New Website Features

As an aid to visitors to this website, we are listing by year any new features that have been added to the website. Each item on the list contains a link to where it appears in the website. The list begins with the most recent additions and works back to 2016.

2023

RCAF,RAF,and RAAF. In January a new page with five sub-pages was added on this subject. On Mar. 18 the following was added: Vintage Wings of Canada (Les Ailes d’Epoque du Canada).
French websites. A new website, “Anonymes, Justes et persécutés durant la période nazie dans les communes de France (Anonymous, righteous and persecuted during the Nazi period in the communes of France): http://www.ajpn.org/, ” was added in January to the list of E&E websites.
New Pages Added to Website. On Feb. 18 a documentary, “The American Pilot Who Escaped a Nazi Prison Camp in a Folke-Wolff”, was added. On Feb. 19, “Flight to Freedom–The Story of How Two POWs, Bill Magrath and Oliver James, Escaped in 1941” was added. A new page on Resistance museums was added on June 11. A link to the Klein England: Secret War Museum in Belgium was added July 16.
Permission was given to sponsors of a project in Senlis, France to incorporate the logo of the AFEES flag in a plaque honoring aid given to Allied airmen hidden in a house in Senlis.
Contact information for the family of the late John Katsaros, former president of AFEES, was given to Mayor Bertrand Boilly, the mayor of Breuil sur Vesle a town in northeast France which is planning a ceremony in memory of Allied airmen shot down near their town. Mr. Katsaros was one of the airmen.
Display of 8th AF missions. Display of 8th AF missions located at the chapel at the American Military Cemetery, Cambridge, England, added Feb. 19.
Additions to List of E&E Books. Judith Pearson’s book, Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America’s First Female Spy was added Feb. 24. See also the article, “Baltimore Native a Celebrated Spy”, pg. 1, Feb. 2007 issue of the AFEES newsletter on this website. A.P. Clark’s 33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III: A World War II Airman Tells His Story was added Feb. 27. (See also item 11 below.) David D. Bommarito’s Train Z, A Little-Known Chapter of World War II, 2023, independently published, was added Apr. 13. Robert Verkaik, The Traitor of Colditz, 2022, was added Apr. 14. Norman W. Holden’s, The Lucky Seven, was added on June 4.
Links Added to Escape and Evasion WWII Movies & Documentaries. Link to “Great Escapes of World War II, Part 1” documentary added Feb . 24. Link to American Air Museum in Britain documentary, “Lonnie Moseley and His Incredible 4 July Escape“.
International Spy Museum. On Feb. 24 a link was added to a documentary prepared by the International Spy Museum on the subject of escape and evasion.
Links Added to Memoirs from WWII. On Feb. 28 a new page was added to “The Great Escape of Lt. Gen. Albert P. Clark“.
Links from Bomb Groups. By mid-March, there were eight Bomb Group Associations’ and seven Fighter Group Associations’ websites providing links to the AFEES website.
In Monique’s Footsteps. Link to app that walkers can access on their cell phones as they pass landmarks along the trail was added on Mar. 17: see https://www.cirkwi.com/en/circuit/239025-in-monique-s-footsteps .
Friends of the New Forest Airfields (FONFA) A link to FONFA’s website was added to Air Shows, Tours and Museums and Escape and Evasion Museum and Tours on Mar. 17. See also Friends of the New Forest Airfields (FONFA): https://fonfa.co.uk/. See in particular: https://fonfa.co.uk/air-crew-escape%2F-evasion , Air Forces Escape and Evasion, and https://fonfa.co.uk/pilots-stories.
AFEES Flag at WWII Memorials. Two more ceremonies in France were attended by Dirk Vijverman on behalf of AFEES on May 8 at which he displayed the AFEES Flag. He also represented AFEES with its flag at three of the Normandy commemorations of June 1-6, 2023. The photos were added in May, June and early July. To view the photos, click here. On Sept. 25, two photos from the 79th anniversary of ‘Operation Market Garden’ at EERDE-Netherland were added. The AFEES flag was displayed.
BBC WWII Documentaries. A new page was added July 4, 2023 on WWII documentaries produced by the BBC. The first program is “Histories Secret Heroes” narrated by Helena Bonham Carter.
RAF Deenethorpe USAAF Station. On July 9, RAF Deenethorpe was added to the 8th AF page.
“Great Escape” Films and Documentaries” added 7/9/23. “The Real Great Escape – Codename Tom, Dick, & Harry” Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEMW2svLTF8. “Stalag Lufte III: The POWs Who Escaped the Nazi Fortress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgshIFRrp1I. “Visiting Stalag Luft III: The Real Great Escape”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVCza1YUq0w; “The Real Great Escape from Stalag Luft III”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyBFnYPRFvU “The Untold Story of the Great Escape”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaUU-0-4a3g .
Code Breaking (PBS documentary) – Added 7/9/23/ https://airforceescape.org/code-breaking-cryptanalysis/
French Resistance. New page added 7/9/23. https://airforceescape.org/french-resistance/.
Comete Kinship Newsletter. The June 2023 Comete newsletter was added July 17. To view it, click here. and scroll to the end.
Aid to Jewish Childen. A new page was added in July 2023 with links to 17 sources on aid to Jewish children during WWII. A video, “How One Person Saved Over 2000 Children from the Nazis”, and yet another video, “Resistance Activities During the Holocaust,” were both added Oct. 15.
Five Things You Never Knew About the B-17 Flying Fortress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crsfNW8SKkI . This was added Sep. 3 to both pages on B-17s.
My World War II Memoirs by Frederick J. Gerritz was added Oct. 9. To view it, click here.
Link to Monte San Martino Trust report. On Nov. 15 a link was added to the report of the activities of the Monte San Martino Trust in Italy. Click here to view it.

