Saints Et Samaritains

Now I was walking south over the fields although it was winter, and I didn’t have a coat, hat or gloves.  I was comfortable partly, I guess, because of my heavy underwear and my exercise of walking.

I did think of my family and my friends and wished they could know I hadn’t been hurt, that I had confidence that I would succeed some way in getting back.

I wasn’t a bit worried as I walked along on this pleasant cool day towards Spain.  All morning I walked across fields.  It wasn’t bad, the fields were dry.  I didn’t see a road, but it didn’t seem to worry me.  I was going south.  I was getting hungry and I remembered during a briefing once some instruction advising us in such a position as I now found myself that the safest way to seek food was to ask a woman by herself for help.

I had had hardly anything since breakfast yesterday, and I was really hungry.  It wasn’t long before I saw a young woman alone in the field ahead of me, and I walked up to her rehearsing my French to myself and asked her very politely could she help me by giving me some food.  I was an American airman trying to get back to my base.  She looked startled and motioned me to follow her.  We walked to her house.  She didn’t let me in, just told me to wait, and in a few minutes, she came back out with some food and drink.  I didn’t pay too much attention to what it was at the time, and now I can’t remember.  I felt better.  I thanked her, and I was sure she was glad to see me gone.

I turned south and after walking about an hour, I climbed up over a hill and came upon huge concrete embankments.  I had a hard time climbing through and wondered if this could be part of the Magineaux line.  Once over I saw a road in the distance.

A road would be easier to walk on.  I didn’t see any traffic; civilian traffic would be very limited.  After all, France was an occupied country so the only traffic would be German military.

I decided to walk along this road.  It was a north-south road, and south was my direction.  I walked only a short way when a problem developed.  A railroad crossing was up ahead and there were gates both for traffic and pedestrians.  Suppose there was a guard there, and he could see I didn’t know how to open the gate.  What would happen?  I slowed down a little.  All the time I studied the situation so that by the time I got there, I was sure of myself.  I opened and closed the gates with care and ease.  I wanted to appear at ease and sure of myself, and I’m sure I did.

It was getting late in the day, and I needed badly to find something I could use for a toilet.  There were some large signs ahead and off the road, I went behind them and found a sort of private place where I could relieve myself.  I used dry leaves for toilet paper and a small stream nearby for washing.  I felt a world better.

By now evening was coming, and up until now I hadn’t thought of what I’d do when night came.  I’d been so lucky at lunch I decided that I’d try it again.  At least I’d get something to eat, and I could find some place in the field to sleep.  I walked over into the field, and in no time I saw a woman standing by herself.  I walked up to her and repeated my request for food.  She looked at me for a long moment and then told me to follow her.  This woman took me to her home, called to her husband, and they took me into the house.  They talked very little even between themselves, but they put food on the table and watched me eat.  When I was finished, they took me to the bedroom.  I undressed and got into the bed, a huge bed.  The mattress was soft, so soft I sank into it.  The covers also were soft being full of feathers.  It was a cloud, and I was asleep immediately.  These two kind people woke me before dawn to tell me I had to leave before daylight so that I wouldn’t be seen.  They said they had watched all night for fear of a search of the area by the German military.

And so I started my third day.  It was now the third of December, 1943, and I was walking along a road either in France or Belgium.  I still hadn’t found any way of identifying my exact location.  The weather was still great.  The sun shone, and I felt comfortable with myself.  I was totally adjusted to my new way of life.  I was really busy reading my maps, watching the compass and adjusting my plan to any necessary change of the moment.  I hadn’t shaved since November 30th.  I did have a comb but no toothbrush.  I had nothing else but the clothes I had on and the pants and suit coat that had been given to me two days ago.  I did try to wash when I got to a stream and did brush my teeth with my finger.  I had to give up showers.  There were none outside, and I was living outside all the time now.

Towards noon I did miss my watch so I just guessed by the sun that the road I was following ended at a more important road going east and west.  I sat down because I was tired and hungry again, took out my map and figured this road must be in France.  As I sat, a bus passed with a sign above its windshield showing “LILLE.”

Now I knew I was in France and couldn’t be too far from Lille.  I figured that if I got to Lille, here should be main roads to Paris and that would move me towards my goal, “Spain.”

Then the bright idea came; surely if another bus marked Lille came by, I could take it.  I had French francs.  The bus I had seen had stopped a little way down the road from where I sat.  I decided to walk slowly to that spot and wait.  I stopped at the bus stop, and very soon other people were there waiting with me.  I managed to see how many coins a woman next to me had in her hand.  I had put French francs in my pants pocket now and took out what I thought was the right amount.

In no time another bus appeared and stopped for its passengers.  I let the others get on first so that I could watch how and to whom they paid their fares.  I would try to check on what coins to give, and I saw it was the driver that took the money.  I handed the driver my coins, and he gave me change.  There were no empty seats, which made me think, I was sure now, we weren’t far from Lille.  I went to about the middle of the bus and hung on to a strap.  Now I looked around at the passengers, and most of them were German soldiers.  Here I stood, an American airman surrounded by enemy soldiers.

No one paid any attention to me.  I hoped I looked like a poor farm laborer.  Now I was so glad that Jules had dyed my army boots black and that I was dirty and unshaven.

I couldn’t understand what the bus driver called out.    I couldn’t ask; I just figured when we came to Lille, I’d know by the traffic and buildings.

We got to what I assumed was Lille and got off the bus, but to my dismay so did most of the soldiers.  I did the only thing I could; I walked briskly up the street that we had stopped at, just as if I knew where I was going, and darned if the soldiers didn’t do the same.  I had to lose them although they still hadn’t bothered me at all.  At the next corner I turned, crossed the street and went in another direction from them.  I was so relieved when I saw they hadn’t followed.  I was finally away from them.  It was a pleasure being able to think of something else than them.  Now I could devote my planning to my trip to Spain.

