Factual error: Why is Hilts not wearing a uniform? A serving officer captured behind enemy lines in civilian clothing risked being shot as a spy. If a prisoner's uniform was too worn or damaged to wear, it was routine for the German authorities to replace it - a P.O.W. in civilian clothes is an obvious escape risk. He is wearing a pair of tan chinos, a cut off sloppy Joe sweatshirt, both ridiculously anachronistic - Sixties hipster fashions - and nowhere even close to a World War 2 uniform. He is also wearing Army Type III Service boots - something that would never have been issued to a fighter pilot.
The Great Escape (1963)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: John Sturges
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Garner, James Coburn, Steve McQueen, David McCallum
About 70 of them escape, but 50 get caught and shot, including Roger, Mac and Ashley. 11 of them get brought back, including the Scrounger and Steve McQueen, who gets put in the cooler again. The forger goes blind, escapes with the scrounger and then dies. The only Aussie and the two tunnel diggers get away, but these are the only ones we know of who do.
moviholic
Colonel Von Luger: Are all American officers so ill-mannered?
Hilts: Yeah, about ninety-nine percent.
Trivia: While Steve McQueen performed most of his own stunts, the only stunt he didn't perform was the 60 foot jump over the Austrian-Swiss border fence. The jump was performed by stuntman Bud Ekins, who later doubled for McQueen in "Bullitt."
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Chosen answer: Vorlage is German for "forward position," so this likely refers to either the main gate, or a machine gun nest.
Captain Defenestrator