The Germans adopted the carrot and stick approach to the problem of downed aircrew or parachutists. This was their starting position:
Eng translation:
Landing of Aviators or parachutists.
Very important warning to the population.
The Field Commander reminds the French population for the last time that the sheltering, hiding, aiding or assisting in any manner, the passing of aviators or parachutists, English or American, is done so under the penalty of death.
On the other hand, the Field Commander will compensate for information leading to the arrest of these fugitives by releasing prisoners of war from this region.
Downed aircrew landing in the Low Countries suddenly found themselves in the dark (in more ways than one). As the drone of the bomber stream overhead faded, they quickly had to start making the first of a series of good decisions. Ditch the parachute, get as far away as possible from the crash site, find a hiding place to lie up as dawn approached.
Making that first contact with local people was always a nerve-racking hit and miss business. Local priests were thought to be a safe bet.. along with school teachers.
Despite the above warning, resistance groups in the Low Countries were organised to collect downed airmen and pass them on to known Comet contacts. However, the Germans also mounted patrols with dogs at the same time to try and capture airmen before they vanished.
If the airman was lucky enough to make contact with a genuine resistance group (such as
Service EVA or
Front de l’independence (FI)) they had to be convinced that the dishevelled figure was who he purported to be. Some of the questions used in interrogations of RAF airmen have survived. Examples are, “What do you write on the back of the leave-form?” “Are the Houses of Parliament blacked out?” “Are officers in the RAF allowed to have WAAFs for house servants?” “What railway station is nearest to the Grosvenor Hotel, London?” “Did you ever see ‘Waltzing Mathilda’?” “If you know your way in London, where is Swan and Edgar?” Most questions, however, involved technical terms.
If he passed the interview, he would be given civilian clothes and a guide would take him to Brussels where the Comet organisation would take over. He'd have his photo taken in his newly acquired civvies for his false papers, a cover story, accommodation and food. If he had been injured, a doctor would be found to patch him up - without morphine - before he could start down the line.
Robert Grimes, a B-17 aircraft commander, had part of a 13mm bullet in his upper leg. His guide, Micheline Dumon, (aka "Lily") found a doctor in Brussels who was prepared to operate without anaesthetic and remove it. Full story
here. (A couple of years ago I was privileged to have the opportunity to walk with Bob Grimes' daughters over the exact same route their father took through the Pays Basque and over the Pyrenees into Spain.)
The aim was always to minimise the time that an evader spent in one location (to reduce the risk) and so he would soon find himself under the charge of a guide (usually a young woman), on a train to Paris, together with two or three other evaders. They would be told to follow the guide in single file, no closer than 15ft apart and to talk to no-one. They'd be given newspapers to read (or to pretend to read!).
More to follow.