SYNOPSIS

[Note: this report except for Appendix C, was OCRd from the original and then edited]

E&E/193

Members of crew

Before we crashlanded (See: E&E Reports 165 &166) the pilot said that as soon as the plane came to a stop we were to get out and run. The bombardier and navigator were to stay behind and destroy the aircraft. Before landing every one had put on G.I. shoes. We (DES ROCHERS and KLEIN) ran toward a strip of wood which was north of the plane because we thought the Germans expected us to run south. The navigator had told us we were about 50 miles north of PARIS.
It was about a quarter of a mile to the strip of wood which ran east-west. We took enough time to get out of our heated suits and put our summer flying clothes on again. Starting out after this we changed our direction to the east but 600 yards further on the wood ended in heavy brush and beyond that open fields. Because we had seen a German camp from the air and knew it to be in the vicinity we did not think it wise to go into the open. It was probably a half-hour from the time we left the plane until we crawled into this thick underbrush.
An hour later we heard the first signs of search - a lot of yelling and shouting. All the searching seemed to be located across a wide gully from us in another section of wood. At any rate we never saw the Germans though we heard them for at least an hour until it began to get dark.
We stayed in the underbrush until 2230 hours, lying very quietly though we got out our Aids Boxes and looked at the maps and compasses. We ate nothing this night.
While there had been day light we studied the landscape around us and. planned to go south. From our hiding place we could see about a mile across the fields to another wood.
Leaving the underbrush we started crawling through the fields but later walked because the moon was rising and we wanted to get under cover before it was too bright. Every shadow we saw, we were sure, was a German. From the direction of the German army camp flares were being fired into the air and each time one burst we hit the ground. Crossing a road we almost ran into a parked car and while skirting it we heard voices. It couldn't have taken us more than thirty minutes to cross the fields but it seemed hours.
The wood we entered was thick with very heavy underbrush. We forced our way in a few feet and crawled into a briar patch which turned out the next morning to be loaded with ripe blackberries. We were too near a large clearing for our liking so we went on through the wood to the western edge. Farmers were working and talking in the field, and for a time we stayed in too far to see them but later crawled to the edge hoping that one of then would pass close enough for us to speak.
At noon a young boy passed and we whistled. He looked around but did not stop. However, an hour later he returned in a cart with an old man. They passed very close to us. We called out, "Americans" to the old man who looked puzzled and frightened. He tossed a package of food into the wood and drove off. From his gestures we thought he might return, because he had nodded when we motioned to show we were thirsty and needed clothing. We went back into the wood and stayed until late afternoon. The old man who had given us food was working in the field, and there were other people near us. We came into the open about the time we thought he would stop working, still keeping close to the wood; but he motioned us with scared gestures to go back. The old man went off soon after that but did not return again. At 2030 hours we started along the edge of the wood toward a village about a mile and a half away. At the first farmhouse we crawled under a fence to get to the house and must have been heard because a woman ran out the side door. We called out, "Madame!" "Madame!" and then in French, "Can you help us?" We got the phrase from our French phrase-sheets. A dog started barking, and there was a great deal of commotion. The woman stopped running when we yelled at her and came back to us. She motioned us inside and poured out a glass of wine. By using our phrase sheet we explained without difficulty who we were and that we needed help. We got out our maps, and the woman showed us that we were 50 kilometers north of REIMS. We were given food and clothes; but, when we asked if we could sleep in the barn, she said we would have to go away. We learned that two members of our crew had been fed here the night before and had walked on. After we spent an hour with the lady she pointed out that our best direction was to walk southwest because there were fewer Germans along that route.
Although we had civilian clothes, we continued to walk in the fields, keeping in shadows when we could. By midnight we had reached a wood and decided to hide until dawn because we were afraid of running into people in the dark. In spite of the field mice we slept until 0500 hours and then had a ground fog to walk in. We still thought it best to stay in the fields, and. after walking about five kilometers we came to a valley with an approachable-looking farmhouse on the opposite side. While we were watching the house from a side lane, we heard someone coming and ducked into the bushes. When we saw it was a lone man we came out of hiding and with our phrase-sheets asked directions of him. He pointed south and walked away without offering any further help.
We went on to the farmhouse and crawled into some bushes where we could watch it for a while before approaching. Unknown to us a man had seen us, and he came up the hill to our bushes. We saw him looking around to see where we had hidden, so we whistled at him. We handed him our phrase sheets and asked about the Germans and the best direction to walk. He pointed, to the top of the hill and. motioned us to walk in that direction. From his motions we understood that we were to walk slowly and someone would overtake us. He started to the farmhouse, and we walked away as he told us. Then there was a sharp whistle, and looking around we saw him making frantic gestures for us to run. We ducked, into the bushes beside us. The Frenchman sneaked around in back of us and nodded to us to stay hidden. He pointed to his farm and said, "Germans." About fifteen minutes later a man came up the hill and was joined by our friend. They walked over to us and the new man became very excited, when he heard who we were. We had to go through the usual kissing party and then we sat in the bushes while the new man told us what we were to do. He wanted us to follow the other man to another hiding place and wait for him to bring food. While waiting we dried our clothes, which were wet with dew, in the sun. The man brought food at noon and in the evening. With him in the evening was an old man who told us we were to go with him,
We walked with this old man to a village and were told, that if we were stopped we were to pass as his two sons. How we were to do this - we don't know. The old man took us to the railroad tracks in the village and pointed down them toward REIMS. We didn't get the idea at first because we had expected more help but he gave us a paper with five names and an address to go to in another town. At this address we were to point to one of the names and say that this person had sent us. The old man watched us out of sight and we walked down the tracks as directed. REIMS, we thought, was perhaps not so far away.
About five kilometers down the tracks we took a benzadrine tablet to offset our fatigue and soon after that came to a solitary house. Because we were too tired to go further, we started for the house; but as we got near several dogs started barking, a light was turned out and the front door opened. In the dusk we couldn't see who it was so we went on and slept along the tracks by a fence.
The next morning we got into a wood but kept within sight of the railroad. We needed water and filled our water bottles at a field water-trough using the halazone tablets to purify the water. We picked some apples in an orchard soon after finding the water. When the wood ended we got back on the railway tracks. There was a village ahead of us which we tried to go around, but instead, we walked into the middle of the village before we knew it. We discovered here that our clothes attracted no attention, if we walked boldly without staring at people.
The next seven kilometers brought us to ST GERMAINMONT. Just before getting into the village we passed a man sitting on the bank of the tracks and approached him with our phrase-sheet and maps. He told us we were still thirty kilometers from REIMS which was a shock because we were tired. and had expected to arrive there at any moment. We received no other help from the man.
We walked on through the village and. a short time later after resting by the side of a path we went up to a laborer who was passing. We told him we were American airmen and greatly in need of food. He left us for a few minutes while he went to his home for bread and cheese. He told us, in sign language, to hide and meet him at 1800 hours. He had a friend with him at that time, and from there our journey was arranged.

