july march lithuanian pilot participated early trans european flight june lithuanian pilot serve royal_air_force raf second world war youth lithuanian football champion playing coach lithuania national football team serving instructor headed aviation sport physical education department later years coached junior football team months soviet occupation lithuania early second world war left lithuania enlisted french capitulation escaped britain flew raf pilot squadron raf took missions including escorting bombers night combat february operation shot prisoner war sent active member underground group prisoners organized executed great escape responsible analyzing german railway schedules vital plan night march servicemen escaped prison camp days recaptured executed end second world war lithuania lost independence largely forgotten memory kept alive lithuanian press lithuania regained independence detailed accounts life published abroad early life born july provincial lithuanian town time rest lithuania russian_empire father served policeman mother came urban family french origins cousin stated family origins lithuania began named came lithuania napoleon army french invasion russia 19th century married local lithuanian woman eldest children family younger brother died childhood family son following world war lithuania successfully established independence gymnasium established soon attended institution passionate sports especially football friends called played football local team known stamina discipline peers lithuanian army service age moved temporary capital lithuania attended graduating enrolled intending enlist lithuanian army time lithuanian army expanding especially targeted rapid development service branch prestigious earlier members instrumental improving designs military school played football club father death took responsibility supporting remaining family began playing football aviator associates established soon leading football clubs lithuania joined club won national championship season july played lithuania international match lost managed score goal international game lithuanian team coach predicted bright future football time football popular sports graduated received commission infantry second lieutenant attended great military institute aviation department military pilot pursuing military career abandon passion football lithuanian football champion times team won cup baltic states championship twice played games national team eventually coach national team wrote articles football ethics sports successes celebrity home county considered best lithuanian players time advanced rank lieutenant conferred lithuanian president year married prominent lithuanian won basketball championships lithuania time inspired instructor soon master air force participated air shows transferred air reconnaissance department started improving expertise independent flying mapping photography weapon systems proved challenging year prominent lithuanian aircraft commander invited participate trans european flight detailed planning preparation trans european flight begun year days flight pilots flew designed aircraft kilometers visited european capitals lithuanian pilots warmly welcomed countries visited received italian dictator return promoted rank captain decorated knight cross named head aviation physical education department went establish junior football team teach german superiors noted interested sports military duties time sporting career ended injured knee forced abandon football despite fact decorated steel wings highest award lithuanian military aviation following year proved trying personal level debts underwent nervous breakdown military career interrupted scandal transferred reserves winter war gathering momentum argued supporting finland lithuania remained neutral conflict left fight alongside left lithuania apparently intending help finland war ended time arrived soon traveled france war germany french army service arrived france mid march immediately requested acceptance bureaucratic delays hindered time cleared rapidly drawing close possible succeeded shooting german military planes short career french air force france surrendered managed way french colonies africa morocco algeria decided great_britain continue fighting french army terms armistice tensions britain france difficult august finally french army associates daring plan aircraft authorization fly england plan executed increased security airfields circumstances finally received necessary documents enabling britain autumn british service october reached liverpool travelled london december year pilot royal_air_force raf achieve changed personal data stated years younger old service raf time homeland lithuania lost independence lithuanian air force rapidly years maintained close contacts lithuanian britain order receive news lithuania family january transferred training base demonstrated flying skills hoping fly british hurricane fighter aircraft successful transferred squadron raf lithuanian pilot fly raf second world war wrote letter new challenges lying ahead transferred night fighters time dangerous kind military aviation like danger faced danger entire life flying sports personal life satisfied lacking warmth comfort personal life country cold weather called letters lithuanian envoy notes shot german bomber march wrote gathering skills knowledge order contribution lithuania restoring independence raf carried multiple tasks including training missions night combat bomber escort june squadron members engaged prolonged air combat luftwaffe later reports confirm germans lost fighter aircraft shot original report submitted claiming shot june held states fired short bursts guns yards german squadron witnessed plane break air allied american pilot missing mission carried raf pilot february february german operation commenced german kriegsmarine squadron consisting supported number smaller ships attempted sail home bases english channel fighters squadron tasked german ships attacking german torpedo boats pilots february attacking plane shot anti aircraft fire crashed sea suffered spinal fracture rescued germans subsequently prisoner war course battle british lost approximately planes failed prevent german fleet returning kiel wilhelmshaven great escape sent prisoner war camp near housed captured air force servicemen second world war camp times order accommodate eventually hold inmates known lithuanian camp squadron leader selected inmates began planning escape focused digging tunnel experienced earlier escapes nominal leader group expanded accepted ranks fluent command languages importantly german seen valuable prisoners delegated tasks order better implement escape began working creating forged documents aid confines contributed intelligence analyses baltic low countries extensive knowledge germany military transport positions led nickname know analyzed german news reports important contribution compilation german railway schedules essential escape plan remembered contribution escape operation didn know directly remember remember friendly guy having good character phenomenal memory especially good numbers dates analyzing pile information precise compilation railway schedules schedules men great escape traveled train including fluent german allowed bribe negotiate german officials order needed information know sure analyzed vast amounts information useful great escape march final preparations escape gathered momentum original form prisoners escape cover stories pose foreign workers number countries according plan needed selected lead group prisoners posing lithuanian workers traveling lithuania group prospects hope germans encountered way speak understand lithuanian member fluent language night march prisoners enacted plan problems arose immediately tunnel hatch proved difficult open tunnel exit metres short relatively safe forested area problems led delays managed break freedom originally intended escape prisoners group posing managed reach train heading danzig poland likely intended travel cross lithuanian border cross baltic_sea neutral sweden officials discovered escape began group travelled captured near march associates brought spent night following day handed death officers danzig took forest near executed march body cremated danzig executions recaptured servicemen sanctioned adolf_hitler managed reach final destinations claimed recaptured servicemen shot resisting arrest attempting escape time death held rank flight lieutenant commemoration details great escape executions reached foreign secretary delivered speech house_of_commons majesty government record protest cold acts cease efforts collect evidence identify responsible firmly resolved foul criminals shall tracked man refuge war brought justice remaining inmates erected memorial executed comrades end following war allies launched investigation escaped prisoners executions named seventy individuals responsible killer convicted year burial place identified containing ashes transferred british section grave marked posthumously mentioned despatches king birthday honours received star war medal british authorities attempted contact relatives lithuania lithuania soviet socialist republic iron curtain advised stop attempts relatives suffer negative consequences time soviet authorities saw people maintained contacts west seldom mentioned cold war pre war biography reprinted lithuanian press particularly 1950s articles began appear newspapers including significant publication discussing appeared issue journal life frequently mentioned information presented inaccurate incomplete lithuania successfully established independence interest story gained momentum lithuania street named sponsors british ambassador gave previously war medals surviving relative nephew commemorative ceremony raf provided fly past jets squadron raf aircraft ceremony year plaque dedicated honour famous lithuanian pilot cnn award winning journalist wrote detailed account life book hurricane captain published documentary film title produced life story reprinted foreign publications usa canada japan
Romualdas Marcinkus