2022

Achtung! Achtung! Die Flugfestungen Kommen! (Attention! Attention! The Flying Fortresses Are Coming!) by John M. Carah. This book was added to our list of escape and evasion books in 2021. The names of evaders and helpers referred to in the book were added to the indexes of Evaders and Helpers in January 2022.
List of Escape and Evasion Books (with jacket covers and descriptions). Maurice Petit’s Marathon en Ardenne, L’Audacieuse Mission de Protection d’Aciateurs Allies in 1944 (Marathon in the Ardennes, The Audacious Mission to Protect Allied Aviators in 1944) was added to the book list Jan. 13 . Norman Schroeder’s book, Mission 13: A Downed Pilot’s Escape from France was added in Feb. 3. Damien Lewis’ Churchill’s Great Escapes, Mala Kacenberg’s Mala’s Cat, Robert Mrazek’s To Kingdom Come, Tom McGrath’s Unspoken, A Father’s Wartime Escape, and Sonia Purnell’s A Woman of No Importance were added July 8. Judy Barrett Litoff’s (ed.), An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D’Albert-Lake, Fordham University Press, 2008, was added Oct. 25. Ben MacIntyre’s Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis’Fortress Prison, was added Nov. 3. Charles E. Stanley, Jr.’s, Lost Airmen: The Epic Rescue of WWII U.S. Bomber Crews Stranded Behind Enemy Lines, 2022, was added Nov. 7. Stephen G. Rabe’s, The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy, Cambridge University Press, 2022, was added Nov. 11. Halik Kochanski’s Resistance: The Underground War in Europe Against Hitler, 1939-1945, was added Nov. 11. James Bourhill’s, The Killing Fields of Provence, 2020, was added Nov. 11. Ray Worrall’s Escape from France was added Nov. 11.
Index to Newsletters. As of July 18, 11 more AFEES newsletters had been indexed: Fall (September) 2004, Winter (December) 2004-2005, Spring (March) 2005, and Summer (June) 2005. September 2005 was completed by March 1. The December 2005 was finished Mar. 12. The Spring 2006 issue was finished Mar. 16. The Summer (June) 2006 issue was finished Mar. 19. The Fall (September) 2006 issue was finished June 26. The Winter (December) 2006 was completed July 2. The Spring (February) 2007 was completed July 18. Summer (June) 2007 was completed Aug. 7. Fall (Sept.) 2007 was completed Aug. 8. Winter (December) 2007 was completed Aug. 11.
Memorials to and Citations of Comete Line Members. The citation of Odile de Vasselot de Regne for service in the Resistance was added Feb. 7.
Escape and Evasion from Yugoslavia. On Mar. 5, two more pages were added to “Escape from Yugoslavia”, “‘Zvonko’ Led Halyard Mission” and “A 1995 Return to Serbia“. On Mar. 7, “Charles L. Davis” was added.
Obituaries. Obituaries of Henriette (“Monique”) Hanotte were added in late February. Obituary for Elsie Maréchal was added June 21. Obituary for Thomas “Tom” Lawrence Yankus, Sr. was added July 18. Obituary for Joke Folmer was added Dec. 17. A long obituary article from the Dutch nrc was added in late January.
War Graves. A new page consisting of a list of websites devoted to war graves was added Mar. 9.
France: A new page, “France: Maps of Occupied Zones“, was added Apr. 25.
Memoirs From WWII: A new article, “’You Are Supposed to Be Dead”, The Amazing Story Behind Bill McGinley’s Purple Heart,” was added June 11. Another article, “Tom got to freedom, the hard way” was added July 31. “A Small Mistake – Large Effects” about an error in air dropping supplies for the Resistance was added Aug. 6. “Mission 13: A Downed Pilot’s Escape from France” was added Aug. 13. The article, “Three Die, Four Taken Prisoner, One Evades On 303rd’s Final Raid”, was added Sept. 5. “In the Footsteps of Bud Owens“, was added Oct. 27.
Escape and Evasion Museums and Tours. Information on E&E museums and tours was added July 3. The General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum was added Oct. 26. Samples of photos of E&E exhibits at the International Spy Museum were added Nov. 5.
Eighth Air Force. A page on the 8th AF was added July 9. A new page on websites of 8th AF Bomb Groups and Fighter Groups was added on Nov. 16. Thirty-two still functioning websites were contacted and requested to add links to the AFEES website.
Escape and Evasion via Gibraltar. A page on the role of Gibraltar in WWII was added July 10.
Evaders and Oranges, the Seville Escape Route. A page on the use of merchant ships sailing from Seville to Gibraltar my Allied military personnel was added July 11.
Escape and Evasion WWII Movies. “A Call to Spy” about Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins was added July 21.
BBC in WWII. A new page, “BBC in WWII”, was added Aug. 20.
Helper and Evader Indexes. By Aug. 28, all the names of helpers from the AFEES Membership List of 1993 were added to Helper Index. By October the Helper index and been completed and the Evader Index and been proofed.
The Cooler King. A new page on the true story of Bill Ash, the real “Cooler King” on whom the Steve McQueen character was based in “The Great Escape”, was added Sept. 10.
Representation of AFEES at Memorials by Dirk Vijverman. (1) Funeral of Henriette Hanotte, known as “Monique”, in late February; (2) Aug. 21 ceremony at Zegelsem, Belgium, in memory of the Belgian crash of the B-17 “Can Do”; (3) ceremony on Sept. 10 on the occasion of the WWII liberation of Aalst, Belgium; and (4) ceremony on Sept. 17 at Eeerde, The Netherlands, on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of “Operation Market Garden”.
AFEES Members Attending Commemorations in Europe. Margy Fricke attended ceremonies in Europe. Added Nov. 5.
Letter of Support. An acting French officer requested a letter of support for an award for the WWII Resistance activity of a retired French officer, Col. Louis Ledanois. The helper file for the officer was ordered and a letter of support based on the file was submitted.

