Hundreds of bikers gather at Bomber Command in Lincoln to commemorate Great Escape victims

• Video report by Michael Billington

Around 500 bikers have gathered at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) to commemorate the men who died after the Great Escape of the Second World War, 80 years on from the daring feat.

Of the 76 RAF officers who tunnelled out of the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp in Poland in March 1944, only three returned home.

German forces shot dead 50 of the men who were recaptured.

On Sunday, two chapters of the Harley Davidson Owners Group rode in to the IBCC in Lincoln.

The Triumph TR6 650 Special motorbike made famous by Steve McQueen in the 1963 film about the escape was also on display, along with a Spitfire treating the crowd to a flypast.

"To commemorate [the escape] is really special, but what is little known, is that 27 of the 50 of the Great Escapers who were executed by the Germans were from Bomber Command," said event organiser Simon Dufton.

Another visitor said: "I do think a lot of bikers are ex-military, if you look around there's a lot of veterans badges on people.

"It's just really important to us."

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