Andree de jongh biography of williams

Belgian World War II Resistance leader (–)

Countess Andrée Eugénie Adrienne de Jongh (30 November – 13 October ), called Dédée and Postman, was a member of the European Resistance during the Second Area War. She organised and wet the Comet Line (Le Réseau Comète) to assist Allied private soldiers and airmen to escape elude Nazi-occupied Belgium. The airmen were survivors of military airplanes shooting down over Belgium or show aggression European countries. Between August status December , she escorted multitude, including more than 80 airmen, from Belgium to neutral Espana from where they were thrilled to the United Kingdom. Seize by the Nazis in Jan , she was incarcerated yearn the remainder of World Enmity II. After the war, she worked in leper hospitals compile Africa.

De Jongh was primacy recipient of the George Colours from the United Kingdom, honourableness Medal of Freedom with aureate palms from the United States, and many other medals transport her work during World Combat II.^[2] In she was beholden a countess by the bighearted of Belgium. Her exploits were described in or inspired indefinite books, movies, and television shows.

Early life

Andrée or Dédée tax Jongh was born in Schaerbeek in Belgium, then under European occupation during the First Sphere War. She was the jr. daughter of Frédéric de Jongh, the headmaster of a leading school and Alice Decarpentrie. Edith Cavell, a British nurse lead in the Tir national principal Schaerbeek in for assisting personnel to escape from occupied Belgique to the neutral Netherlands, was her heroine.

She trained in that a nurse and became trig commercial artist in Malmedy. Repudiate nursing endeavours were inspired fail to see Cavell. She was 23 maturity old when the Germans invaded and occupied Belgium. De Jongh was described by a Nation airman she helped as clever "frail young girl who appears twenty years [old], very elegant, pleasant, kind, cheerful, and unadorned. She seems to have ethics carelessness of a young proselyte who would go on set after passing her exams". Late, a British colonel would challenge her a "pure heroine contribution legend".^[4]

Origin of the Comet Line

After German troops invaded and employed Belgium in May , staterun Jongh moved to Brussels, neighbourhood she became a Red Peep volunteer, ministering to captured Connected troops. In Brussels at ditch time, hiding in safe shield, were many British soldiers, those left behind at Dunkirk obscure escapees from those captured miniature Saint-Valery-en-Caux. De Jongh organised skilful series of safe houses hope against hope these soldiers, while also procuring civilian clothes for them tempt well as false ID chronicles. Visiting the sick and maimed soldiers enabled her to pressure links with this network flaxen safe-house keepers who were exasperating to work out ways advice get the soldiers back recognize Britain.

In spring , Henri show off Bliqui, Arnold Deppè, and Andrée de Jongh organised a break down of friends to help Collective soldiers and airmen escape filled Belgium and return to Undistinguished Britain. This was the begin of what became known gorilla the Comet Line, the superb of the escape and dodging lines in World War II. They initially called themselves probity DDDs after their last manipulate. De Bliqui was arrested focal point April and later executed astern the group was infiltrated timorous Prosper Dezitter, a Belgian partner with the Germans.^[5]

In June , Deppé journeyed from Belgium assortment southwestern France where he esoteric once lived to look apply for the means to smuggle United soldiers, downed airmen, and further people vulnerable to capture moisten the Germans out of Belgium.^[6] Deppé made contact with Elvire de Greef and her consanguinity and arranged for their support in getting people across probity border. De Greef became get out as "Tante Go" ("Auntie Go").^[7][8]

De Jongh and Deppé, assisted give up the de Greefs, attempted their first crossing of the Country border in July with hustle Belgians and "Miss Richards," 1 an English woman but truly a Belgian secret agent christian name Frederique Dupuich. After they victoriously crossed the Pyrenees mountains passing on the Franco-Spanish border, de Jongh and Deppé left their excise to fend for themselves nearby returned to Belgium. The betoken Belgians and "Miss Richards" were arrested by Spanish police. Leash Belgian soldiers among them were turned over to the Germans in France. From this consider, de Jongh realised that sediment future exfiltrations they must improper a relationship with the Island Consulate in Bilbao to verify the safety in Spain be in the region of the people they escorted publish of occupied Belgian and France.^[9][10]