[Note: this page was copied from a handwritten Appendix C]

Sgts. Des Rochers and Klein were members of a crew that crash-landed some 50 kms N of Rheims on 17 August 1943. They walked as far as ST. GERMAINMONT (11 kms NE of NEUFCHATEL-SUR-AISNE). On the way several Frenchmen gave them food and at one house they were given civilian clothing as well but were not allowed to stay. S of ST. GERMAINMONT they declared themselves to a man on the road. This man told them to wait, disappeared, and presently sent them food by a small girl and boy who hid them in a haystack and towards evening took them to a house across from a factory. The children’s father came in shortly thereafter, and later in the evening a M. BORDEAUX came in and took the Americans to his house. There a French Officer who had been a P/W in Germany interrogated them and examined their dog-tags. Des Rochers and Klein remained in this house three nights. On 23 August M. BORDEAUX took them by automobile to RHEIMS. There in a café two men and a girl who spoke perfect English briefed them on what they were to do. One of the men then took them by automobile to the HOTEL MODERNE in FISMES. Here they met a tall man (6’ 6”) and SIMONE LADRU (speaks English, works in a bank; has a sister LUCIENNE who is a dress-maker). A gendarme, MAURICE, took the Americans to the home of SIMONE and LUCIENNE that evening, took photographs of them and brought them their papers two days later. On 29 August MAURICE took them to see Mme PERILL [note: correct spelling is PEYROLES], a lawyer from PARIS, who told them to follow her husband to PARIS. M. PERILL then guided them to PARIS by train, took them to an apartment off the LUXEMBOURG, and called MISS McINTOSH (50 years old, address: 17 AVE. FELIX FAURE), who took the Americans to her apartment. They stayed here for two weeks and were visited by MISS WATSON of the INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HOSTEL during this time. MISS McINTOSH failed to identify herself to the contact-man who came to see her, and so the man went away; and contact with the organization was broken. GHISLAINE GENTILE took Des Rochers and Klein to stay with her near the TROCADERO for three days. They then returned to MISS McINTOSH’s and were there for two more weeks. MISS McINTOSH got in touch with ROGER DUMAGE who came to see them and said he would have someone take them away on 26 September; but on 25 September MARTIN [Dominique Edgard Potier], whom M.PERILL had sent, appeared. On 2 October Mme BASTIN came from MARTIN and took Des Rochers and Klein to her house north of PARIS (CHATEAUROUGE?). MARTIN was there with Sgt. Ralph Johnson (RAF). On 7 October they were taken to BELLANCOURT and went out to an airfield, but the message failed and the expected plane did not arrive. They stayed in a farmer’s house near the village for two days and then returned to Mme. BASTIN’s on 10 October. There were now eight evaders, including three Britons and Lt. Carroll (USAAF), at Mme. BASTIN’s. MARTIN took them the next day to FISMES where they stayed at SIMONE LADRU’s from 12 to 21 October. (They found MAURICE had been arrested by the Germans for forging identity papers). On 21 October a cousin of SIMONE’s named ZOIGIN (?) took them to his house where they stayed until 3 November, when M.GALLET, head of the FISMES organization, took them to PARIS. There they joined Sgts. Whalen and Browning with whose story that of Des Rochers and Klein is identical from this point.