Waterloo man's diaries tell the true story of the Great Escape

Nov 30 2009 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

The lost diary detailing the reality of life in The Great Escape prisoner of war camp, by Peter Elson

IT’S as much a staple of the British Christmas, as decorations, turkey and carols. That’s right – gazing at the goggle box as Steve McQueen catapults his motorbike over the barbed wire in The Great Escape – and then watching all his intrepid pals get shot.

As served up by Hollywood, it’s easy to forget that the Prisoner of War camp Stalag Luft III, made famous in the film, really existed.

Now a remarkable World War II diary has been uncovered giving one of the most detailed insights into what life was really like for men imprisoned in the camp.

BBC North West’s local magazine series Inside Out tonight tells the story of Flight Lt Ted Nestor, who was sent to the camp after he was shot down over Germany on a bombing raid in 1943.

An ex-RAF navigator who died 19 years ago, Ted’s two diaries remained locked away in a drawer until recently when a family friend realised their significance.

Ted, who was born in Waterloo near Liverpool, wrote about “the Great Escape” as it happened before his eyes.

He recorded it all in code, as if it were a horse race, describing how just prior to the escape the men were “under starter’s orders”.

In a later entry, which he entitles The Escape, he lists in detail the size of the tunnel, where the exit was and how they learned that many of the escapees had been killed.

“On May 25th, the cremated remains of 29 of the deceased officers were returned to camp,” he wrote.

The programme follows Ted’s daughter, Sharon Cottam, who grew up in Wicks Lane, Formby, on an emotional journey back to the camp where she finds out more about her father.

His amazing story includes the revelation of his heroic action in saving his pilot’s life when their Short Stirling bomber was shot down.

Sharon, who now lives in Hazel Grove, Stockport, says: “There’s an awful lot I don’t know about my dad, which is quite sad really.”

As well as the Great Escape, Ted’s two year diaries also chronicle daily life in the camp, including how they distilled their own alcohol – dubbed Kriegs’ beer – from raisins sent in Red Cross food parcels.

The diary is filled with cartoons, jokes, drawings, paintings, photographs, poems, German propaganda pamphlets and written observations about daily life.

One cartoon shows the soldiers in training, getting advice on how easy escape would be, while another shows the reality of barbed wire, guard dogs and armed guards.

In a second diary, he details how he was shot down while approaching Nuremburg on his last bombing raid and the Great March.

This was in April 1945 as the German guards marched their British and Allied prisoners westwards to evade the invading Red Army.

“Just a few months ago, my sister, Lisa Farrell told a friend whose husband was interested in the Second World War about my dad’s diaries,” says Sharon.

On seeing them, this friend, a BBC researcher realised their potential and the director Peter Trollope, a former Daily Post journalist, translated Ted’s story onto the screen.

SHARON’S mother, Barbara Nestor, also from Hazel Grove, was keen to help as Ted considered publishing the diaries 25 years ago.

“My father was hesitant about this as it was his private recollection and he thought nobody would be interested.”