Colditz TV series

I hope they follow it up with ‘Secret Army’ I’m starting to miss Ludwig Kessler.

They have, its been on one of the SKY sat channels, cant remember which one though.Its usually at some ungodly hour if i remember correctly !

Original tv series Colditz glider was dispalyed at Blagdon pines Torbay

visiting Colditz

Hi Guys,
I visited the castle recently (October 2010) and stayed in the Youth Hostel for 2 nights. The hostel can be used by non-members of the YHA. All we did was phone up and book. They even speak English.

Ranges of tours around the castle can also be booked and “Steffi”, an English speaking guide, will take you around all the escape routes of the castle.
I cannot recommend this trip enough to anyone who’s a fan.

The castle is being renovated, but they’ve cottoned on to the fact that the WWII years are a huge tourist attraction and they cater for that. The redecorated bits look great too!:D

Google websites for more info or P.M. me if you like.

C.B.

I hope they follow it up with ‘Secret Army’ I’m starting to miss Ludwig Kessler.

The IWM also had a replica of the glider on show for a while. I think it was from a TV doc where they assessed its airworthiness, it was flyable irc.

When the TV series was first shown the Imperial War Museum Lambeth had a `Colditz` display.
Dummies were created for some of the actors namely David McCallum.
When the display was over they kept the McCallum dummy and used it around the museum.
I can remember as a kid hunting the `McCallum` dummy. McCallum as the Naval Officer, McCallum as the Nazi General.
When the museum was renovated the dummy dissapeared. I wonder if they still have him in the basement somewhere?

Some quite nicely edited in shots of Wellington(s) in last night’s episode during which David McCallum gets shot down.

What with this series and all those Onedin Line episodes the years just seem to melt away. Now, where did I put those Stones records?

Rod.

Peter Storie Pugh, Colditz inmate

Slightly off topic, I had a cousin, Peter Storie Pugh, who was an inmate at Coloditz, and met up with Hauptmann Priem several times subsequent to the end of hostilities. After a brilliant career as a lecturer in veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, he became Chairman of the UK delegation to the European Veterinary congress.

I lost contact with him when he moved to France to live sometime in the mid-nineties.

Just back to blighty to discover the repeat of this excellent series. A documentary tonight followed by all 28 episodes weekday nights starting tomorrow – can’t wait. Much of today’s TV cannot hold a candle to past programmes…………..

. Our guide (who arrived in a Trabant) seemed to think the local population were a bit nonplussed about its significance to the British.

Some are, but most know it was significant – and of course the local council won’t be the only ones to be ignorant of what others find significant – it happens here in the UK as well! It’s not just locals though, I told a Kiwi where I was going and I may as well have said Timbuctoo for all it meant to him. He knew it was a POW camp but had no idea it had any particular significance/

Has this place been opened as a hotel? Or did i dream that!!

Top Gear said it was a hotel on one of their fantasy adventures, but that was just TV. It’s a cultural centre with a resident orchestra.

Has this place been opened as a hotel? Or did i dream that!!

Went there a few years back. It seems the local council were renovating it to their own means (they are based there) and paying not much attention to the heritage. E.g. some of the prisoner graffiti had been pulled off the walls and painted over. Our guide (who arrived in a Trabant) seemed to think the local population were a bit nonplussed about its significance to the British. Still a fascinating place and one where you can put your imagination to work. A remake of the series I think is in order, or at least a film.

Antony Valentine? I recall it being very good, especially the excellent and atmospheric opening music

Cast listing
Robert Wagner as Flight Lt. Phil Carrington [ season 1; episodes 24 & 25 ]
David McCallum as Flight Lt. Simon Carter
Jack Hedley as Lt. Colonel John Preston
Bernard Hepton as Kommandant
Anthony Valentine as Major Horst Mohn [ season 2 ]
Edward Hardwicke as Captain Pat Grant [ season 1 ]
Christopher Neame as Lt. Dick Player
Hans Meyer as Hauptmann Ulmann
Richard Heffer as Captain Tim Downing
Paul Chapman as Captain George Brent
Peter Penry-Jones as P.O. Peter Muir [ season 1 ]
Dan O’Herlihy as Lt. Colonel Max Dodd [ episode 24+ ]

The TV series

The programme as I remember was an excellent one , some of the actors when on to much higher things. Though I can’t remember the actors name that played the ” nasty part” any thoughts anyone ?
Regards All

Well worth a visit; I was there in 1999 while much work was being done to renovate the place and as a result of which we had pretty much free rein to go wherever we pleased. Fascinating and redolent with atmosphere.

Look forward to it, Great series. I am hoping to visit Colditz next year

Stirling Castle (near where I live) was also used for many of the location shots of “Colditz” though the main courtyard set was created at Ealing Studios.

The Castle scenes were Filmed at Calver Mill, Derbyshire iirc they had photographs displayed in the foyer of the Mill of some of the filming several years back.