Wellington HZ355 from 429 Squadron

That is the story and it's well written too. The Gestapo HQ were at the rue de Xantrailles , I will try to get you a picture of this building. It was later used by the French and appears in a famous Blake and Mortimer cartoon from the 50s. The Gestapo agents got 10.000 francs for every airmen they caught. Those captured in 1943 were the "lucky ones" despite hard interrogation they usually ended up in a regular Stalag after a transit in Fresnes (south of PARIS). Those arrested in 1944, especially during the last weeks of the occupation were at the wrong place a the wrong time: they were treated as "Terror Flieger" and sent to Buchenwald when Leclerc 2nd army approached Paris in August 1944. (in the very last train) In the chaos that followed the evacuation, it took the Luftwaffe 3 months to find the airmen back and get them out of the claws of the Gestapo at Buchenwald. In the meantime 2 airmen had died at Buchenwald death camp.... Your uncle was arrested in 1943, so luckily he apparently did not get there. I believe I also have pictures of Fresnes during WWII, I will look it up.

 

This I believe is the story that happened at Buchenwald in 1944, not in 1943 at Fresnes so I don't think your dad was helped by this intervention. There is a great documentary about that on History Channel called "shot from the sky"

 

Skipper,

When I spoke to my Uncle Walter he told me the following:

"The third escape he decided to go through Poland, the "Pritetee Marsh." There was rumors that there was a whole in the front there. He got to the marsh around March 1944. The other prisoner that he was with became very ill. They attempted to make it through the marsh but were captured by a German Patrol. Again he was sent back to Muhlberg. For punishment he was sent on a work party to a natural gas factory but it was bombed.

He made his 4th escape attempt from there, the gas factory, but was captured. His punishment was to be sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp for 11 weeks. When he left the camp he weighed 107 pounds. Life in the camp was unimaginable. The things he saw and what he went through are spoken of very rarely. He mentioned that there were women and children starving on the other side of the fence from where he was. He would throw food over the fence to them. He said that the Russian prisoners were treated horribly."

I asked him again on the phone about Buchenwald and he would only say that the pictures that I saw concerning Buchenwald is what it was like there. He told me that the Russian prisoners were treated the worse and got tortured badly. I remember him talking about a horse barn that was used.

I know he spoke of Buchenwald on the Interview with the Veteran's Project but I don't have a copy yet because I am still scanning docs, pics, etc. to send them to add to the collection and DVD. Once I get all of my docs done and sent to him then I will get a copy of everything, video and transcription. Can't wait!

I am trying to put together a timeline of events so I can research specifics. I sent an email to the gentleman that transcribed "The Buchenwald Report" and he sent me a list of names of the Allied Airmen that were sent to Buchenwald and my Uncle is not on the list but he requested more information from me on my Uncle and said that he would look into further information that he has. He said that not all of the Allied Airmen were listed in "The Buchenwald Report" since many were sent there for shorter amounts of time for punishment. Hopefully I can find some documentation.

I know I need to get some documents from the National Archives of London. That is where the Liberation Report is along with the Escape and Evasion Reports are.

I got information on the Biernaux family from the Comete Line website and from the personal letter but I don't know much about the other Belgium "Helpers" with the Comet Line.

I know Olympe and Florent Biernaux survived through the camps after being arrested but their son, Raymond was executed. Florent and Raymond were sent on the "Ghost Train" (which I don't know much about yet). Florent escaped off the train but Raymond did not. Their daughter Elaine, I don't know what happened to her. It does not say in the letter from Olympe after the war.

I would like to learn about them!

Who was the other Traitor? Was it Harold Cole? I read a bit about him.

Jo Ann

 

It will take some time for me to do the next project and that is to transcribe my interview with my Uncle. He goes into a lot of detail about his landing in Belgium and where he went, houses, church and more....he even remembers the color of the houses!

I got the picture of Ofw. Reinhard Kollack, thank you for finding the information and sending it onto "Love Enigma" my friend.

I need an assistant!

Jo Ann

 

If his 4th attempt was in 1944, then your uncle could actually have ended up in Buchenwald . This would explain why he was there and met the Luftwaffe officer from Dora. I will try to find a list with his name. The one I have would be the same as you have with the names of 168 allied airmen. As I told earlier I have hte greatest respect for the brave men who underwent this ordeal as well as for the Luftwaffe Officer who got them away from the Gestapo and probably saved many lives by doing so.

 

Do you have a name of the Luftwaffe Officer? OMG! That would be wonderful!

I feel very sad that I did not do all this when I was younger, but then the internet was not around to help.

I am having a crash course here...My understanding is a Luftwaffe is a German Pilot? If so, I understand that there was a "bond" between them and Allied Flyers that saved many lives. Without this man I presume that my Uncle would not have survived especially after so many escape attempts.

I need to do some reading after I get all the information that I can this week! I will check on the History Channel story and hopefully be able to watch it!