2021

Escape Lines. On Jan. 8, information was added to the website about nine of the escape lines operating in Europe during WWII. They are: Burgundy (Bourgogne), Comet, Dutch-Paris, Luctor et Emergo/Fiat Libertas, Marie-Claire, MNB (Belgian National Movement), PAT (Pat O’Leary), Possum, and Shelburn (Shelbourne). In addition, a better quality copy of Oliver Clutton-Brock’s index to 2000 RAF evaders from his book, RAF Evaders, The comprehensive story of thousands of escapers and their escape lines, Western Europe, 1940-1945, was inserted on Jan. 8, 2020 by means of scanning the original index in the book. On Jan. 9 pages were added to the website about additional escape lines, including the Brussels-based escape line, Service EVA; Groupe Hoornaert-Dirix; Operation Marathon; Bleu et Jonquille; and Smit-van der Heijden Line. Information about the activities of the Monte San Martino Trust was added May 17.
Traitors, Betrayers, and Collaborators. A new page on the subject of traitors, betrayers, and collaborators during WWII Occupied Europe, was added Jan. 11.
List of Escape and Evasion Books (with jacket covers and descriptions). The following books were added as follows: Jan. 17, 2021: Airmen’s Incredible Escapes: Accounts of Survival in the Second World War by Bryn Evans. Added Feb. 15: Roosenburg, Henriette, THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN, A journey of bravery, heroism, and unbowed humanity, London: Scribe, 2021. Added Apr. 3, 2021: Langrehr, Henry and Jim DeFelice, Whatever It Took: An American Paratrooper’s Extraordinary Memoir of Escape, Survival and Heroism in the Last Days of World War II; Apr. 13, 2021: Marnham, Patrick, War in the Shadows – Resistance, Deception, Betrayal in Occupied France, Simon&Schuster. Apr. 14: Fleming, Brian, Heroes in the Shadows, Humanitarian Action And Courage in the Second World War; June 4: Tellez Sola, Antonio, Le réseau d’évasion du groupe Ponzan – Anarchistes dans la guerre secrète contre le franquisme et le nazisme (1936-1944); June 14: Carah, John M., Achtung! Achtung! Die Flugfestungen Kommen! =: Attention! Attention! the Flying Fortresses Are Coming!: Memoirs of WWII. Dec. 25: Hall, Chris, The Nurse Who Became a Spy, Madge Addy’s War Against Fascism; Bilton, Rachel, Great Escapes of the First World War; Spicer, Tim, A Dangerous Enterprise, Secret War at Sea; and Hornsby, Dennis, We Die Alone, A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance. On Dec. 26, the following were added: Daniel Jackson, Fallen Tigers; Kenneth Skidmore, Follow the Man with the Pitcher; and Steve Snyder, Shot Down, The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 “Susan Ruth”.
Obituaries of Allied Airmen. Thirty-two obituaries of Allied airmen were added Jan. 23. The obituary of Francis Xavier Medina, Sr. was added Sept. 15.
“A B-17 Crew & Hungarian Hospitality – Start of a Lasting Friendship”. What happened when a Hungarian woman visited the Lyon Air Museum in Orange County, California and the story of Jack Bratlie, shot down over Hungary in January 1945.
B-17 “All American”. On Jan. 30 a new page was added, “B-17 ‘All American” about the B-17 by that name that successfully returned to base with its tail almost completely shot off.
AFEES Newsletter Indexing. Indexing of the July 2001 newsletter was completed Jan. 31. The September and December 2001 issues were indexed by May 2. The March 2002 issue was indexed by May 6. The June and August 2002 issues were completed by Sept. 10, 2021. The Sept. 16, 1967 issue was completed June 6. The 1969 issue was completed June 7, 2021. The Comete AFEES meeting of Oct. 7-14, 1974 was indexed June 8, 2021. Shelburn USA 1976 Part 1 was indexed June 14. Shelburn USA 1976 Parts 2, 3 and 4 were indexed June 17. Spring Mockup 1986 was indexed June 19. August 1986 issue indexed June 21, 2021. RAFES (Canadian Branch) Sept. 1986 – part 1 was indexed June 22. The Circa December 1986 newsletter and San Antonio, TX May 1987 issue were indexed June 27. The Summer 1987 issue was indexed June 29. The Winter 1987 issue was indexed July 2. The Spring 1988 issue was indexed July 2. The Summer 1988, Part 1,2,3, Part 4, and Part 5 were indexed by July 5. The Winter 1988 issue was indexed July 8. The Spring 1989, Parts 1 and 2, were indexed July 10. Summer 1989 was indexed July 12. Winter 1989-1990 was indexed July 18. The Winter 2002-2003 (December 2002) was indexed July 23. The Spring 2003 (March) issue was indexed July 26. The Summer 2003 (June) issue was indexed Aug. 3. The September (Fall) 2002 issue was indexed Aug. 5. The Winter (December) 2003-2004 issue was indexed Aug. 16. The Spring (March) 2004 issue was indexed Sept. 18. Indexing of the Summer (June) 2004 newsletter was finished on Dec. 24.
Air Shows, Tours, and Museums. The National WWII Museum in New Orleans was added Jan. 31.
AFEES Memorabilia Cherished in France. A new page, submitted by Barbara Wojcik, shows the importance to people in the occupied countries of the recognition they received for aiding Allied airmen. Added Feb. 5, 2021.
Le Réseau Comète: New links to this website were added Mar. 2. Click here to view them.
AFEES Emblems: On Mar. 16 a new page was added about the AFEES flag and helping hand symbols. On May 8, photos of the VE-Day ceremonies at Zottegem, Belgium, with the display of the AFEES flag, were added. On Sept. 19 two photos of displays of the AFEES flag at the 77th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium at Strigpen-Zottegem were added.
Newsletter Archive: The Winter 1988 issue of the Communications issue that was missing four pages was replaced with one that is complete and even has marginal notations.
Obituaries: An obituary for the Dutch helper, Mia Lelivelt, was added on Apr. 26. One for Rudy Zeeman was added May 9, 2021. An obituary for Joh Vasquez was added Sept. 21.
Poetry: “Briefing at Five” by Tom Applewhite was added May 1.
Code-Breaking, Cryptanalysis: A new page on this subject was added May 28.
