20:
215:
allied evaders from place to place because there was always a possibility that they would be stopped. If arrested, an evader was interrogated, sometimes tortured and sent to a POW camp. The guide/helper, however, was interrogated, often tortured, imprisoned in a concentration camp, or executed and her or his family and friends were at great risk.
86:(SOE), and other Allied organizations. "Participation in the escape networks was arguably the most dangerous form of resistance work in occupied Europe... The most perilous job of all was handled mostly by young women, many of them still in their teens, who escorted the servicemen hundreds of miles across enemy territory to Spain."
183:
were killed or captured when being downed in France, but only 3,000 are recorded as having evaded capture by the
Germans. Moreover, the percentage of airmen who evaded capture in France was higher than in other countries due to the proximity of the Spanish border to France and the short ocean passage to
214:
During the Second World War citizens in the occupied countries of Europe were not free to move about without identification cards and travel permits. Nazi patrols stopped, and searched citizens without warning or reason. Controls on travel and the frequent patrols made it extremely dangerous to move
127:
estimated that 14,000 volunteers worked with the many escape and evasion lines during the war. Many others helped on an occasional basis, and the total number of people who, on one or more occasions helped downed airmen during the war, may have reached 100,000. One-half of the volunteer helpers were
182:
Organized escape and evasion lines operated in France, Belgium, the
Netherlands, and Denmark. The number of airmen evading capture after being shot down or crash landing in western Europe was a small fraction of those killed or taken prisoner. For example, about 22,000 British and American airmen
94:
The work of the escape lines was labor-intensive. Typically, downed airmen were found, fed, clothed, given false identity papers, and hidden in attics, cellars, and people's homes by a network of volunteers. Airmen were then accompanied by guides, also volunteers, to neutral countries. The most
117:
About 2,000 soldiers, mostly
British, and 2,000 British and 3,000 American airmen who had been shot down or crash landed in western Europe evaded German capture or escaped from German imprisonment during the war. Most of the soldiers were helped to evade capture because they were left behind in
70:, Dutch-Paris, Service EVA or the Smit-van der Heijden line. They did not restrict themselves to helping military personnel but also helped compromised spies, resisters, men evading the forced labor drafts, civilians who wanted to join the governments-in-exile in London, and
222:
My name is Andrée... but I would like you to call me by my code name, which is Dédée, which means little mother. From here on I will be your little mother, and you will be my little children. It will be my job to get my children to Spain and freedom.
54:. A distinction is sometimes made between "escapers" (soldiers and airmen who had been captured by the Germans and escaped) and "evaders" (soldiers and airmen in enemy territory who evaded capture). Most of those helped by escape lines were evaders.
131:
The work of escape line helpers was dangerous. Given the large numbers of helpers scattered over large areas, escape lines were relatively easy for the
Germans to infiltrate. Thousands of helpers were arrested and more than five hundred died in
77:
About 7,000 airmen and soldiers, mostly
British and American, were helped to evade German capture in Western Europe and successfully returned to the United Kingdom during World War II. Many of the escape lines were financed in whole or part by
122:
of
British forces in 1940. Most of the airmen were helped from 1942 to 1944 as the air war over Europe intensified. They were assisted by many different escape lines, some of them large and organized, others informal and ephemeral. The
191:
and were helped to avoid re-capture by escape lines. Lesser-known escape lines operated in eastern Europe mainly to help Polish or Czech soldiers reach the Allies via the Baltic or Italy or to help Jews escape via the
Balkans.
200:
In addition to the escape lines listed below, many others were ephemeral, family-run affairs which have escaped the notice of history. One of the small lines which has received some attention is the Balfe Line near
61:
specifically to assist their soldiers and airmen stranded in German-occupied territory. Others were the product of a combination of allied military personnel and local citizens in occupied territory, such as the
110:
on June 6, 1944, the escape lines turned more to sheltering airmen in place or in forest camps to await the arrival of the allied armies rather than helping the airmen to escape occupied Europe.
254:
If an evader found himself in touch with an escape line he must obey every order from it, as promptly and as officially as he had obeyed orders from his previous commanding officer.