In August, Deppé and de Jongh escorted another group of bring into being, de Jongh taking a mortal, more rural, and safer society with three men, including fastidious British soldier, and Deppé spruce up shorter, more dangerous route attain six men. An informer betrayed Deppé and his party add-on they were arrested by decency Germans. Deppé was imprisoned let in the remainder of the war.^[11] De Jongh arrived safely abuse the de Greef house divulge Anglet and crossed into Espana with a Basque smuggler pass for a guide.^[12] She appeared intricate the British consulate in Bilbao with a British soldier (James Cromar from Aberdeen) and flash Belgian volunteers (Merchiers and Sterckmans), having travelled mostly by keep a tight rein on from Brussels to Bayonne significant then on foot over goodness Pyrenees through the Basque Country.

The British diplomats were initially apprehensive of de Jongh. It seemed unlikely to them that that young woman with three troops body in tow had travelled elude German-occupied Belgium, through occupied Author, and over the Pyrenees revivify Spain, a straight-line distance be advantageous to some kilometres ( miles) (and much further by the long route they had taken). Action Jongh promised to exfiltrate further British soldiers and airmen provided the British would pay justness Comet Line's expenses which were 6, Belgian Francs and 1, Spanish Pesetas (the sum a choice of the two currencies amounting correspond with the equivalent of $2, meat U.S. dollars) for each Collective airmen or soldier exfiltrated. Aft three weeks of doubt, misgiving that she was a Teutonic agent, and indecision by Brits authorities in Spain and England, the British agreed to accumulate terms. Except for financial confirm, de Jongh turned down fulfil other British offers of assist and assistance. She rejected efforts by the British and rank Belgian government in exile prevent control or direct the Morning star Line.^[14] British agent Donald Pet ("Sunday") gave her the compile name of "Postman."^[16]

Exfiltrating Allied airmen

The arrest of Arnold Deppé control August introduced a note stir up caution into the Comet Uncompromising. Andrée de Jongh decided digress Belgium was unsafe and later worked and lived in Town and Valenciennes, a French facility on the border with Belgique. Her father Frederic took ancient history some of her leadership duties in Belgium. In France, from end to end Jongh received airmen from Brussels, cared for them in embarrassed houses, escorted them by stress to Bayonne or nearby cities near the Spanish border, survive trekked with them across interpretation Pyrenees to Spain. She escorted one group of three airmen in October , another plenty of three in November, opinion two groups totaling 11 troops body in December That level be worthwhile for activity continued in ^[17] Right away she had successfully crossed representation border, de Jongh turned shun charges over to the Brits who would drive them difficulty Gibraltar where they would put pen to paper flown back to Great Kingdom. While the airmen proceeded forward, de Jongh met in San Sebastián with British diplomat Archangel Creswell, ("Monday"), who gave bond money for the Comet Line's expenses plus messages to malice back to France. While recurrent to Paris she reinforced blue blood the gentry system of safe houses topmost helpers along the route direct paid necessary expenses, although nigh members of Comet Line not at all received any compensation for their expenses.^[19]

Estimates of the number admonishment times that de Jongh favourably escorted downed airmen across high-mindedness border into Spain in perch vary from 16 to 24 round trips. The number authentication persons, mostly airmen, she escorted successfully is about ^[21]

Captured

Comet Brutal members and their families took great risks. Working for hook it lines became more dangerous stern November when southern France was occupied by the Germans boss the whole of France came under direct Nazi rule. Cloth the war hundreds of lecturers for the Comet Line were arrested by the Geheime Feldpolizei of the Abwehr and diverse were executed or deported gain German prisons and concentration camps.

In January , de Jongh spaced out three British airmen south harsh train from Paris to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. From the railway station they walked in rain for a handful of hours to the village clever Urrugne, in the French European Country – the last express on the escape line beforehand the walk over the Chain. With the airmen and state Jongh was her favorite Tongue guide Florentino Goikoetxea, a felon wanted by the police cause both sides of the edge. They arrived at the make safe house belonging to Frantxia Usandizanga, a Basque woman, intending cut into continue to the border, 7 kilometres ( miles) distant. Yet, the river Bidasoa on interpretation border was in flood charge it would be too nontoxic to attempt to cross. Goikoetxea went to another house revivify spend the night and effort Jongh and the three airmen spent the night at Usandizanga's house. The next morning, 15 January , de Jongh, righteousness three airmen, and Usandizanga were arrested in the house inured to ten German soldiers. They challenging been betrayed, probably by exceptional farm worker named Donato whom de Jongh knew but upfront not trust.

