text: Fighter ace: Douglas Bader's story is to be told in a Hollywood film dubbed ‘The First Great Escape’ The story of how Douglas Bader recovered from having both legs amputated to become one of Britain’s greatest fighter aces is remarkable enough. But now another astonishing but little-known chapter of his war career is to be told in a Hollywood film being dubbed ‘The First Great Escape’. Bader – who lost his legs in a flying accident in 1931 – was shot down over France in August 1941 and ended up in a German prison camp in Warburg. It was there that the officer, who always made light of his disability and refused to even use a stick, was involved in a mass break-out that pre-dated the break in 1944 immortalised in The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough. Bader’s life story has already been the subject of the successful film Reach for the Sky in 1956 starring Kenneth More. This latest look at his exploits is based on a book on the Warburg escape by historian Mark Felton called Zero Night. It was a plot hatched by Scottish lieutenant Jock Hamilton-Baillie, 23, and involved build folding ladders to escape over the wire. Major Tom Stallard, of the Durham Light Infantry, teamed up with Bader on the planning. The fighter ace went on to describe it as ‘the most brilliant escape conception of this war’. The ladders were made from wood from a wrecked hut and crafted in the camp’s music room, where the sawing and hammering was drowned out by the sound of instruments. They were disguised as bookshelves. On the night of the break – August 30, 1942 – the prisoners managed to fuse the camp’s search lights and 41 men carrying four 12ft scaling ladders rushed the fence. One ladder collapsed, so only 28 made it over the wire, of which three made a ‘home run’ back to freedom. The Great Escape: Bader's story predates the break in 1944 immortalised in the film starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough (pictured) Bader was among those recaptured but was such a nuisance to the Germans that he ended up in the ‘escape-proof’ Colditz Castle and remained in captivity until the end of the war. More than 40 Allied prisoners put their lives on the line in a plot to escape from Oflag VI-B camp near Warburg, Germany, in 1942. Major Tom Stallard, a larger than life 37-year-old from Somerset captured while serving in the Durham Light Infantry, teamed up with Bader on the planning. While the Great Escape relied on its famous tunnels, the Warburg mass break out saw the men boldly leap over the huge perimeter fences using wooden ladders. Bader described what happened as 'the most brilliant escape conception of this war'. Months of meticulous planning and secret training went into the three minute charge of the camp's double perimeter fences. Bader’s life story has been the subject of 1956 film Reach for the Sky starring Kenneth More (pictured) A series of makeshift ladders propped against the prison camp's perimeter fence were made from wood plundered from a wrecked hut. They were crafted in the camp's music room, where the sawing and hammering was drowned out by the sound of instruments. The escape was codenamed Operation Olympian because it involved troops from across the Commonwealth - Britain, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The rights to Dr Felton’s book (pictured) have been bought by production firm Essential 11 USA . As the night of the breakout loomed, the ladders were disguised as bookshelves to fool the guards. After the prisoners fused the perimeter search lights, 41 of them carrying four 12-foot scaling ladders made from bed slats rushed to the barbed-wire fence and clambered over. One ladder collapsed, so only 28 made it over the barbed wire, of which three made a 'home run' back to freedom. Bader later ended up in Colditz and had his tin legs taken away to ensure he remained in captivity until the end of the war. Major Stallard and another leading light of the escape Major Johnnie Cousens, also of the Durham Light Infantry, survived the war and lived into their 70s. Both were too modest to breathe hardly a word about what had happened on August 30 1942. But now their story could trump the Great Escape after Hollywood bosses snapped up the rights to turn military historian Mark Felton's book about the escape Zero Night into a blockbuster. The rights to Dr Felton’s book have been bought by the makers of 2013’s Saving Mr Banks with Tom Hanks. Production firm Essential 11 USA, the makers of the 2013 Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson hit Saving Mr Banks, is now working on a script. Dr Felton said a number of 'A-list' Hollywood stars were queuing up for roles and Essential 11 had invited him to help cast the leads, although he could not reveal who was interested. He said: 'I'm very, very pleased. It's very, very exciting. Essential 11 did a fantastic job with Saving Mr Banks and to have that same team working on this is very pleasing.'
target: Douglas Bader recovered from having both legs amputated to become one of Britain’s greatest fighter aces .
  Was shot down over France in 1941 and ended up in German prison camp .
  And he was involved in a mass break-out that pre-dated the break in 1944 immortalised in The Great Escape .
  Now, Hollywood bosses snapped up the rights to turn military historian Mark Felton's book about the escape into a blockbuster .