This Day in History: 1976-10-17

1976 – Marlborough – PHILIP MACDONALD SHEPPARD, Biologist, Geneticist and Lepidopterist, died in Liverpool, Merseyside of acute leukaemia.  He attended Marlborough College from 1935-1939.  He served during WWI with the Royal Air Force and was taken prisoner in 1942 to 1945 and held at Stalag Luft III.  He was an earth bearer during one if not both of the famous tunnel escape attempts, these escapes became known as the “Wooden Horse” and “Great Escape”