GALLERY: RAF personnel recreate Long March of 1945

A memorial service was held at Stalag Luft III before the marchers set off on their journey [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

A memorial service was held at Stalag Luft III before the marchers set off on their journey [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

A watchtower at Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

Five veterans look through barbed wire at Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

One of this year's marchers tries out a Great Escape tunnel at Stalag Luft III [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

A veteran on the march is accompanied by a young cadet [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers set off from Stalag Luft III [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers completed a mile for each of the 65 years since the prisoners of war were forced to move camps in 1945 [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers trek through the snow [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers had to endure temperatures of -28 degrees Celsius [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers were from the RAF and the Air Training Corps [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

 Mr Michael Day takes the weight of his feet in the old barn at Lipna at the end of the first day of marching [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

At least this year's marchers were able to treat their blisters [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

Inside the field kitchen in the old barn at Lipna, a rest-stop for the original marchers during January 1945 [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

This year's marchers prepare to bed down for the night in the old barn at Lipna [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]