In January 1945, as the Red Army resumed its relentless advance towards Nazi Germany, 300,000 inmates of Prisoner Of War (PoW) camps across Poland were marched at gunpoint west towards Germany, through the snow and ice of winter struggling for survival, amid chaos, genocide and starvation. It was to be one of the forgotten stories of WWII.

The Long March to Freedom is a 3 part documentary exploring the capture, captivity and finally the long arduous march before the release of the PoWs at liberation upon meeting the Alllied Forces.

As part of the story, ASA Productions travelled to Zagan in Poland, the famous site of prison camp Stalag Luft III where 'The Great Escape' took place. Here they met RAF personnel and Air Training Corps (ATC) Cadets, marching 60 miles of the original route in memory of the prisoners. The cameras followed their journey as they walked through sub zero temperatures, staying overnight in some of the places the prisoners were forced to sleep, including farm buildlings, schools and churches.

The RAF and ATC feature in episode 3, to be screened Thursday 24 November at 10pm on the Yesterday Channel (Sky 537, Virgin Media 203, Freeview 12).