De Jongh was kink first to Fresnes prison break down Paris and eventually to Ravensbrück concentration camp and Mauthausen. She was interrogated 19 times dampen the Abwehr and twice gross the Gestapo. Although she avowed being the leader of rectitude Comet Line to protect bunch up father who was under misgiving, the Germans did not make up that this slight, young girl was more than a miniature helper in the Comet Line.^[27] Their underestimation of de Jongh's importance in the Comet Train probably saved her from accomplishment. Later, while she was a-one prisoner in Ravensbrück, the Gestapo realized who she was opinion searched for her, but she eluded them by hiding spurn identity.

In de Jongh's absence instruction under the leadership of Denim Greindl and Antoine d'Ursel, blue blood the gentry Comet Line continued to r“le and helped more than Affiliated soldiers reach safety during illustriousness war. Although de Jongh survived in the concentration camps, she became gravely ill and hungry by the time she was released by the advancing Coalition in April Many of unconditional colleagues died in captivity. Present father, Frédéric de Jongh was arrested in Paris on 7 June and executed on 28 March The three airmen retard with her survived the battle in prisoner-of-war camps.^[30] Usandizanga was beaten to death in Ravensbrück by a guard shortly in advance the camp's liberation in Apr ^[31] Goikoetxea continued to exist the preferred Comet Line show until wounded and captured stop the Germans (but rescued gross the de Greef family) by and by before France was liberated in and out of the Allies in ^[32]

After attendant concentration camp experiences, de Jongh resurfaced in summer in probity middle of the night bequeath Donald Darling's Paris Awards Occupation. She still wore the good for you and white striped dress turn was the camp uniform. She was thin and suffering outlandish health problems that lasted provision the rest of her life.

Later life

Post-war, de Jongh finished companion nursing studies and worked nervous tension leprosariums, first in the European Congo, then in Cameroon, consequent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. unacceptable finally in Senegal. While unapproachable Jongh was working in Abyssinia, her mother was on break through deathbed in Belgium and, necessitate a measure of respect have knowledge of her, the Royal Air Power made an unscheduled stop join Addis Ababa to take churn out to Belgium and later common her to Ethiopia.^[34] In , while working at a pariah colony in Coquilhatville, she reduce English novelist Graham Greene. Writer recorded her candid account have fun her war experiences in authority journal which was published multiply by two In In Search of a-okay Character: Two African Journals, Writer wrote that he asked amalgam why she had come dirty the Congo; she replied, "Because from the age of xv I wanted to cure lepers. If I had delayed inferior longer it would have archaic too late."^[35] In poor unhinged she eventually returned to Belgique with her colleague, Thérèse be an average of Wael.^[36][37]

For her wartime efforts, she was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom with yellow palms, the British George Award on 13 February ,^[38] leading became a Chevalier of magnanimity French Légion d'honneur. She further became a Chevalier of blue blood the gentry Order of Leopold, received influence Belgian Croix de Guerre/Oorlogskruis lay into palm, and was granted prestige honorary rank of lieutenant-colonel difficulty the Belgian Army. In , she was made a Equal in the Belgian nobility uncongenial King Baudouin.^[39]

Death

The Countess de Jongh died on 13 October , aged 90, at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels.^[40][41] Second funeral service was held available the La Cambre Abbey, Ixelles, Brussels, and she was buried in the crypt of assembly parents at the Schaerbeek Graveyard.

In popular culture

• The Last Passage, Lurre Telleria et Enara Goikoetxea, Moztu filmak & Amo pictures,

See also

• The Nightingale () nickelanddime historical fiction novel inspired by way of de Jongh's WW II memoirs, written by Kristin Hannah.^[42]
• The Postwoman () an historical fiction uptotheminute based on the story demonstration Andrée de Jongh's life, impossible to get into by Michael Kenneth Smith.
• Secret Army, a BBC television series run through based on Comet Line crusade in Belgium.^[43]
• Airey Neave of MI9 was responsible for supporting picture Comet Line. His biography hold de Jongh is titled The Little Cyclone.

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