769:
Gildea, Robert and Ismee Tames, eds. (2020), Fighters Across
Frontiers: Transnational Resistance in Europe, 1936-1948, Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 90-108
170:
The members of the escape and evasion lines were usually unarmed and did not participate in violent resistance to the German occupation. The motto of the Comet Line was
1093:
19:
905:
1088:
95:
common routes were from
Belgium and northern France to Spain. Travel through occupied France was mostly by train, followed by a crossing on foot of the
1083:
136:
or were executed. The attrition of escape line leaders due to German arrest was much higher. In March 1943, only one 61-year old woman,
103:
and then were flown back to the United
Kingdom. An alternate route was to travel from the coast of Brittany to England via small boat.
1068:
1078:
444:
325:
124:
111:
151:
Initially, escape lines were self-financed by individuals in occupied countries. However, two UK clandestine organizations, mostly
99:
mountains into Spain with a local guide (usually paid). Once in Spain the airmen were assisted by British diplomats to travel to
969:
66:. Some escape lines were created and operated by civilians as grass-roots efforts to help people fleeing the Nazis, such as
590:
413:
584:
174:, 'fight without arms'. To maintain tight security, escape lines usually avoided contacts with armed resistance groups.
156:
83:
1063:
985:
1058:
1073:
704:
440:
267:
209:
cemetery with the cooperation of cemetery employees. Many other small escape lines of a similar nature existed.
42:
was assisting British and American airmen shot down over occupied Europe to evade capture and escape to neutral
917:
128:
women, often young women, even teenagers. Several of the most important escape lines were headed by women.
58:
722:
677:
650:
555:
361:
320:
188:
23:
The routes used by the Pat, Comet, and Shelburne escape lines to smuggle airmen out of occupied Europe.
758:
The Escape Line: How the Ordinary Heroes of Dutch-Paris Resisted the Nazi Occupation of Western Europe
516:
307:
137:
1029:
449:
338:
141:
133:
63:
671:
119:
568:
486:
232:
187:. Nearly all the airmen downed in Germany were killed or captured, although a few escaped from
965:
716:
635:
504:
330:
205:
which was run by a husband, wife, and two teenage sons who hid escaping airmen in a shed in a
107:
537:
510:
434:
392:
380:
164:
996:"Martin, Douglas (18 Oct 2007), "Andrée de Jongh, 90, Legend of Belgian Resistance, Dies,"
407:
57:
Some escape and evasion lines such as the Shelbourne or Burgundy Lines were created by the
683:
611:
574:
480:
468:
698:
659:
596:
531:
455:
401:
51:
39:
1052:
689:
665:
617:
602:
580:
549:
419:
737:
629:
522:
312:
35:
562:
862:
728:
644:
428:
292:
259:
206:
148:, the largest and most famous of the lines, were still alive and not in prison.
1042:
Josep Rovira, una vida al servei de Catalunya i del Socialisme, Editorial Ariel
495:
930:
710:
543:
281:
228:
145:
67:
159:(SOE), financed the large escape lines and the U.S. clandestine organization
100:
918:
http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/wesseling/koekelberg_207_060505.htm
96:
286:
184:
202:
47:
160:
43:
18:
82:
of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, the British
1030:
https://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/194594/1/694416.pdf
71:
459:
152:
79:
806:
Silent Heroes: Downed Airmen and the French Underground,
144:. In March 1944, only three of a dozen leaders of the
34:
helped people escape European countries occupied by
16:
WW II network helping downed airmen to evade capture
964:. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. p. 205.
808:Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, pp. 53-69
903:National Museum of the United States Air Force,
252:
242:Our lives are going to depend on a schoolgirl.
240:
220:
212:
738:Edmond "Moen" Chait, Belgian, Dutch-Paris Line
389:Elisabeth Barbier, French, Comet, Oaktree Line
782:Boston: Little, Brown and Company, Appendix I
398:Vladamir Bouryschkine, American, Oaktree Line
247:A downed airman, referring to Andrée de Jongh
8:
869:, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, p. xiii
656:Louis and Andrée Nouveau, French, Pat Line
608:Albert Edward Johnson, British, Comet Line
695:Franciose Usandizaga, Basque, Comet Line
1094:Escapes and rescues during World War II
960:Foot, M. R. D.; Langley, J. M. (1980).
