Friday 13 January 2012

"Day 18 - The Passes were Perfect! Spring 1942!

"Otherwise we had a pleasant day in that town gathering presents and tins of biscuits unattainable at home.  Our exploits and earnings here enabled the people at home to have an extra ration for once while we were being fed here.  One of the other objects we bought was a beautiful knife with an inlaid bone handle, a spanish style flick knife, made for hand to hand fighting, which we knew we could use to defend ourselves if necessary.

I then spent time in another place south of Cherbourg named Brickebec and Quetehou.  While I was there I became ill and during my stay in the barracks with a fever I became acquainted with a secret group of Gaullists and other resistance groups doing the same as us, infiltrating and monitoring.

They talked me in to being available for operations with their cause.  Things were going our way.  They only one left with me now was Everaeart who joined them and was there when the invasion took place.  I didn't recuperate well enough and was sent home on sick leave.

As the people at home knew of my endeavours they tried to circulate news to help me find proper contacts.  I still had to physically improve my weakened condition left me feeling short of breath and coughing.  I also had my arm lanced because of infected boils.  My Mother was worried so I took it easy for the winter and continued studying at the trade school.  It was a welcome interval, we all had come to know each other again. 

There was no respite from the regular bombing which were intended for the convoys and flak guns.  Our Allies considered our position and tried for military targets only.  I gave information on all the things and installations I had seen to the monitoring teachers at school and this information found its way to England and everything was kept up to date.

Some cinema's are reopened and were showing German U.F.A. films and propoganda pieces grossly overrated.  Austrian films showing comics were not too bad.  In this way we heard of Zarah Leander who turned out to be a Russian spy in the midst of the German High Command.  We also saw Marika Rok a Hungarian dancer and cabaret star.

There was also boxing still at its peak with Karel Sys going to fight Ole, Tandberg in Sweden.  He was a Cassuis Clay style of boxer and not damaged in any way.  In fact, the whole team were excellent boxers. They would pay for their collaboration after the war with their promoter, Theo Vanhaverbeke.

I didn't hear from John anymore, I couldn't trust him too much and then one day I was watched by a blackshirt while at the doctors.  I was sure it was me that he was after, one got that feeling of being under observation.

There is little I can say about this episode except that I passed the time studying  more and one evening under the curfew, I fell into the cellar of a bombed house after leaving the cinema.  I lost consciousness for a moment and then somebody helped me out of the hole.  I had cut the side of my face open which held me up for a while.  In the interim I met two old friends George and Daniel and I asked if they would come and join me in  going to England or North Africa.  They were interested and by the Spring of 1942 we were ready for this operation to begin.

I took George on a trial run and Daniel was nowhere to be found.  George was an expect at forging passes and official stamps, we passed the coastal limit zone across Pachendael's old bridge controlled by the Germans who saluted us. The passes were perfect."


To be continued .....






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