SILENT HEROES

A solid tribute to some remarkable WWII heroes: the spectacularly brave and selfless civilians who helped thousands of Allied fliers shot down in France evade the Nazis and get back to England so they could fight again.

These clandestine operations were sponsored by intelligence agencies in London, but managed by audacious operatives in the midst of the Occupation. The downed airmen were prepared as well as possible with training and escape kits, but for the most part they would not have avoided capture without the singular individuals in the networks of helpers who provided them with food, shelter, false identities, and guidance on the paths to safety and home. The civilians were quick-witted and agile, the Nazis determined and ruthless. The Gestapo attempted to use agents disguised as fugitive Allied fliers to infiltrate the escape-route operations. Unlike much of the Resistance, the operations were generally free of infighting, but despite elaborate precautions entire networks of the underground railroad were compromised by betrayal. Yet by 1943, whether they had to traverse the Pyrenees in winter or wade through surf on moonless nights to rendezvous with a boat, the evaders stood an even chance of being restored to their units from enemy territory. Independent scholar Ottis provides a clear, simply stated account of the mechanics, the difficulties, and the dedication involved. She documents the personal stories of many relatively unsung helpers, offering instances of rare humanity that even now evoke powerful emotions. (Ultimately, readers must ask themselves, “What would I have done?”) More than a screenwriters’ source book, this carefully researched text tells a story at once romantic, factual, and ennobling.

Emblematic of the truly significant sacrifices and triumphs of a passing generation. (30 b&w photos)