848:Nichol, John and Rennell, Tony (2007),
778:Foot, M.R.D. and Langley, J.M. (1979),
749:
477:Frederick de Greef, Belgian, Comet Line
492:Frédéric de Jongh, Belgian, Comet Line
106:Late in the war, especially after the
623:Jacques Legrelle, Belgian, Comet Line
474:Fernand de Greef, Belgian, Comet Line
465:Monique de Bissy, Belgian, Comet Line
167:(POWs) escape from German POW camps.
7:
626:Roger Le Neveu, French, German agent
50:from where they could return to the
38:. The focus of most escape lines in
780:MI9 Escape and Evasion, 1939-1945,
760:, New York: Oxford University Press
734:Suzanne Wittek, Belgian, Comet Line
850:Home Run: Escape from Nazi Europe,
641:Elvire Morelle, French, Comet Line
341:(Pat Line, O'Leary Line, PAO Line)
14:
1089:World War II resistance movements
713:, Australian, Pat Line, SOE agent
680:, Catalan, Vic Line, MartĂn Group
599:, Belgian, Groupe Hoornaert-Dirix
528:Andrée Dumon, Belgian, Comet Line
501:Arnold Deppé, Belgian, Comet Line
431:, British, Pat Line, German agent
140:, remained free to re-invent the
125:Royal Air Forces Escaping Society
962:MI9 Escape and Evasion 1939-1945
916:"207 Squadron Royal Air Force",
892:New York: William Morrow, p. 259
235:, 24 years old, to downed airmen
795:New York: Random House, p. 289.
416:, French, Bordeaux-Loupiac Line
386:Robert Ayle, French, Comet Line
272:Bordeaux-Loupiac Escape Network
835:Rossiter, Margaret L. (1986),
552:, British, Vic Line, SOE agent
519:, French, Pat, Francoise Lines
425:Pat Cheramy, British, Pat Line
404:, British, Pat Line, SOE agent
1:
826:Foot and Langley, Appendix I.
804:Ottis, Sherri Greene (2001),
591:Suzanne Hiltermann-Souloumiac
452:, French, Pat Line, SOE agent
395:, French, Pat Line, SOE agent
1084:Special Operations Executive
157:Special Operations Executive
114:describes the forest camps.
84:Special Operations Executive
984:"Memorial to Comete Line,"
839:New York: Praeger, pp 23-24
632:, British, Marie-Clair Line
437:, British diplomat in Spain
155:but also Section DF of the
1110:
583:, American, Pat Line, SOE/
525:, Canadian, Shelburne Line
1069:Belgian resistance groups
852:New York: Penguin, p. 470
725:, Dutch, Dutch-Paris Line
719:, Dutch, Dutch-Paris Line
707:, Dutch, Dutch-Paris Line
614:, Dutch, Dutch-Paris Line
593:, Dutch, Dutch-Paris Line
358:Smit-Van der Heijden Line
275:Bourgogne (Burgundy) Line
268:Belgian National Movement
1079:Danish resistance groups
837:Women in the Resistance,
443:, American, Comet Line,
410:, French, Bourgogne Line
28:Escape and evasion lines
1020:Foot and Langley, p. 49
756:Koreman, Megan (2018),
513:, Belgian, German agent
507:, Belgian, German agent
920:, accessed 19 Oct 2019
888:Eisner, Peter (2004),
705:Willem Visser 't Hooft
668:, Belgian, Possum Line
471:, Belgian, Comet Line.
441:Virginia d'Albert-Lake
298:Groupe Hoornaert-Dirix
256:
244:
225:
217:
24:
987:. accessed 5 Feb 2020
932:, accessed 3 Feb 2010
907:, accessed 5 Feb 2020
723:Johan Hendrik Weidner
701:, Belgian, Comet Line
686:, Belgian, Comet Line
678:Josep Rovira i Canals
653:, Belgian, Comet Line
651:Jean-François Nothomb
638:, British, Comet Line
575:Elisabeth Haden-Guest
565:, Belgian, Comet Line
556:Florentino Goikoetxea
540:, Belgian, Comet Line
534:, Belgian, Comet Line
489:, Belgian, Comet Line
483:, Belgian, Comet Line
189:prisoner of war camps
22:
1040:Coll, Josep (1978),
791:Olson, Lynn (2017),
605:, French, Comet Line
558:, Basque, Comet Line
517:Marie-Louise Dissard
383:, Basque, Comet Line
301:Hornoy-le-Bourg Line
178:Escapees and evaders
172:Pugna Quin Percutias
138:Marie-Louise Dissard
1010:The New York Times.