May I ask you, are you a History buff? Or do you have personal/family experience?

Jo Ann

 

I will try to answer your questions.

The name of the other Gestapo agent involved in the treason of allied airmen is called Dessoubrie from Belgium. An arrest warrant was sent out for him after war. He was discovered by U.S. soldiers at Augsburg, Germany, arrested and sent to France were he was executed in 1949.

My interested in this story is because many of these brave airmen crashed near my hometown and I know several of the survivors or their relatives. I will attend a ceremony for thee of them this month.

The Luftwaffe = the German airforce. I don't know the name of the man who interefered in favor of the allied airmen , but he was based near Dora. There was a bond between airmen who usually showed a mutual respect that went beyond borders.

 

Skipper,

Thank you. I will see what I can find. I am still trying to find more information on the Belgium Comet Line that helped him. I found some items on Lucien Collin.

If I may ask also, why is there not more information on the Belgium Comet Line and what they did for so many? These were an amazing group of people that risked everything to help others.

Is there websites or books that I can find out more information? Some books were written many years ago and cannot be found now.

 

Reinhard Kollak was actually serving in 7./NJG 4 at the time of the engagement. 7th squadron, night fighter wing 4. By July of 1943 he had 27 air kills. the middle of August 43 he was now serving in 8./NJG 4 and had 30 air kills which brought him the coveted KC-Ritterkreuz award that was worn around the neck. His biggest day in the air was July 18/19, 1944 when he claimed 4 bombers and he continued to be an outstanding pilot and scorer in III. gruppe and was awarded the Oakleaves to his Knights Cross.
He had 250 missions and this included 49 night kills with 39 of these has 4-engine bombers. Reinhard Kollack died in Bad Godesburg on February 6, 1980............

just a little bio on the Luftwaffe pilot if Skipper had not sent you this info ~

E ~

 

Erich,

Thank you. I didn't have as much on him but I found a website about him. A friend did a bit of looking for him for me and she commented that it appeared that he shot down the planes but never went back and tried to get the men on the ground or them parachuting down. I don't know that much about him or the way the war was fought. Have there been any books written about him? The night my Uncle was hit Reinhard Kollack got a Stirling and a Lancaster too all within about an hour or so. I have respect for his flying abilities and the job that he had to do. War was war and I do understand that. For all of Reinhard Kollack's battles, it amazes me that he survived and lived so long. I need to learn more about his plane and also the Wellington. I have a lot of studying to do.

The website shows his picture and awards and I am grateful to have found them. Do you know more about him?

Jo Ann

 

there are actually quite a lot about the Comet line, they are just scattered all over the internet. If you google Barron de Blommaert you will probably find a lot but I also advice the Rafes that used to be the association of the RAF evaders , many of whom had been helped by Comete.

 

First off I would like to thank Skipper and everyone that responded to me. You guys gave me answers and directions on which way to go. Without everyones input I would not have been able to accomplish the following:

I have been on an amazing adventure the past week...and it's not over yet!

Through searching, finding websites, sending emails to authors and webmasters, I have made contact with the son of the man that found my Uncle in Belgium after he was shot down. (He has been trying to find my Uncle since 1970. My Uncle was listed on a website as being deceased. They had my Grandfather's birth and death listed.) The son is also the nephew to the Doctor that removed 34 pieces of shrapnel from my Uncle and then the men led my Uncle to the Belgium Resistance to the Comet Line. I have pictures of these two men and the home where my Uncle was. I will have to get permission from the son before I post their names. When I called my Uncle and told him what I found he was extremely moved and happy. We will be showing him the pictures and emails this coming week and he is very excited. To have the oportunity to thank the family that risked everything to help my Uncle under those times makes me very humbled. Without all of you here that helped me accomplish this and gave me suggestions, I wouldn't have been able to do this, nor my Uncle have the oportunity to know what happened to the families and people.

This all started with a box in my grandmother's closet...a box filled with letters, ration books, scraps of paper with names written on it, Military correspondence and more and the interview that my Uncle gave to the paper.

I have been able to track in detail everything that happened to my Uncle, I have names, places and more. I was able to gather enough information from my box, My Uncle, and other people, websites, researchers, records that other people had and historians to find out what happened and how it happend when my Uncle was arrested in Paris and turned over to the Gestapo. It is pretty much absolute as far as who the Traitor was that turned in my Uncle and those that were travelling with him, including several other Allied Airmen, but I want him to verify with the pictures that I have located....The main leader that led my Uncle from Brussels to Paris was called "The Captain" who had a Spanish looking girlfriend. For those here that have knowledge of the Comet Line, I think you know who I am talking about. My Uncle has an extremely sharp memory to the point that he even remembers street addresses of some of the homes that he was taken to and what color the house was. ( He remembers how many pieces of shrapnel was removed!) He described "The Captain" in detail along with the girlfriend and many other things that has led to the identity of several people involved.