Medal of Honor Recipients: A new page with a link to all Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and a direct link to Air Force recipients was added May 29.
Escape and Evasion Reports – Samples from the National Archives: Several examples of escape and evasion reports at the National Archives were added May 29.
Stambruges Children’s Research – A Belgian TV report on children’s research on an American airman was added June 3, 2021.
B-17, B-24, Lancaster WWII Footage. – Links were added to footage of B-17 and B-24 missions during WWII June 9.
Escape from the Japanese. A new page with information on books and videos on this subject was added July 2. An article about evader Fred Hargesheimer was added to the page on Aug. 10.
Explanation of the AFEES Emblem. This explanation was added to the website on July 3.
Dutch-Paris Line. Some time ago a list of 71 evaders helped by the Dutch-Paris Line was added to the WWII Netherlands Escape Lines website and 33 of the airmen were linked to the list of Evaders on the AFEES website. On July 13, another 14 evaders on the list were linked to the list of Evaders on the AFEES website.
B-24 Liberator: Loved and Loathed. With permission of the Air Force Museum Friends Journal and the author, we reproduced this article on the AFEES website on July 19, 2021.
Newsletters. The first AFEES newsletter since November 2017 was emailed to AFEES members and posted on the AFEES website in August.
Evader and Helper Indexes. Because the Evader and Helper Indexes were becoming so massive and that much harder to search, each index was spilt into smaller consecutive segments on August 1.
Restoration of WWII Aircraft. A new page was added on the subject of restoration of WWII Aircraft with links to both videos and books on the subject in early August.
Escape and Evasion Via Switzerland. A new page on this subject was added Aug. 10. Among other things, it contains articles about Switzerland, a link to the Swiss Internees Association website, descriptions and jacket covers of 13 books related to the subject, and links to two other book lists. Two maps showing the escape routes via Switzerland of 2nd Lt. John M. Carah and 2nd Lt. Ralph Bruce were added Augs. 16. On Aug. 21 and 22, a wealth of information, from the B-17 Museum in Switzerland, was added, including a link to a full-length film by MGM made right after the end of WWII with some evaders playing evaders, a photo of an MCR-1 Miniature Communications Receiver, links to memorials in Switzerland, selected pages from appendices to escape and evasion reports, and a ceremony honoring survivors of Swiss internment camps. On Aug. 27 the list of evaders and escapers compiled by Roger Anthoine, author of Aviateurs Pietons Vers la suiss, 1940-1945, pp. 361-366, was added to the page.
Caterpillar Club. A letter dated March 6, 1944 from the Irving Air Chute Company to evader Lt. John M. Carah advising him that he was being enrolled on the roster of the Caterpillar Club was added to the page about the Caterpillar Club on Aug. 16, 2021.
Index to Evaders. On Aug. 27 we finished adding 323 names of evaders and escapers from Roger Anthoine’s book, Aviateurs Pietons, Vers la Suiss, 1940-1945 who passed through Switzerland. See also the Escape and Evasion Via Switzerland page of the website.
Obituary of French Helper Roger Folliot. Folliot’s French obituary and a link to his aid to Allied airmen were added Aug. 31.
“Bailout Over France and the Journey Home” by Jack W. Stead. Sgt. Stead’s memoirs were added to the “Memoirs from WWII” part of the website on 9/5/21.
“Last Mission: Bailout and Rescue in Luxembourg” by Ordway B. Gates. 2nd Lt. Ordway B. Gates’ memoirs were added Sept. 9, 2021.
“Escape Lines Memorial Society (ELMS)”. A page on the ELMS was added on Sept. 12, 2021.
Escape and Evasion from Yugoslavia. This new page, which contains ten articles on E&E from Yugoslavia, mainly reproduced from articles that appeared in issues of the AFEES newsletter, was added Sept. 26, 2021.
Escape and Evasion WWII Movies and Documentaries. A new page on this subject was added Sept. 30, 2021. By Oct. 5 it had information on 33 escape and evasion film and a few documentaries.
Eugene J. Bullard, Hero of Two World Wars. This page was added to the “Memoirs from WWII” part of the website on Oct. 16.
Website Annual Progress Report. A report on the AFEES website for 2015-2021 was added Oct. 21. It will be updated at the end of the year.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes. A new page on the Portuguese Consul in Bordeaux who saved thousands at the expense of his career and his livelihood was added Nov. 10, 2021.
Savannah Reunion Photos. Twenty-one photos from the Oct. 27-31, 2021 Savannah Reunion held jointly with the 8th AF Historical Society were added Nov. 24.
Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee. A new page about Varian Fry, who aided some 1500-2000 people to flee the Nazis was added Nov. 25, 2021.
Helene Gill. A new page about Helene Gill who aided some 17 Allied airmen in France was added Nov. 27, 2021. The names of 38 helpers associated with Helene Gill and evaders helped by her which were identified on the page were indexed on Dec. 26, 2021.
Division of Index of Evaders & POWs. The index had become too massive to add more entries, so on Dec. 18 it was divided into two parts, Index of Evaders and POWs, A-L, and Index of Evaders and POWs, M-Z.
Donald Caskie, The Tartan Pimpernel. A page on Donald Caskie, a minister of the Church of Scotland who aided Allied military personnel to escape occupied France, was added Dec. 19.
“A Jewish New Yorker’s War Against Hitler”. A new page in the Memoirs section of the website was added Dec. 20 about Si Spiegel, a Jewish B-17 bomber pilot, who evaded capture by way of Poland and after the war designed the artificial Christmas tree.
Escape and Evasion Books. Two separate pages on escape and evasion books were combined into one in a new, more visible page on Dec. 26.