998:The New York Times.
674:, British, Pat Line
571:, Belgian, Pat line
450:Madeleine Damerment
422:, British, Pat Line
134:concentration camps
1064:Belgian Resistance
731:, French, Pat Line
672:George Rodocanachi
662:, French, VAR Line
498:, French, VAR Line
414:Jean-Claude Camors
408:Georges Broussinne
335:Operation Sherwood
326:Operation Marathon
120:Dunkirk evacuation
112:Operation Marathon
25:
1059:French Resistance
929:"France-Crashes"
890:The Freedom Line,
793:Last Hope Island,
729:Suzanne Warenghem
717:Gabrielle Weidner
505:Jacques Desoubrie
331:Operation Pegasus
313:Marie Claire Line
118:France after the
108:Normandy Invasion
1101:
1074:Dutch resistance
1044:
1038:
1032:
1027:
1021:
1018:
1012:
1006:
1000:
994:
988:
982:
976:
975:
957:
951:
950:Gildea, pp 92-92
948:
942:
941:Ottis, pp. 26-27
939:
933:
927:
921:
914:
908:
899:
893:
886:
880:
877:
871:
870:
859:
853:
846:
840:
833:
827:
824:
818:
815:
809:
802:
796:
789:
783:
776:
770:
767:
761:
754:
546:, Scot, Pat Line
511:Prosper Dezitter
435:Michael Creswell
381:Kattalin Aguirre
339:Pat O'Leary Line
317:Marie-Odile Line
262:
248:
236:
165:prisoners of war
142:Pat O'Leary Line
64:Pat O'Leary Line
1109:
1108:
1104:
1103:
1102:
1100:
1099:
1098:
1049:
1048:
1047:
1039:
1035:
1028:
1024:
1019:
1015:
1007:
1003:
995:
991:
983:
979:
972:
959:
958:
954:
949:
945:
940:
936:
928:
924:
915:
911:
900:
896:
887:
883:
878:
874:
867:The Escape Room
861:
860:
856:
847:
843:
834:
830:
825:
821:
816:
812:
803:
799:
790:
786:
777:
773:
768:
764:
755:
751:
747:
742:
684:Amanda Stassart
612:Herman Laatsman
603:Catherine Janot
569:Albert Guérisse
538:Antoine d'Ursel
487:Andrée de Jongh
481:Janine de Greef
469:Elvire de Greef
376:
264:
258:
250:
246:
238:
233:Andrée de Jongh
227:
218:
198:
180:
92:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1107:
1105:
1097:
1096:
1091:
1086:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1051:
1050:
1046:
1045:
1033:
1022:
1013:
1001:
989:
977:
970:
952:
943:
934:
922:
909:
894:
881:
872:
854:
841:
828:
819:
810:
797:
784:
771:
762:
748:
746:
743:
741:
740:
735:
732:
726:
720:
714:
708:
702:
699:Peggy van Lier
696:
693:
687:
681:
675:
669:
663:
657:
654:
648:
647:, British, MI9
642:
639:
636:Elsie Maréchal
633:
627:
624:
621:
620:, British, MI9
615:
609:
606:
600:
597:Paul Hoornaert
594:
588:
578:
572:
566:
559:
553:
547:
541:
535:
532:Michelle Dumon
529:
526:
520:
514:
508:
502:
499:
493:
490:
484:
478:
475:
472:
466:
463:
456:Donald Darling
453:
447:
438:
432:
426:
423:
417:
411:
405:
402:Anthony Brooks
399:
396:
390:
387:
384:
377:
375:
374:Notable people
372:
371:
370:
367:
364:
362:Shelburne Line
359:
356:
353:
342:
336:
333:
328:
323:
318:
315:
310:
308:Françoise Line
305:
302:
299:
296:
290:
284:
279:
276:
273:
270:
251:
239:
219:
211:
197:
194:
179:
176:
91:
88:
52:United Kingdom
40:Western Europe
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1106:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1056:
