tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post2665916927504742197..comments2024-03-12T13:28:53.733+00:00Comments on The Escape Line: Women and the Evaders Part OneKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15204149912245253542noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-59037243696747596562013-05-26T11:48:52.906+01:002013-05-26T11:48:52.906+01:00Good to hear from you Jim and thanks for your kind...Good to hear from you Jim and thanks for your kind comments about The Escape Line. Coincidentally, a few weeks ago one of my followers commented on the post about Julian Sale 'He Made It Back Alone'. She often adds other information around E & E. 'Two Gold Coins And A Prayer' was mentioned. It looked interesting , so I did some research and bought your book. It arrived last week! <br /><br />I'm working my way through and find it a very comprehensive and enjoyable read. My view has always been that this area of the Second World War is vastly under represented in terms of the overall public awareness. If I can redress some of that, 'The Escape Line' will be worth it. <br /><br />The airman in my forthcoming book referred to the whole sphere of escaping and the escape lines as being 'a war within a war.' This is one of the reasons why it is such a fascinating area of study for me. My manuscript is almost edited and complete now, so I guess I am feeling something of what you felt, when the hard work was nearly complete.<br /><br />As regards rules for my site, I always quote my sources and have the view that this might help draw attention to specific publications and encourage the reader to seek them out, thus increasing awareness and helping sales (especially the lesser known books and those out of print that are currently 'doing the rounds' on the second hand market. <br />I am always happy to chat 'off blog' via e-mail. Comments are not auto so I receive them first. Thanks again. Regards Keith Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15204149912245253542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-11761701848192837722013-05-26T03:06:30.758+01:002013-05-26T03:06:30.758+01:00Hi Keith - I just came upon your great escape-line...Hi Keith - I just came upon your great escape-line blog and love it. My father was a B-24 pilot and was shot down over Holland the 8th of March 1944. He evaded with help from the Dutch Underground in Rotterdam for 5 months. Eventually, he was put on an escape line, what later became known as the KLM line, into Belgium. Unbeknownst to the Dutch, the line had been compromised at the Dutch/Belgian border and was run by Belgian traitors and German agents. He was led right into the hands of Rene van Muylem (the German agent) in Antwerp, was captured, and spent the rest of the war at Stalag Luft III and Stalag VII A.<br /><br />I wrote and published a book about his WWII experiences and if you are interested, I can let you know what the title is. I'd post the title for you right now, but I don't know what your rules are concerning things like that. The book has been very well received.<br /><br />Again, great job with your blog and with your research. I know from experience the amazing trails one goes down when digging into the lives and histories of the brave men and women of the Resistance and Underground. Cheers - Jim Keeffe Jim Keeffehttp://www.appellpublishing.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-70233417457565636892013-04-15T20:29:37.023+01:002013-04-15T20:29:37.023+01:00Thanks Helen. Some of SOE's best agents were w...Thanks Helen. Some of SOE's best agents were women, and they proved their worth both in training and in the field. Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15204149912245253542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-1932303566822460692013-04-15T20:27:51.456+01:002013-04-15T20:27:51.456+01:00Thanks Sally. You are spot on. Some of the liasons...Thanks Sally. You are spot on. Some of the liasons which developed could also be used as a basis for fiction.Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15204149912245253542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-77230681111781438302013-04-13T00:05:05.561+01:002013-04-13T00:05:05.561+01:00Another interesting post from Keith.The training w...Another interesting post from Keith.The training was not any different for male agents than it was for the females. They began like all other military branches, with basic training for two to four weeks in secret locations along the English countryside. They were then put through psychological testing to be sure they would not fold under enemy pressure (this technique was taken from the American OSS). From there, agents went through paramilitary training for 3-5 weeks where they trained in “silent killing” and in the use of various weapons. Some agents also trained to use explosives, survival skills, and parachuting. Others learned to be undercover agents which included being taught to look natural in any setting even while doing unnatural things. They were taught how to react if caught and interrogated along with the coding skills they would need to transmit and receive messages and counter-espionage techniques like the use of propaganda and handling explosives in order to understand what these agents did to save their countries there must be an understanding of who these agents were.<br />How the women reacted to the threats of Nazism was, in some cases, entirely unexpected. At the time, women generally worked in the home and rarely worked in factories or munitions plants. It was even less common for women to join the military prior to the war. The social restraints placed on women at that time carried into their choices of occupations. Once women were legally able to join the auxiliary branches of the armed forces, many did. Even though the idea of the military allowing women to participate was a means to free up men for the frontlines, many women joined as a result of what they saw as their own patriotic duties and began training for noncombat positions in each of the branches of the military for both countries. Some women even went beyond the typical expectations placed on them while in the military and stood next to their fellow countrymen behind enemy lines as secret agents.<br />“I think I'm a fan of people who were brave, my aunt, my grandmother, those are my heroes.”<br />George Eads<br />Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13304115337328075135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-49860247345266188642013-04-06T11:12:44.332+01:002013-04-06T11:12:44.332+01:00I would imagine all emotions would be heightened g...I would imagine all emotions would be heightened greatly by the dangerous situations peoople were in. Another very interesting read.Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14090018804016223955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2737903099642089452.post-21639344436564138132013-04-05T20:19:41.861+01:002013-04-05T20:19:41.861+01:00Such young people to be involved in such a serious...Such young people to be involved in such a serious business. I can't imagine it. As a mother i find it difficult to think about...how very brave of them.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05322234219197041788noreply@blogger.com