2020

List of Escape and Evasion Books. The following book was added on May 2: Crew-Members on the Run: The Crash of the Seattle Sleeper near Haulerwijk by Jan Slofstra and Jaap De Boer. On July 11 the following book was added: Zeeman, Pieter Rudolph, Luck Through Adversity: The Memoir of a Dutchman’s Flight to Freedom Through the Dutch-Paris Escape Line of World War II, John Henry Weidner Foundation, 2020. On Aug. 31 the following book was added: Fry, Helen, MI9, A History of the Secret Service for Escape and Evasion in World War Two, Yale University Press, 2020. On Sept. 12 the following book was added: Minardi, Marco, Bugle Call to Freedom, Monte San Martino Trust, 2020. On Sept. 16 the following book was added: Ankeny, Susan Tate, The Girl and the Bombardier: A True Story of Resistance and Rescue in Nazi-Occupied France, Diversion Books, 2020. On Nov. 29 the following books were added: Janet Carper, The Weidners in Wartime; Victor Failmezger, Rome, City in Terror – The Nazi Occupation 1943-1944; Oreste Pinto, Spy Catcher; Nicholas Rankin, Defending The Rock; and Michael Ross, The British Partisan.
Requests for Research Help. Jan. 6 request for information on Sgt. James Ross as part of a book about letters written by WWII soldiers. Jan. 30 request for information on the Burgundy Line and Maria Augusta Krauss. Feb. 27 request by the Resistance Museum of Amsterdam for information on evader Harry Dolph for a new museum exhibition. Apr. 22 request for information on evader William C. Hawkins by Bernard Sellin who is writing a book about Hawkins’ escape from France. June 30 request for information on the escape route of Paul S. Miller into Spain from his daughter Christina. October 2 request from Francois Massart for information on his grandfather, Jean Leon Massart. Ocotober 22 request from Vianney Bosse for assistance in reviewing the transcript he has prepared of Ralph Patton’s narration on “EVADE, THE RALPH PATTON STORY”. October 29 request from James DiBetta for information on the evasion of his father, Gino DiBetta. November 23 request from Dr. Dr. Declan O’Reilly for information on foreign currency provided to American air crews for use if shot down.
“POW and Escape”. William Provonsha’s memoir, “POW and Escape”, was added April 15. Included is his MACR.
“Joel McPherson’s Wild Ride”. The story of Joel McPherson, fighter pilot, shot down over France 1944 and aided to reach Gibraltar, was added April 26.
“Worry Aboard Ole Worrybird”. The story of the experiences of the crew of the B-17G, “Ole Worrybird” on its Nov. 2, 1944 mission to bomb the Leuna oil refinery near Merseburg, Germany.
AFEES Newsletter Indexing. The AFEES Newsletter is being indexed, working both forwards and backwards, with the March (Spring) 2001 the latest to be done (completed Nov. 19, 2020). Consequently, indexing has now been completed for May 1964, Spring 1990-March (Spring) 2001, August 2006, and March 2008-November (Winter) 2017. This amounts to 69 issues indexed so far.
Obituaries. Added obituaries for evaders Clyde J. Martin, Forrest Fenn, Charles Screws, William Provonsha, and Chuck Yeager; for helper Jeanine de Greef; and for AFEES friend Cynthia Forrester. In mid-December restructured the obituaries so that they are now in drop-down menus by category, making it easier to find a particular obituary.
Poem by Roy Carter (RCAF) and Other Poems. Our thanks to Co de Swart for the poem by Roy Carter and background information on him. On the same page there are now links to eight other poems, with more to be added as our indexing of newsletters progresses.
Hide And Seek With the German Army. In November, he book Hide And Seek With the German Army by Lt. Col. Clarke M. Brandt and Richard M. Smith, one of the founders and former president of AFEES was added to the website.
Evade! The Ralph Patton Story. Mr. Vianney Bossé of France provided us with English and French transcripts of Ralph Patton’s narration of his experiences when shot down in 1944. The transcripts have been added to the website. Names of his helpers were added to the Index to Helpers on Nov. 27, 2020.
Pages Missing From and AFEES Newsletter . A visitor to the website noticed two pages missing from the scanned Winter 1988 issue of the AFEES newsletter. An examination of the original copy of the newsletter suggests that it was a page numbering error.
Aviation Art. A new page, Aviation Art, with links to websites with stunning paintings of WWII planes in action, was added Nov. 20, 2020.
Why I Never Spoke of the War. An article by Richard Frohm, from the 8th AF News, Sept. 2020 issue, describes the experiences of a B-17 crew during WWII. The article was added to the website Nov. 26, 2020.
RAF, RCAF, RAAF Evasion Stories. The 338-page manuscript of the book Those Who Dared, A Comprehensive List Of World War II Allied Escapers, by George A. Brown was added toa new page of the website Dec. 23, 2020. It contains the escape and evasion experiences of approximately 600 airmen and ground troops. On Dec. 31, the list of 600 evaders had been added to the Index to Evaders and POWs on this website. Also on Dec. 31, information about Oliver Clutton-Brock’s book, RAF Evaders, The comprehensive story of thousands of escapers and their escape lines, Western Europe, 1940-1945, was added to the new website page along with a link to his index of over 2000 RAF evaders and escapers. To view it, click here. (A better quality copy of the index was inserted on Jan. 8, 2020 by means of scanning the original in the book.)

