High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Wooden Horse is a Second World War film based on true events in the German POW camp Stalag Luft III, which were also described in the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay. Actors starring include Leo Genn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson. The 'Wooden Horse' plan itself was actually conceived and entirely thought through by Williams and Michael Codner in equal measures. In Oliver Philpot's later book The Stolen Journey the author made it clear that he initially thought the plan was "crackers", telling its inventors "I give it a couple of days!". Nevertheless, Philpot helped with the sand dispersal, and later with the actual digging - at which point he was invited to take part in the escape.