Could do with a few more good Foremen in work places with the same charecter as Hepton...

@@tomabbott5259 ķķķķķķķķkiķkkkkkķkkkkķkkĺkķ0

I think that the tensions in a present day Colditz would eclipse those depicted here. No safe space from hurty words, manbags would be confiscated (along with 'products'), and who knows when they'd next be able to have their a***s waxed?

With all due respect, I do not see any honor nor much courage in this episode, least of all from the Scottish officer. He got a letter from his lover cheating on him and getting knocked up, with a child that is NOT EVEN his own, yet he STILL wants to escape from prison in haste solely to rush to her in desperation to keep her from leaving him and be there for a baby that is again, not biologically his, while also fantasizing about violently hurting the man she had a child with. That is not courage nor honor at all and honestly, it makes me glad he is in Colditz. The definition of a c.u.c.k.o.l.d. If he had any brain cells, he'd just cut her out of his life and move on. He's not married to her, and for a woman who was also a prisoner of war (who managed to escape), only to make a dumb decision and hookup with another man and get herself pregnant in the process, she has managed to prove how irresponsible she is. She is a liability, not a gem, and I bet you the man she fornicated is unaware of her adultery/affair. I love Colditz, but this is the worst episode I've watched thus far.

And in case you think I am overreacting or what-else like argue "pride, honor, and self-image", ask yourself this: What if that man she had that hot loving with was you, and now you have a child with her, only to find out, she was romantically involved with another man prior beyond your knowledge? How fair would it be to you, if that man was to bust outta prison just to hunt you down and put your life in danger, and essentially steal parentage of your child? If I was that man, I'd have a gun ready in case danger happens, and I'd be dumping that cheating wanker afterwards, AND file custody for the child.

On the bright side towards the end of this episode, The Scotsman did at least redeem himself in the end and learned to accept and move on, albeit at the last minute and at the cost of his own life. And the French and British quarters ransacked as well... The key moral question: Was it all worth it?

kw d I’m glad someone thinks so

@@ThePierre58 The smallest Book in the world, Is the French book of War heroes.

@@MrBobthebird yes...Jean of Arc *despite Agincourt you realise we lost tha war, Lafayette..how do you think Trump and co got independence, Napolean - the Nap War was a cake walk - how did it take 15 plus years, , the 1000s who died at Verdun - don't believe the nonsense in the Daily Mail, bach

Oui, ces't vrai 😂

@@MrBobthebird Rochembeau, Murat, De Saxe, Cónde, DeGrasse, Duc de Luxembourg...not as small as you think, your education on the other hand well the least said about it the better...

I agree. I was delighted to find out he went to my school. St bedes grammar school in Bradford west Yorkshire. I was there 78/81 and I remembered teachers who taught him and he was an extraordinary character by all accounts. It's incredible to think that the german army where gentlemen and had honour to there opposite unlike the demonic nazis.

@@allanmiller6897 Mind your old English teacher doesn't see that last sentence Allan!!

That’s said so well! I was trying to figure out why his performance is so moving. You said it perfectly. Perfectly.

On his way to Moonbase Alpha.

Elsbeth Humphrey He could take that passage as something his own son would say to him sooner or later.

11Kralle- hum, interesting.

The relation between his eager son and himself - being a veteran kept of front-duty - was repeat(edly? - is that an english word?) depicted. Of course - there are more explanations for any sentences in most contextual levels. That's what makes a good story in the first place, doesn't it?

11Kralle- "That's what makes a good story in the first place" Absolutely. This was a very good series. I loved every one of these shows and the development of each character as it went along... Well worth the time to re-watch these.

@@elsbethhumphrey2048 Isn't it. A real joy when the beeb where at there best in drama. The human emotion and humanity in these episodes was outstanding. Great acting great scripts. If only they could have made three seasons and stretched it out. But we do have these wonderful programs to cherish.

Yes, I first read about the glider in Douglas Bader's biography "Reach for the Sky" as the team working on the glider drew him in as a aeronautical consultant. The potato starch glue was a bit of a worry at the time, but I believe that they tested it in that documentary on the glider. The launch method of dropping a great weight down through the castle may have been it's downfall for two reasons; the weight may not have been heavy enough to smash through the different floor levels, thus ruining the launch with potentially fatal consequences. If it did manage to launch the glider then the noise from smashing through the floors would have alerted the Germans to an escape attempt thus limiting the small head start the prisoners would have gained.

I have researched this for my history degree some years ago, and I came across documents that suggested the Wehrmacht officers generally despised the SS and feared them. Remember most if the Wehrmacht were of the old guard soldiers and not the fanatics the SS recruited. The Wehrmacht generally recruited from the "old boy network" of connections and who you knew. The SS was recruited on the basis of "merit", meaning how much you hated the Jews and how much loyalty to Hitler you would give.

Don't Forge After the SA was scattered, because Röhm warnt them to be the nee Army, the SS was Build up to be a competion for the Wehrmacht.

I think the Kommandant's fear of the Gestapo/SS taking over Colditz is overplayed. The Gestapo/SS was involved in murdering the Brits that got out of Luft Stalag III in The Great Escape, and some of the Brits who were recaptured ended up in Sachsenhausen, but even after the escape Stalag Luft III remained under the control of the Luftwaffe.

There weren't only English prisoners. As a matter of fact MacDonald, the focus of this episode, is a Scotsman, ffs...

@@trebleking1641 Back then there wasn't the kind of stupid nationalism that some people live out today. They didn't differentiate between Scottish and British people and didn't make such a fuss about it as if it was something special. This more than stupid nationalism only creates mischief that is capable of weakening Europe against aggressors from outside.

Yes, he has done nothing for weeks and his first contribution is to spread doubt and snuff out hope exactly as you suggested.

Especially disturbing is that he doesn’t offer a cup of Coffee to his guest, who is a senior officer like himself. Schloß Colditz is situated in Saxony. Saxony is known throughout Germany for its love of coffee and it would be considered rude not to offer your guest a cup of coffee.

@@sven5415 The Kommandant considered Colonel Preston to be a prisoner. The Kommandant would ask the question would a prison governor offer a cup of coffee when an inmate came to visit his office?

@@johnking5174 The Kommandant also needs Preston's help in maintaining order within the camp. If the Kommandant gave Preston cause to personally dislike him, Preston could make the Kommandant's life rather miserable.

Yes, it was a BBC series screened originally on British TV between 1972 and 1974. There are 2 lots of 14 episodes. I remember watching it as a child and being fascinated by it. So much so, that it started my lifelong interest in military history. I am just re-watching it again as I do every now and again. Superb.

It was a co-production between BBC and Universal. I remeber watching it as a kid in the NY/NJ area late at night sometime in the seventies. I don't think it had a large audience in the States.

Always had to be back home Sunday evening for Colditz - ask my girlfriend at the time !!

yes truly sad but did you no that only 1 person was every shot by a german guard in colditz

@@nickm8810 For a second there I thought I had unearthed one of my own ancient comments and wondered how I could have forgotten knowing that fact haha. Glasses for me I think.

@@MIck-M im just getting reminded how bad 13 year old me was at english

Forgiveness?

@Glow in the dark RAF Stead and Simpson

Colditz Castle was never well lit in real life. It was an ancient castle, and in 1940 had very little electricity in it, so the programme chose to light it this way to give some sense of reality.

@@johnking5174 But surely there would have been loads of LED lights and bright sunshine, everywhere inside the Castle ;)

@@northdevonpictures826 LED lights in 1940???

Bairn.

For thousands of years in Denmark, and the Vikings brought the same word ("Bairn") to the UK in the 7th century, and in the North and Scotland it is still used