2019

List of Escape and Evasion Books. The following books, including cover images, were added in January: The Forgotten 500 by Gregory Freeman; A Higher Call, by Adam Makos; Not Home for Christmas by John Meurs; Jump, Damn It, Jump by Edward Logan; The Lost Airmen by Seth Meyerowitz; and The Secret Rescue by Cate Lineberry. The books by Makos, Freeman, Logan, Stevens, and Lineberry were recommended by AFEES member Mary Shier. In February the new books were Code Name Lily by Julien Ayotte and So Close to Freedom, A World War II Story of Peril and Betrayal in the Pyrenees by Jean-Luc Cartron were added. In March the following were added: Mark Bles’ Child at War; Barbara Bond’s The Great Escapes; Brian Devereaux’s, Escape to Pagan; Ian English’s, Home by Christmas; Monty Halls’ Escaping Hitler; Marie Jalowicz Simon’s, Gone to Ground; Brian Gordon Lett’s Italy’s Outstanding Courage; Stewart Mitchell’s St. Valery and Its Aftermath; and Meg Ostrum’s The Surgeon and the Shepherd. In April the following was added: Patrick Bishop’s The Man Who Was Saturday — The Extraordinary Life of Airey Neave. In May the following were added: Clayton C. David’s They Helped Me Escape: From Amsterdam to Gibraltar in 1944,Thomas C. Wilcox’s One Man’s Destiny, H. Phillip Causer’s M.I.A. (Missing in Action), George Floyd Bennett’s Shot Down! Escape and Evasion, Francis X. Medina’s Ciao, Francesco, Ray E. Zinck’s The Final Flight of Maggie’s Drawers, A Story of Survival, Escape and Evasion, Charles A. Fisher’s Mission Number Three: Missing in Action, and Juan Carlos Jimenez de Aberasturi’s Camino a la Libertad, La red de evasion Comete y la frontera vasca durante la II Guerra Mundial. In August the following were added: Nicholas Young’s Escaping With His Life, From Dunkirk to D-Day and Beyond, Keith Janes’s Express Delivery about the Shelburn Line, Stella Clare Marsh’s The Twisted Florin: Evasion from France, Escape from Italy by Squadron Leader John Mott, MBE, Tom Carver’s Where the Hell Have You Been? One Man’s Incredible Escape and Stephen Harding’s, Escape from Paris, A True Story of Love and Resistance in Wartime France. In October Kirk Kendrick’s, Messages in Handlebars, The Youngest Resistance Fighter, Ted Fahrenwald’s Bailout Over Normandy, and James Sheeran’s No Surrender were added. In November Mark Felton’s, Zero Night, The Untold Story of World War Two’s Most Daring Escape, Sune Persson’s Escape from the Third Reich, The Harrowing True Story of the Largest Rescue Effort Inside Nazi Germany, and Steven Foster’s The Soldier Who Came Back: The True Account of a Heart-Stopping Journey and Heart-Breaking Decision were added. There are now approximately 161 books listed and most have images of the jacket covers (36 more covers were added in March, one more in April, and seven in May five in August, three in October, and three in November) plus links to sources from which copies can be purchased. Recommendations for additions to the list are welcome. Contact the webmaster.
Newsletter Indexing. The Spring 1990, Summer 1990, December 1997, March 1998, June 1998, September 1998, December 1998, February 1999, May 1999, August 1999, and December 1999 issues of the AFEES Newsletter have been added to those newsletters indexed. Names of evaders and helpers appearing in those issues are now in the corresponding indexes.
Fortress Flying Article. An article from Aviation History magazine describing the author’s experiences flying on a restored B-17 has been added. It is reproduced with permission of the publisher.
Article About August 2018 Reunion. An article about the August, 2018 reunion of the families of a B-17 crew shot down near Mol, Belgium and descendants of the Belgian Resistance members who helped them was added. (See “Mol 2018 AFEES Story”.)
Agnes Frisque obituary. Email dated Feb. 17, 2019 from Leslie Burritt, nee Frisque, to Jane Binnebose, posted on Helper Obituaries page.
AFEES Book “The Long Return” by Bob Porter. Porter was a Friend Member of AFEES and published this account of his WWII experiences. His son gave permission for it to be reproduced on the AFEES website.
Armed Services Humor. This page contains a collection of some of the cartoons and comic strips that appeared in the AFEES newsletter from 1994 to 2012, thanks to its editor, Larry Grauerholz.
“To Hell or Glory” B-17 Memorial. February 20, 2019 commemoration of the crash of the B-17 “To Hell or Glory” near Outer, Belgium. (See item 23 on the page.)
Eighth Air Force Historical Society. The close ties between the 8th AF Historical Society and AFEES would seem to warrant providing links to their website, a useful source of information. In Included are three photos of the 8th AF Museum grounds taken during the 2018 AFEES reunion. To avoid confusion between the 8th AFHS and the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth AF, on May 31 these were split into separate pages.
War Graves. A new page with links to cemeteries of war dead was added.
Eighth Air Force in WWII. A new page with a list of 75 books and links to 11 videos about the 8th AF was added.
Airmen Prisoners on the Phantom Train. A link was added from the history of the Phantom Train (also known as the Nazi Ghost Train) to the 36 Allied airmen in the AFEES “Index to Evaders” who were prisoners on the train. At the same time links were added from the names of airmen in the index to the history. Links were also added directly to the the History Channel Documentary, “History’s Mysteries – Nazi Ghost Train” from the names of evaders and helpers appearing in the respective indexes who were interviewed in the documentary.
The Great Escape. A link to a website about The Great Escape was added to the page on Escape and Evasion Websites.
Operation Home Run. In May a new page was added about the July 1999 commemorative trek across the Pyrenees in which 28 AFEES members and friends participated.
Escape and Evasion Speech at 2019 Reunion. In late May a new page was added consisting of the PowerPoint talk that Executive Vice-President Lynn David gave at the final banquet.
A Tour of the Eighth Air Force Control Tower and Shot Down, both articles from the Friends Journal, were added at the end of May.
They Helped Me Escape: From Amsterdam to Gibraltar in 1944. Clayton David’s book, the 2010 edition, was added to the website June 1, courtesy of Lynn David.
Escape and Evasion Reports. Escape and evasion report numbers of almost 3000 evaders were added to facilitate locating the reports.
Current Events. At the end of May/beginning of June, a new page, Current Events, was added that would, hopefully, take over for the newsletter. It is made up of five sub-pages, AFEES Member Activities, AFEES Organization News, Air Shows and Tours, New Escape and Evasion Books, Reports from Other Escape and Evasion Organizations, and Requests for Research Help. The most recent request for research help was posted Oct. 3, 2019.
Armed Services Humor. On June 5, added eight of Heith Robinson’s satirical British cartoons on “The War in the Air” to the website after permission received from Bodleian Library.
AFEES Reunion Photos. Sixty-nine photos of the 2019 reunion of AFEES in Niagara, New York, were added in early June along with some commentary and identification of members.
Structure of Website. In mid-June, sixty-nine pages of the website were reduced to 30 by regrouping them more logically. Fifteen sub-pages now make up the new Escape and Evasion Research page.
News About AFEES and 8th AF Historical Society. In late June, AFEES Executive Vice-President Lynn David posted an announcement about the relationship between AFEES and the 8th AF Historical Society and how AFEES can attend the 8th AFHS annual meetings while retaining its own identity and activities.
National Personnel Records Center Fire. An article on the NPRC fire in St. Louis, MO that started July 12, 1973 destroying millions of military personnel files was added in early July.
Belgian Humor Under the German Heel. This collection of Belgian cartoons was added to the website on July 7, 2019.
List of Officers. Photos were added to the list of officers on July 14, 2019.
The Road Home. The book, The Road Home, about the experiences of bombardier Charles V. Carlson, was added on July 16, 2019. It is about the father of Margy Fricke, AFEES Board member, and was written by Anne Jacobson Robertson. It is in both English and French.
Dit is Mijn Vader! An article on research about an incident that occurred in The Netherlands during WWII was added July 19, 2019. A very dramatic illustration of a B-24 almost running down a bicyclist on a dike is included.
Indexing of Books on Website. In June and July references to evaders and helpers in Clayton David’s book, They Helped Me Escape, and Charles Carlson’s book, The Road Home, were added to the Indexes to Evaders and Helpers with links to the respective pdf files of the books.
The World War II Years of Marguerite. The book, The World War II Years of Marguerite by Marguerite Fraser née Brouard was added Aug. 3, 2019. An index to evaders and helpers was added to the book and the their names were indexed in the website’s Indexes to Evaders and Helpers.
Obituary of Alberta DelGuidice. On Aug. 8 an obituary for the late Alberta DelGuidice was added to the page on obituaries.
A Trip Back in Time. An article by Col. Frank Alfter, USAF (Ret.) about the experiences of the author’s father when shot down and postwar reunions was added Aug. 15.
National Archives Focusing on WWII. In September a new page was added on different national archives that specialize in WWII records and research, including Belgium, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States.
AFEES Flag Displayed at Operation Market Garden Commemoration. Photos were added to the website of AFEES member Dirk Vijverman displaying the AFEES flag at the Operation Market Garden commemoration on Sept. 17 and of associate Tom Liottier presenting a wreath on behalf of AFEES. Scroll down it item 25 on that page to view photos.
Reunion with 8th AF Historical Society Photos. On Nov. 4, photos from the October reunion of AFEES with the 8th AF Historical Society Society were added.
Friends of the Comet Line. On Nov. 10, an additional organization, Friends of the Comet Line, was added to Reports from Other Escape and Evasion Organizations in AFEES Current Events.
“Downed in Yugoslavia“. On Nov. 13, the article “Downed in Yugoslavia” was added to the “Memoirs from WWII” part of the website.
AFEES Newsletter Archive. Margy Fricke provided us with pages 11-14 that were missing from the pdf file for the Winter 1991 issue of the AFEES newsletter. On Nov. 16 the pages were scanned and the revised pdf file for that issue was inserted in the AFEES Newsletter Archive.
Video of 2006 AFEES Reunion in Albuquerque. A video of the 2006 reunion in Albuquerque was posted on the website in late November. It was originally provided by Yvonne Brusselmans-Daley to Betty Binnebose Lewis who passed it on to the webmaster. Our thanks to both.
Newspaper Articles. Added to the website on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2019 were the articles “‘Evader Author Recalls Days of World War II” about Harry Dolph, “WWII Veterans Honor Croatian“, “WWII Soldiers Get Chance to Thank Rescuers“, “Friends & Allies“, 2012 reunion article “Air Force Escape and Evasion Society reunites at Kirtland AFB“, “Escape Artists“, and “Unique Group of Survivors”.
“Behind the Wire – Allied Airmen in Captivity in Germany“. This video was posted on YouTube on Dec. 5, 2019 and a new page devoted to in on this website. The 23 airmen interviewed in the video are listed and links have been added to them on the Index to Evaders & POWs.
“Mission to Bucharest: Overdue on Return“, a memoir by Richard Bodwell, was added Dec. 16, 2019.

