Alfie Fripp

Alfred George Fripp
Nickname(s)Alfie, or Bill
Born(1914-06-13)13 June 1914
England
Died3 January 2013(2013-01-03) (aged 98)
Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1930–1969
RankSquadron leader
Service number565033
UnitNo. 57 Squadron RAF
Battles / warsSecond World War
Spouse(s)
Vera Violet Allen
(m. 1939)
RelationsRobert Fripp (nephew)
Other workLaboratory at Brockenhurst College

Alfred George Fripp (13 June 1914 – 3 January 2013), known as "Alfie" or "Bill",[1] was a British Royal Air Force squadron leader who was a flight sergeant during the Second World War.[2] He was shot down by the Luftwaffe in 1939 and held in twelve different prisoner of war camps, including Stalag Luft III, later the site of the "Great Escape". As the last of the "39ers" (those taken prisoner in the first year of the war), he was the oldest surviving and longest serving British POW.[1][3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Indep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Staff (25 March 2009), Great Escape, BBC News, retrieved 10 January 2013
  3. ^ "Alfie Fripp, prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III, dies aged 98", BBC News Dorset, 3 January 2013, retrieved 9 January 2013