Fight Without Arms

Andree (Dedee) de Jongh code name Postman, established the WW 2 “Comet Line” in 1940. It operated in Belgium and France to evacuate downed Allied airmen usually through neutral Spain to Britain via Gibraltar.

This network of volunteers was partially financed by British intelligence (retraining air crew was expensive). It was composed of over 3000 civilians, mostly women and at great personal risk they hid the airmen in their homes, fed, clothed, gave them false identification papers and escorted them to Spain.

In 1943 Andree was imprisoned by the Nazis for harbouring the enemy. After numerous interrogations she admitted to masterminding the Comet Line but the Germans did not believe her (because she was a woman). Although many Comte Line members were tortured and/or murdered, Andree survived the concentration camp and was later awarded the British George Medal (civilian medal) for her help in exfiltrating over 800 Allied airmen. See this entry on her and the Comet Line on Wikipedia.

Hear another authentic story in Invisible Women Episode 5, Sisterhood about a young woman involved in the dangerous work of a Dutch escape line.