2018

Three thousand member database. Each entry in the database typically lists an evader’s name, escape and evasion report number, Bomb Squadron, Bomb Group, date shot down, and names of other crew members. This is followed by an account of what happened to him with further detail.
Operation Bonaparte. This is a commemorative booklet published in connection with the May 1964 reunion in Buffalo, New York. It includes historical information on Bonaparte and names of evaders helped.
Evader Lecroy Clifton interview. This is the last of the series of interviews with evaders to have been posted on YouTube. He was flying a P-47 on Sep. 22, 1944 when he was shot down in Italy.
Requesting Official Military Personnel Files. Contains information on how to request military personnel files, overseas burials, missing aircrew reports, escape and evasion reports, etc.
Veterans Oral Histories. Contains links to sources for oral histories.
Phantom Train (Nazi Ghost Train). Features two articles on the train and a list of airmen imprisoned on it.
Memphis Belle. Several photos and two articles on the Memphis Belle are part of this page.
POW Camps in WWII. Consists of a list of POW camps and a map of their locations.
In the Shadow of the Swastika. Entire copy of Hendrik “Little George” van Remmerden’s book about his experiences in the Resistance in The Netherlands and their aid to airmen.
History of the Winged Boot. John White’s speech on the history of the symbol.
Membership List of AFEES in 2006.
Indexing of Evaders and Helpers. AFEES newsletters for Dec. 1996, March 1997, June 1997, and Sept. 1997 has been completed and added to the indexes.
Mission Number Thirty-Three. Article on aid to Allied airmen by Yugoslavian Chetniks.
Henriette Hanotte and the Comet Line. A commemorative booklet entitled “Henriette Hanotte, nom de guerre ‘Monique’, A guide to the ‘Comete’ escape line 1942-1944” was added to this page.
AFEES History A previously published history by Clayton David was added to this page.
Interviews with Evaders and Helpers. The contents of eight dvds of interviews with 24 evaders and six helpers were added to YouTube.
Miscellaneous. The following additions to the website included more photos of ceremonies featuring the AFEES flag, books by Bascomb, Felton, and Tunstall on escape and evasion, and photos from the 2018 AFEES reunion.

