, which is quickly followed by its high point- the successful escape which, as Reid is the central character, is credited to him. The various personalities are well developed; Reid is practical, Wilmslow gloomy and fatalistic, McGill brave but hot-headed. The senior British officer, Colonel Richmond, is initially dismissed by the other officers as "wet", but reveals himself to be a calm and sensible leader. On the German side the Kommandant is portrayed by Frederick Valk as a typically stiff-necked Prussian Junker, complete with shaven head, monocle and barking voice- very different to the decent, humane officer played by Bernard Hepton in the television version. (According to Reid's account, Valk's interpretation was much closer to the real Kommandant. Valk, ironically, was a German Jew who had fled Hitler's Reich and specialised in playing Nazi officer types). Another German officer, Priem, is a fat, jovial man who takes a malicious pleasure in foiling escape attempts.

Reid is played by John Mills, who appeared in several fact-based war films, including "Above Us the Waves", also from 1955, and "I Was Monty's Double". Bryan Forbes, who plays Wilmslow, was later to become famous as a director and made his own prisoner-of-war film, "King Rat". Reid's book may be about men in captivity, but there is nothing depressing about it. It is, indeed, notable for a light-hearted tone and he makes it clear that many of the inmates responded to their situation with a good deal of wit and humour. Despite occasional tragic moments such as McGill's death, a lot of this comes over in the film. Like the book on which it is based, "The Colditz Story" is often amusing and often exciting, and although its stiff-upper-lip tone can seem a bit old-fashioned today it remains rewarding viewing. 7/10 Was the above review useful to you?

Page 1 of 3: Airey Neave Trust | Welcome to the Airey Neave Trust Airey Neave (1916-1979) Airey Neave, war hero and the first Englishman to escape from Colditz, barrister, poilitician and shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was assassinated by the the INLA in March 1979, in the car park of the House of Commons. He had led the campaign which brought Margaret Thatcher to the leadership of the Conservative party, and his death came a month before the General Election following which she became Prime Minister. In the wake of the killing of Airey Neave by Irish terrorists in 1979, the Airey Neave Trust was established through public subscription, to further research and understanding in relation to Freedom under the Law, and especially about issues regarding the analysis of and the best response to terrorist violence.

Over the years since its foundation, the Trust has enabled people to produce work of a high calibre and of enduring significance in this field – examples include books by Dr John Horgan - Do They Have Their Exits?, James Harkin - Hunting Season and James Fergusson - The World’s Most Dangerous Place: Inside the Outlaw State of Somalia. The Trust has also funded events which have furthered discussion and debate and appropriate response – including a consultation at St George’s House on Countering Violent Extremism Post Arab Spring and a National Security Fellowship Scheme on Countering IEDs and Detecting Home-made Explosives. The value of this work has been noted by eminent scholars and policy-makers in the field. The quotes below underline the importance of the grants to the researchers: Raffaello Pantucci - “The support that the Airey Neave Trust was able to provide me with gave me the space to undertake a wide ranging piece of research at a stage when the question of foreign terrorist fighters in their most recent incarnation was at its most nascent moment. The funding gave me the ability to dedicate resources to scour secondary material to get a detailed picture of the nature of the threat across Europe.

It led to a series of presentations to senior security officials and a few short articles which would have been difficult to do in a timely manner using other sources of funding. I am grateful to the Trust for their support and hope to work with them again in the future!” James Fergusson – “The Airey Neave Trust's generous fellowship award made an arduous project financially viable, while conferring a kind of moral authority that opened avenues of research that would otherwise have remained closed to me. The Trustees' support and encouragement, furthermore, was unwavering, and spurred me on to the finish-line. One could not hope for better sponsors.” The Trust's work has covered a wide range of regional and thematic subjects, and seeks to make possible research which has a practical value in terms of protecting life and ensuring freedom across the world. Current events globally make clear that the threat from terrorism continues to preoccupy governments and to threaten societies across the world. An enduring, and policy-relevant, set of analyses and understandings is therefore more vital than ever. While linking with and helping to inform the work of Government and other institiutions, the Airey Neave Trust remains completely independent and continues to provide funding for work which would otherwise not be possible.

The secrets of the Second World War Comet Line are revealed - Telegraph World War Two The secrets of the Second World War Comet Line are revealed Airey Neave’s long-forgotten book celebrating the bravery of Belgians in the Resistance who rescued Allied airmen from the Nazis has found a new audience Known to all as 'Dédée', Andrée de Jongh founded and organised the Comet Escape Line, the route from Belgium through France to Spain used by hundreds of Allied airmen to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe.

Question: Which war hero and escapee from Colditz was assassinated in 1979?
Answer: Airey Neave