1054:
1043:
1037:
1034:
1031:
1026:
1023:
1017:
1014:
1011:
1005:
1002:
999:
993:
990:
986:
981:
978:
973:
967:
963:
956:
953:
947:
944:
938:
935:
931:
926:
923:
919:
913:
910:
906:
904:
898:
895:
891:
885:
882:
879:Ottis, p. 117
876:
873:
868:
864:
858:
855:
851:
845:
842:
838:
832:
829:
823:
820:
817:Ottis, p. 145
814:
811:
807:
801:
798:
794:
788:
785:
781:
775:
772:
766:
763:
759:
753:
750:
744:
739:
736:
733:
730:
727:
724:
721:
718:
715:
712:
709:
706:
703:
700:
697:
694:
691:
690:Trix Terwindt
688:
685:
682:
679:
676:
673:
670:
667:
666:Edgard Potier
664:
661:
658:
655:
652:
649:
646:
643:
640:
637:
634:
631:
628:
625:
622:
619:
618:James Langley
616:
613:
610:
607:
604:
601:
598:
595:
592:
589:
586:
582:
581:Virginia Hall
579:
576:
573:
570:
567:
564:
560:
557:
554:
551:
550:Victor Gerson
548:
545:
542:
539:
536:
533:
530:
527:
524:
523:Lucien Dumais
521:
518:
515:
512:
509:
506:
503:
500:
497:
494:
491:
488:
485:
482:
479:
476:
473:
470:
467:
464:
462:and MI9 agent
461:
457:
454:
451:
448:
446:
442:
439:
436:
433:
430:
427:
424:
421:
420:Donald Caskie
418:
415:
412:
409:
406:
403:
400:
397:
394:
393:Andrée Borrel
391:
388:
385:
382:
379:
378:
373:
368:
365:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
347:
344:Possum Line (
343:
340:
337:
334:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:Francois Line
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
283:
280:
277:
274:
271:
269:
266:
265:
263:
261:
255:
249:
243:
237:
234:
230:
224:
216:
210:
208:
204:
195:
193:
190:
186:
177:
175:
173:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
129:
126:
121:
115:
113:
109:
104:
102:
98:
89:
87:
85:
81:
75:
73:
69:
65:
60:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
21:
1041:
1036:
1025:
1016:
1009:
1004:
997:
992:
980:
961:
955:
946:
937:
925:
912:
902:
897:
889:
884:
875:
866:
863:Neave, Airey
857:
849:
844:
836:
831:
822:
813:
805:
800:
792:
787:
779:
774:
765:
757:
752:
692:, Dutch, MI9
630:Mary Lindell
563:Jean Greindl
349:
345:
321:Oaktree Line
257:
253:
245:
241:
226:
221:
213:
199:
196:Escape lines
181:
171:
169:
150:
130:
116:
105:
93:
76:
56:
36:Nazi Germany
32:World War II
31:
27:
26:
660:Andrée Peel
645:Airey Neave
496:Erwin Deman
458:, British,
429:Harold Cole
355:Service EVA
293:Dutch-Paris
289:Escape Line
278:Chauny Line
260:M.R.D. Foot
207:World War I
90:Description
1053:Categories
971:0316288403
745:References
711:Nancy Wake
577:, Pat Line
544:Ian Garrow
282:Comet Line
229:Comet Line
146:Comet Line
1008:"Martin,
901:"MIS-X,"
352:in Latin)
101:Gibraltar
865:(1970),
445:Marathon
369:Vic Line
366:VAR line
231:leader,
97:Pyrenees
287:Denmark
185:England
163:helped
968:
561:Baron
346:possum
203:Amiens
59:Allies
48:Sweden
587:agent
350:I can
161:MIS-X
68:Comet
44:Spain
966:ISBN
295:Line
72:Jews
585:OSS
460:MI6
153:MI9
80:MI9
46:or
30:in
1055::
348:=
74:.
974:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