2017

Stepping Stones to Freedom: Help to Allied Airmen in The Netherlands During World War II by Professor Bob de Graaff. Comprehensive study of such aid by historian Prof. de Graaff. Translation and publication in English was arranged for by AFEES.
December 31, 1943 Bombing Mission, Southwest France. Detailed table on the 8th AF and RAF missions on Dec. 31, 1943.
Indexing of Evader and Helper Names in the AFEES Newsletter. Indexing was completed for Winter 1993 to June 1996 and March 2008 to November 2017.
“Military Transport“ by Joe Owens. Mr. Owens provides a day-by-day account of his evasion in 1944.
1st Lt. M.L. Sanders’ Evasion and Escape from the Nazi Ghost Train. Includes the famous exchange with the frightened Dutch barge captain: Sanders, “President Roosevelt” to which the captain replied, “Queen Wilhelmina.”
Colditz in Close-Up by Robin Charteris. Describes a modern day visit to Colditz Castle, the famous POW camp for Allied military personnel.
Evasion of Lt. Russel Weyland; Memoirs of Helper Maurice Costa. Lt. Weyland, shot down Aug. 6, 1944, was the only member of his crew to both survive and evade capture. Memoirs of his helper Maurice Costa are included.
From American Airman to Polish Infantryman. Shot down east of Warsaw, Alfred Lea joins the Polish Home Army.
About Us Page. Links to YouTube videos of interviews with evaders and helpers plus links to important pages on the AFEES website were added to the “About Us” page.
Comments Space. In Sept. 2017 a space for comments by visitors to the website was added at the bottom of each page. By January 2019 there had been 54 comments posted.
Escape and Evasion Books. Scans of the covers of the escape and evasion books were added to make that page more interesting and attractive.
Memorial to Comet Line Helpers. Additional photos and text about a memorial to Comet Line helpers show the evolution of the memorial from a drawing to the finished product, with Lt. Charles Carlson and Henriette Hanotte representing evaders and their helpers.
Reunion Photos for 2005-2008. Reunion photos for 2005 (New Orleans), 2006 (Albuquerque), 2007 (St. Louis), and 2008 (Savannah) were added to the Reunion Photos page.
Lessons in Escape. Contains personal experiences in escaping and evading submitted by some 40 successful evaders that appeared in the Col. John Butterwick’s book, Power of Survival. Each person’s experience includes a photo of the evader and a cartoon. Several are AFEES members.

2016

Charlotte Ambach Interview. This is an 18,000 word interview of helper Charlotte Ambach conducted by Lynn David in 1997, transcribed by Bruce Bolinger and illustrated with photos provided by Charlotte Ambach and from other sources. Includes list of airmen helped, decorations, handicrafts made while in prison, separate interview by Bruce Bolinger, indictment and order to arrest, and trial record.
Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society Book. Published in 1992 on behalf of AFEES, this book includes 51 evaders’ “personal experience stories” and 242 shorter accounts. Sources for copies of the book are provided plus an index to names of evaders.
Atkinson List of Evaders with E&E Numbers. Provides an explanation of the list compiled by Leslee Atkinson of American airmen who evaded capture in WWII with their escape and evasion (E&E) report numbers.
EVADE! the DVD. Parts 1 to 5 of the Evade! dvd were posted on YouTube with links to them from the AFEES website. The dvd consists of interviews with evaders and their helpers as well as explanatory material about conditions faced by airmen shot down during WWII.
Paul Kenney Interview. Reproduction of Paul Kenney’s book, Adjutants Call about his evasion experiences in WWII.
Memorial to Comet Line Helpers. First photos and text about a memorial to Comet Line helpers that was underway, with Lt. Charles Carlson and Henriette Hanotte representing evaders and their helpers.
Dutch-Paris Escape Line Map. Escape line map from Megan Koreman’s book on the Dutch-Paris Line.
AFEES Flag at Commemorative Events. Beginning in May 2015, this page consists of photos of ceremonies in Europe commemorating downed Allied airplanes, American airmen who evaded, and helpers of Allied personnel. AFEES’ representative, Dirk Vijverman, presents the AFEES flag at these events.
Improved Index to the Website’s Contents. To make it easier for visitors to the website to find their way through it, this improved table of contents was added.
Memorials in Europe to Downed Airmen. Contains a sample of memorials to downed Allied airmen organized by country. Includes links to websites about the memorials.
Reunion Photos for 2004 and 2007. Members Margy Fricke and Betty Lewis provided photos for the 2004 and 2007 AFEES reunions which were added to the website.
Newsletters and Sample Issues of Other E&E Organizations. Sample newsletters from Comet and other organizations plus links to their websites.
Caterpillar Club. Exhibit about the Caterpillar Club at Pima Air & Space Museum near Davis-Monthan AFB outside of Tucson, AZ. Links to websites about the Caterpillar Club are provided.
Good Evening to the House of Alphonse. Article by John G. Hubbell describing “Operation Bonaparte,” a part of the “Shelburne Line.”
Saludo a la Bandera, the Story of Wartime Escape. Two-part article by Earl Price that appeared in Sentinel, Magazine of the Canadian Forces.
AFEES Newsletter Issues. AFEES member Mary Shier provided copies of “We Shall Never Forget and 1969” and “Shelburne USA 1976” which were scanned and added to the AFEES newsletters. The 1976 book required scanning it in four parts.
Ralph Patton Collection. The Ralph Patton Collection, a slide show on escape and evasion, was posted on YouTube.
Air War Symposium. The Air War Symposium on “Escape and Evasion — The Downed Flyers Story” took place in Louisville, KY in October 1992. Links are provided to a YouTube video of the symposium.