大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Tahitia Orr of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library on behalf of Barry Wilson-Law and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

After one incident the SS hunted the band we were with and the Germans captured two of the Maquis. They were hung by a rope over the branch of a tree and from the end of the rope a butcher's hook was attached, it was forced into the lower part of their jaws and up trough the roof of their mouths and they were left to die. Neither side took any prisoners.

On another occasion when we were with the Maquis (another band), Andy, Tom and I were leaning on a railway level crossing gate. We saw two tanks appear on the horizon to our left. Suddenly the tanks opened fire and the shells burst in a small wood to our right. Nearby was a single bungalow and the occupants had a vegetable garden at the rear of the building where was situated between the wood and us. All three of us hastily entered the vegetable garden, seeking cover; we lay down in the potato drills. The next salvo from the tanks cut off the tops of the trees of the small wood.

Andy made a dash for the bungalow, bursting through a hedge on his way. Tom and I quickly followed him. Somehow Andy found the entrance steps to the cellar, which in itself was just short of a miracle because when the back door of the bungalow was opened the stairs were hidden behind the door. When we arrived in the cellar we found the occupants of the bungalow sheltering there.

After a while all was quiet and we made to quit the cellar. Tom stood up and suddenly declared he was wounded. He produced his hand covered with what appeared to be blood. Upon closer inspection the 'blood' was found to be wine and Tom had been sitting on a barrel that had no top on it. Everyone bar Tom saw the fun of this.

We surmised that the tanks had been part of a searching party of SS troops and fired on the wood thinking that their quarry were hiding there.

Apart from these incidents it was a case of walking, sometimes cycling southwards towards Spain. Thankful for fine weather when we slept rough and alternating between night and day movement, we progressed although capture was never far away in our minds.

Finally we had sight of the Pyrenees and in a safe house we med a Spanish Basque man. It had taken nearly three months to get so far. The Spaniard, again no names, took us safely through the mountains into Spain. It took two days, avoiding German patrols and the Spaniard then had to leave us to our own devices. We were soon arrested by the Spanish police who wondered who the three tramps were and where they had come from. We had no papers to prove our nationality.

Somehow the Spanish, British and Americans had an arrangement regarding their nationals and the three of us arrived in Gibraltar. We were transported to the Normans beachhead by ship and thence on by Infantry Landing Craft across the channel to Folkestone.

During our journey we met countless Pierres, John-Pauls, Rogers, Roberts, etc鈥t was essential that our helpers kept us ignorant of their true identities and locations. I would be totally unable to retrace the route we took to reach Spain.

I will be eternally grateful and in debt to all of the brave people who helped us on our way to safety and home. Had any of them been with us if we had been caught they would have faced torture and death, along with their families.

When Tom, Andy and I reached London we were separated by our different services and did not have time to exchange address. I have never been able to trace them.

I was not returned to my Squadron but joined 296 Squadron, towing gliders, etc. But that is another story!!!

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.