Ian Kingston Pembroke Cross (4 April 1918 – 31 March 1944), was a British Royal Air Force officer and bomber pilot who was taken prisoner during the Second World War.

Notable for his part in the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III in March 1944 when he was one of the men recaptured and subsequently murdered by the Gestapo.

Ian Cross left school and followed his older brother Kenneth into the Royal Air Force to train as a pilot.

[1][2] Cross joined the Royal Air Force as an officer cadet on 12 October 1936 receiving his initial flight training at a civil flying school at Hanworth.

38 Squadron RAF based at RAF Marham in Norfolk flying Fairey Hendon bombers and being confirmed as pilot officer on 13 October 1937[6][7] The squadron began to convert to Vickers Wellington heavy bombers in January 1939 and Cross was promoted flying officer on 12 May 1939[8] and was captain of the station Rugby Football team.

On the night of 20 February 1940 on a search for enemy shipping his bomber Vickers Wellington Mark IA (serial number P2526") flown by Flight Lieutenant M Nolan, (Cross being the second pilot) ran out of fuel on their return and the crew had to jump by parachute leaving the aircraft to crash.

He flew sixteen further missions and became "B" flight commander,[16] promoted temporary squadron leader on 1 December 1941[17] On 12 February 1942 the Royal Air Force mounted a series of large scale operations to attack the three capital warships of the German fleet which had broken out of harbor at Brest known officially as Operation Fuller but better known as the Channel Dash.

His aircraft was hit by light anti-aircraft fire from German Naval units and he had to "ditch" (crash land at sea) 40 miles off Rotterdam[18][19] where two of his crew of six drowned when they were unable to get to the life boat.

189 at Oflag XXI-B at Szubin in German-occupied Poland[21] where he became acquainted with seasoned escapers such as Roger Bushell, Cyril Swain and Bill Ash and became an accomplished tunneller.

On 30 March 1944 two of the survivors saw three large sedans with ten Gestapo agents collect six officers, Ian Cross, Mike Casey, George Wiley, Al Hake, Tom Leigh and John Pohe.