Updates From the Centre County Historical Society


The Last Flight of the Hun Hunter
Posted Tuesday, November 01, 2011

The Last Flight of the Hun Hunter
Presented by Barb Ermol
Sunday, November 6, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Centre Furnace Mansion
1001 East College Avenue, State College, PA

Harry M. Burman, of Houserville, served in WWII as a B-17 pilot and was shot down over France in 1943. He was harbored by the French but eventually ended up in a German POW camp. The camp, known as Staglag Luft 3, became famous as it was the scene of the most daring escape of the war. The plan was for 200 POW's to escape through 3 tunnels while wearing civilian clothes, and with the proper papers to provide them passage to work their way to safety. Harry Burman played a part in that escape. Years later after the war, Harry returned to France with Barb to a hero's welcome by those that had harbored him during the war.

One of the POW's was Paul Brickhill, an Australian Air Force pilot and writer who had been shot down over North Africa. Brickhill was involved with the tunneling, and chronicled the escape as "The Great Escape" which later became a movie starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and several other prominent actors of the day.

Barb has stories handed down from her father as well as photos of which she has told me a few, to the extent that I think this would produce an interesting program. Key topics:  His involvement in the tunneling, his interaction with key people who made the escape possible, as well as photos and video of his return to France.

Henry Burman, just 24 years old, was the young B-17 pilot of the "Hun Hunter" in the US Army Airforce. On February 16, 1943 he was on his 13th bombing mission over France. Roger Bredoux was a 16 year old French boy in the countryside of Molac who witnessed the fall of the American warbird from the sky that cold February day. It was a day that both would never forget but it would take 50 years for each of them to hear the rest of the story.


For more information about Centre County Historical Society and additional scheduled programs, visit http://www.centrecountyhistory.org/, email info@centrecountyhistory.org, or call (814) 234-4779.