An exhibition that tells the story of Peter Butterworth’s life as a prisoner of war is set to go on display, 80 years after his imprisonment. While many are likely to be more familiar with Butterworth as a star of the Carry On films, it is less known that he was part of the teams involved in two escapes from camps during World War II that would later inspire the classic British films, The Great Escape and The Wooden Horse.
Butterworth was a member of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm before being shot down in 1940 and becoming a prisoner of war. He was heavily involved in helping to hide the sand for the escape tunnels, which played a key role in The Great Escape. He was also a member of the organising committee for the tunnels in The Wooden Horse. Butterworth worked with Carry On screenwriter Talbot Rothwell during the war, which would later inspire the Carry On humour that he became well-known for.
However, it was only recently discovered that Butterworth was an officer and code writer in MI9, the military intelligence agency that organised escapes from prison camps. The information came to light after documents were released from a German archive. It is also revealed that Butterworth suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but his wartime experiences were never discussed within the family.
Butterworth’s son Tyler Butterworth expresses his amazement at the release of the information and documents, revealing that more seems to be discovered all the time. He goes on to explain how his father and Talbot Rothwell built a theatre in the Stalag Luft 3 camp where they were held prisoner, which helped to cover up the noise created by digging tunnels for escapes. The acts that were performed in the theatre inspired the creation of the Carry On humour. It is clear that Butterworth’s wartime experiences were integral in inspiring the Carry On films.
The exhibition, entitled The Great Escapes: Remarkable Second World War Captives, which includes Butterworth’s German prison identity card, is on display at the National Archives in London from 2 February until 21 July. The exhibition provides an opportunity to look deeper into the story of one of Britain’s talented performers and his wartime heroism
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