- Contributed by听
- Genevieve
- People in story:听
- Sergeant Arthur Pritchard - 'Taffy'
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A5205638
- Contributed on:听
- 19 August 2005
June 11th
鈥榃oke up about dinner time, Robert Dantan and Jean Gaillet came down and took me back to a house where I learned that I was to move to a place near Paris (Antony). After a wash, shave and dinner, was on the way. My guide riding about a hundred yards in front. Passed a few German soldiers on the way but no one stopped me. Arrived at the place about 3.30 in the afternoon. The chap is a very nice person; the freedom of the house is mine so he said but not to go near any windows or open the front door for no one. He is working in Paris all day so I am her by myself.鈥
Arthur鈥檚 recollection in November 2004
鈥楾wo boys came down and they said, 鈥淲e have been in touch with London, you are okay, so M.Gautier will show you what to do from now on. You can come out now.鈥 So I came out and they gave me trousers and a shirt, and they took away my uniform. M.Dantan appeared then. He was getting on a bit then, typical Frenchman, thin moustache. He had a bicycle, and another bike came from across the road that old lady died not long ago, she鈥檇 taken it or pinched it from somewhere. She gave me the bike and she said 鈥淵ou follow M.Dantan to Paris but you don鈥檛 follow him, you follow the parcel tied on the back of the bicycle鈥. So away we went, and passed two or three sentry boxes on the bridges across the Seine and we turned inside off the main road. Just behind the rail road there was a row of houses and I stayed there for two weeks.鈥
This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Des Evans and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
See more of Des鈥檚 stories:
- Bale out!
- Missions from Woodhall Spa
- Tracers coming through the thatch
- I didn鈥檛 quite get the chop
- Little humour in adversity
- Ted Porters Crew
- The 鈥楢ugsburg Raid鈥
- S/L Sherwood鈥檚 recommendation for the Victoria Cross
- The worst night of the War鈥
- The worst night of the War (Part 2)
- The worst night of the War (Part 3) - Crew
- The worst night of the War (Part 4) - Losses
- The worst night of the War (Part 5) 鈥 Extract from 鈥榯he Berlin鈥 Raids鈥
- The worst night of the War (Part 6) 鈥 Bombers over Berlin
- The worst night of the War (Part 7) 鈥 Combat Report
- A Dedication to Skipper Wing Commander Ted Porter - Pause for Thought
- A Dedication to Skipper Wing Commander Ted Porter 鈥 A Navigators View of the Route to Heaven
- Did you know?
- Flight Operations carried out with Sgt. D.C Plaunt
- Flight Operations carried out by Sgt. J.J Johnson
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 after baling out on 9th 鈥 10th June 1944
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 after baling out on the 9th - 10th June 1944 - Continued
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 - 12th 鈥 15th June 1944
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 - 16th - 18th June 1944
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 - 19th 鈥 23rd June 1944
- The experiences of 鈥楾affy鈥 鈥 24th August 1044
- 鈥極ur Heroes鈥
For further stories read 鈥楢CHIEVE YOUR AIM鈥 by Kevin Bending
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