War hero who helped inspire The Great Escape dies

1000AM GMT eighteen Mar 2010

Previous of Images Next Bill Dean in his RAF unvaried during the War Photo Manchester Evening News A still from The Great Escape

Bill Dean assimilated the RAF in 1940 and became piece of Bomber Command, completing fourteen missions prior to he was shot down over Berlin in Jan 1944.

He was sent to Stalag Luft 111 in Poland a month prior to the dermatitis and helped Flight Lt Colin "The Forger" Blythe emanate feign passports for 200 servicemen comparison for the escape.

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Seventy-six done it over the handle prior to the Germans realised what was going on, but most were recaptured and at slightest 50 were executed.

In Jan 1945, Mr Dean was between the superfluous prisoners who were forced to impetus 2,000 miles to a stay at Luckenwalder, south of Berlin, where conditions were most worse than Stalag Luft 111.

By Apr of that year, security at the stay slackened sufficient for him to travel out. He was since preserve by a German lady for multiform months, prior to being picked up by Americans and sent behind to England.

Mr Dean went behind to portion in the RAF and in the 1950s became behaving armed military craft personality with the City of Chester Squadron.

In 1956, he proposed his own commercial operation as a tradesman of oppulance products to delicatessens.

He tied together in 1946 and had one daughter, Victoria and a grandson, Alex.

Mr Dean, of Cadishead, Salford, Greater Manchester, died in his nap in Salford Royal Hospital on Tuesday, Mar 9. He had been in sanatorium for a week with heart problems.

His grandson Alex Beech pronounced he died in the demeanour of his chosing.

"It was a pacific approach to go - and additionally a cool approach - and that would have meant an horrible lot to my grandfather," he said.

Local historian Dave Veldhoven, 45, had been anticipating to group Mr Dean up with a movie association fervent to take him behind to the camp.

"Bill was seeking brazen to it and he would have been noble on film," he said.

His wake will be hold on Monday, Mar twenty-nine at 2.20pm in Peel Green Crematorium.