I still have a long way to go. I have several names of people that helped in Belgium that I know nothing about yet but, I received a phone call this morning from a contact with the Eisden (Belgium) Historical Society. I will be sharing all with them and hopefully finding out more.

Some things I have learned about are very sad, some of the people that were working the Comet Line that helped my Uncle were captured, tortured and executed. I still have a lot to learn about the Comet Line.

I have not slept much these past few days...either going over notes and docs or being so excited!

My next to-do list is to find out about Buchenwald and get my Uncles POW file and to continue to try and find out about everyone that helped my Uncle! I also have Allied Airmen names that my Uncle met and I am looking into what happened to them.

This truly has been an adventure for me and my family. I will be back...I need some sleep and by the way, My Grandfather served during WW2 in Africa with the US Army.....

 

One more thing, I want to acknowledge the people and websites and more that helped me but I want to get permission before I make my full list....

(They may get hit a thousand times.....)

The internet is remarkable!

Jo Ann

 

Hi Jo Ann, This is tremendous news. I'm so glad tha tyou made contact with the familly who helped your relative. I will have some time this weekend to look through my papars and see if I have more information , especially the pictures I mentionned earlier, so keep in touch I may have more.

 

Skipper,

You can count on it!

BTW there is so much more that I didn't put in...

My Uncle was travelling with what I call "The Group" It included a Jewish Female Doctor, Three other Allied Airmen, and another man that said he was from Belgium and that he was a British Agent that would parachute into Belgium. He did not tell my Uncle what his job was but he said that he had done this several times. My Uncle said that the man was not very tall but very heavy-set. My Uncle did not feel comfortable around him. The guide that transported the group from Brussels to Paris gave my Uncle the travelling papers for all of the group and was told to hold onto them. My Uncle put them into his coat pocket. When the train stopped just at the Border into France, everyone got off the train but the guide told the group to stay. My Uncle asked why and the guide motioned with his hands "money." When they were arrested in Paris and he was taken to La Fresnes Prison, he was put into a corridor in line with the others in the group, except for the guide that ran around the corner and left when the Gestapo arrived, and they were waiting to go into an interrogation room. My Uncle knew he had the papers on him and he told a German guard that he needed to use the bathroom. The guard took him to one and stayed by the doorway watching. My Uncle was able to flush the papers. When it was his time to be interrogated the Gestapo asked for the papers. They knew that he had the papers and they got pretty mad at him when they found out he got rid of them. It makes me wonder if the Belgium man who said he was a British Agent was working with "The Captain." Also it is obvious that the Guide was. The next day after my Uncle was arrested, the Gestapo told my Uncle that the Female Doctor and the British Agent had been executed.

Please forgive my spelling...tired and no notes in front of me!

Question:
Is there anything that I need to ask my Uncle in particular? My Uncle lives far enough away that we have to fly to see him and I want to be able to get as many pictures to show him that might either answer something or trigger something? Suggestions? He doesn't get on the computer or have someone close to him that does. I have a picture of De Zitter, Dessoubrie, Flore. Have you heard of Jean-Marcel Nootens? Eitenne in Liege?

Jo Ann

 

The information I would be most interested in is whether your uncle remembers names of the airmen he was with , either in Bellgium or Germany, including Buchenwald. I have not heard of Nootens, nor Etienne. I do not know all the members. However I have documents with original signatures of a couple of Comete members. I will check for names you never know. Your story of the arrival at Fresnes is fascinating. I have a full description of the arrival at this prison. By the way it is Fresnes , not la Fresnes.

 

Skipper,

I have a list going on that topic. He started spewing out names like crazy yesterday on the phone. I will be calling him again today. He said that this talk has triggered a lot! Should I post names here? Of course it would help others looking too!

I saw my typos... Comet....should be Comete! When I can I will edit!

Jo Ann

 

If they are names it's all up to you, It will help others and it would not hinder you in your research. I would however be cautious with pictures, they might be downloaded by people who don't know you and who could publish them without your permission.

 

OK

John Smith "Smitty" (found out more about him)
Yvette Etienne
Biernaux
Jack Horton (fellow crewman)
Ted Nicholson (Fellow Crewman)
William "Bill" Bailey (Fellow Crewman)
William " Bill" Cole (found out more info)
Frank Hugo (found out more info)
Pilot last name Russell (Found out more info)
Ford Flight Engineer (Found out more info)
Whitney a Gunner (Found out more info)
Stuart M. Sharp (Found out more info)
Stan Eardley (Found more info)

I will fill in info on on them as I can. (Grandson goes down for a nap soon!)

Jo Ann

 

I thought you had the details of the whole crew. If not here they are.

F/S Richard Campbell ELLISON (age 23) deceased at the crash, or nearby, but has no known grave and is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial. He was from New Hartley in Northhumberland. his service number is 147969
SGT W. G. Bailey RCAF evaded.
SGT H. E. J. Horton pow
SGT E. C. NICHOLSON pow