So far, I continued to be lucky.  The street I turned onto seemed to be a main street.  There was traffic and stores, and there were streetcar tracks.  I stood at a corner and looked around.  A streetcar was approaching, and I could read that it was headed for the railroad station.  I read French faster and a lot better than I could speak or understand it when spoken.

I didn’t hesitate; I jumped onto the car, handed the driver some coins and took his change.  Why not, I thought.  I’d go to the railroad station, read the signs around the ticket booth, buy a ticket for Paris, and I’d be on my way, taking a big step towards Spain.

I hadn’t expected when I entered the railroad station to see so many German soldiers in the station, 

and this made me very uncomfortable.  I was afraid to stand around reading the signs too long.  I didn’t want to attract any attention.  I couldn’t see any sign that would help me, and what if the ticket seller started to ask me questions.  I felt a sense of panic.  I had to get out of this station, away from all these German soldiers.  As yet no one seemed to have noticed me, and as I turned and walked briskly out, I was afraid to run.  I decided I’d get to Spain without the benefit of the train.

I got away from the railroad station as quickly as possible, still trying to look unhurried.  It was a relief to get far enough away so I could take out my compass and be sure I was going south.  I hadn’t eaten since breakfast before dawn, but I wasn’t aware of being hungry.  This day seemed years long, and it was now well past noon.  I hadn’t seen any clock and hadn’t looked for one in the station.

As I walked along this street in Lille, an idea surfaced--a bike.  If I had one, I could travel faster, and it would be better than walking.  This idea fascinated me, and I started to look in store windows.  If I found one, I’d buy it.

Well, after about an hour, I still hadn’t seen one bike, and then I realized I didn’t know the French word for bike, and I had no idea how to ask for it.  Now I wonder why didn’t I think of stealing a bike.  Well, I didn’t, and I really don’t remember seeing any bike that I could have stolen.

I’d walked quite a way, I guess, because I was evidently coming to the edge of town.  I could see a small railroad station such as we have in our suburbs.  There were no German soldiers around.  In fact, no one was around so I walked up to the station and went into the waiting room.  No one was there; I could see three older men at desks behind a glass partition and through the window openings where I assumed tickets were sold.  I walked up to the window fully intending just to say “Paree combian,” but the man who came to the window looked so reliable that I said in French, “I am an American airman.  Can you help me?”

The two men behind him looked as kind, I thought.  He looked at me and motioned for me to come around.  He pointed to the door where I had to go out to come around to where they were stationed.  They were so excited and seemed so pleased to see me, but they spoke so fast, and they talked all at once that I couldn’t understand anything they said.  Finally, they made me understand they were calling a friend who could speak English.  They phoned the friend, and then I spent a nervous few minutes; suppose they called the German authorities.  I almost ran out, but I still mostly believed in their kindness, so I stood my ground and smiled and waited.

It wasn’t very long before a pretty young lady came through the door and spoke to me in English without much of an accent.  She seemed to know the men very well.  She told me she could help me but not until tomorrow.  For tonight she told me that I was to come to her house and stay for the night with her and her father.  I hadn’t realized that it had grown dark, and the promise of a place to sleep and, I felt sure, some food was the best thing I’d heard.  I believed her, and we said good-bye to my three friends and walked several blocks to her home.  The house had been damaged during some of the raids by the Allies, and they lived in the half that still stood.  They had no running water or inside toilet.  I don’t know if they had had them in the part that was destroyed.

They were very kind to me and evidently were doing something very risky for themselves by just having me in their house.  They wouldn’t tell me their names but asked me for my name.  When France was liberated, she wrote my parents and gave them her name, Georgette Flinois.  She traced me through my name much as Jules did when he could.

I had dinner with my hosts at what I thought was late, but they told me in France dinner is never until 9 P.M..

I went to sleep just as soon as they showed me where I was to stay.  I had walked a long way that day and was very, very tired.  I just laid down and went to sleep.

I was awakened very early by the young lady who was my host.  She was dressed and looked the same as I had seen her last night.  I discovered she had been up all night watching and evidently making arrangements for my next adventure.

She had breakfast ready for me and hurried me out.  It was only dawn, and no one was in sight.  We walked back to the street where the railroad station was, and during our walk she explained to me that arrangements had been made to take me to a safe house where I would stay until they could arrange to move me to a possible escape back to my base.  She explained as we walked that she had to leave me when she showed me the street, that I was to walk down by myself, and if everything worked out as planned, a pickup truck would come slowly down the street behind me and stop beside me.  I was then to turn and look around.  If I did not see anyone on the street either way, I was to jump into the back of the truck and lie down where I would not be seen.

I did exactly this.  I threw caution to the wind and jumped into the back of the truck.  In effect, I lost my ability to make my own decisions.  I would now have someone else telling me what to do.  This worried me quite a little, but I hoped it was for the best.  They surely were experienced.

There were two men in the front seat, a driver and a passenger.  The passenger turned and spoke to me.  I didn’t understand him but understood I was to stay hidden when he threw a tarpaulin over me.

We drove for a long time; all the time I was hoping I’d done the right thing.  I tried to peek out, but the sides of the pickup obstructed my view.  I could only see the sky.

After a long while, I guessed maybe about noon, we stopped, and I was told to get out and hurry into the house across the street.  I jumped over the side of the pickup and my legs gave way.  I had laid so long cramped that both legs were numb, and I had to be helped to my feet.  This only delayed me a moment.  I ran across the street and entered a house on the corner of the street.  A woman stood in the doorway smiling at me and motioning me to hurry.

©Joseph H. Harrison 1999