In this Book
- Escape from Hitler's Europe: An American Airman behind Enemy Lines
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: The University Press of Kentucky
"A hell of an adventure story."—Ring Lardner Jr.
"A story of what is best in human beings triumphing over what is worst."—John Sayles
November 1943: American flyer George Watt parachutes out of his burning warplane and lands in rural Nazi-occupied Belgium. Escape from Hitler's Europe is the incredible story of his getaway—how brave villagers spirited him to Brussels to connect with the Comet Line, a rescue arm of the Belgian resistance. This was a gravely dangerous mission, especially for a Jewish soldier who had fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Watt recounts dodging the Gestapo, entering Paris via the underground, and finally, crossing the treacherous Pyrenees into Spain. In 1985, he returned to Belgium and discovered an astonishing postscript to his wartime experiences.
Table of Contents
- List of Maps and Figure
- pp. viii-9
- Part I: Walking Out
- 2. Here Comes the Flak
- pp. 13-20
- 3. No Regrets, No Regrets
- pp. 21-23
- 4. "lci Belgique?"
- pp. 24-30
- 5. The Ditch and the Outhouse
- pp. 31-40
- 6. Birthday Party in Hamme
- pp. 41-48
- 7. The Policeman and the Parachute
- pp. 49-55
- 8. On the Tram
- pp. 56-66
- 9. The War within the War
- pp. 67-75
- 10. All That Glitters
- pp. 76-81
- 11. I Meet the French Resistance
- pp. 82-91
- 12. The Gestapo Looks Me Over
- pp. 92-99
- 13. Spain Again
- pp. 100-108
- 14. Over and Out
- pp. 109-114
- Part II: Going Back
- 15. Reunion in Hamme
- pp. 117-129
- 16. Homage to the Comet Line
- pp. 130-143
- Epilogue: Debriefing
- pp. 144-154