Do you have a name of the Luftwaffe Officer? OMG! That would be wonderful!

I feel very sad that I did not do all this when I was younger, but then the internet was not around to help.

I am having a crash course here...My understanding is a Luftwaffe is a German Pilot? If so, I understand that there was a "bond" between them and Allied Flyers that saved many lives. Without this man I presume that my Uncle would not have survived especially after so many escape attempts.

I need to do some reading after I get all the information that I can this week! I will check on the History Channel story and hopefully be able to watch it!

May I ask you, are you a History buff? Or do you have personal/family experience?

Jo Ann

I will try to answer your questions.

The name of the other Gestapo agent involved in the treason of allied airmen is called Dessoubrie from Belgium. An arrest warrant was sent out for him after war. He was discovered by U.S. soldiers at Augsburg, Germany, arrested and sent to France were he was executed in 1949.

My interested in this story is because many of these brave airmen crashed near my hometown and I know several of the survivors or their relatives. I will attend a ceremony for thee of them this month.

The Luftwaffe = the German airforce. I don't know the name of the man who interefered in favor of the allied airmen , but he was based near Dora. There was a bond between airmen who usually showed a mutual respect that went beyond borders.

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Skipper,

Thank you. I will see what I can find. I am still trying to find more information on the Belgium Comet Line that helped him. I found some items on Lucien Collin.

If I may ask also, why is there not more information on the Belgium Comet Line and what they did for so many? These were an amazing group of people that risked everything to help others.

Is there websites or books that I can find out more information? Some books were written many years ago and cannot be found now.

Reinhard Kollak was actually serving in 7./NJG 4 at the time of the engagement. 7th squadron, night fighter wing 4. By July of 1943 he had 27 air kills. the middle of August 43 he was now serving in 8./NJG 4 and had 30 air kills which brought him the coveted KC-Ritterkreuz award that was worn around the neck. His biggest day in the air was July 18/19, 1944 when he claimed 4 bombers and he continued to be an outstanding pilot and scorer in III. gruppe and was awarded the Oakleaves to his Knights Cross.
He had 250 missions and this included 49 night kills with 39 of these has 4-engine bombers. Reinhard Kollack died in Bad Godesburg on February 6, 1980............

just a little bio on the Luftwaffe pilot if Skipper had not sent you this info ~

E ~

Erich,

Thank you. I didn't have as much on him but I found a website about him. A friend did a bit of looking for him for me and she commented that it appeared that he shot down the planes but never went back and tried to get the men on the ground or them parachuting down. I don't know that much about him or the way the war was fought. Have there been any books written about him? The night my Uncle was hit Reinhard Kollack got a Stirling and a Lancaster too all within about an hour or so. I have respect for his flying abilities and the job that he had to do. War was war and I do understand that. For all of Reinhard Kollack's battles, it amazes me that he survived and lived so long. I need to learn more about his plane and also the Wellington. I have a lot of studying to do.

The website shows his picture and awards and I am grateful to have found them. Do you know more about him?

Jo Ann

there are actually quite a lot about the Comet line, they are just scattered all over the internet. If you google Barron de Blommaert you will probably find a lot but I also advice the Rafes that used to be the association of the RAF evaders , many of whom had been helped by Comete.

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First off I would like to thank Skipper and everyone that responded to me. You guys gave me answers and directions on which way to go. Without everyones input I would not have been able to accomplish the following:

I have been on an amazing adventure the past week...and it's not over yet!

Through searching, finding websites, sending emails to authors and webmasters, I have made contact with the son of the man that found my Uncle in Belgium after he was shot down. (He has been trying to find my Uncle since 1970. My Uncle was listed on a website as being deceased. They had my Grandfather's birth and death listed.) The son is also the nephew to the Doctor that removed 34 pieces of shrapnel from my Uncle and then the men led my Uncle to the Belgium Resistance to the Comet Line. I have pictures of these two men and the home where my Uncle was. I will have to get permission from the son before I post their names. When I called my Uncle and told him what I found he was extremely moved and happy. We will be showing him the pictures and emails this coming week and he is very excited. To have the oportunity to thank the family that risked everything to help my Uncle under those times makes me very humbled. Without all of you here that helped me accomplish this and gave me suggestions, I wouldn't have been able to do this, nor my Uncle have the oportunity to know what happened to the families and people.

This all started with a box in my grandmother's closet...a box filled with letters, ration books, scraps of paper with names written on it, Military correspondence and more and the interview that my Uncle gave to the paper.

I have been able to track in detail everything that happened to my Uncle, I have names, places and more. I was able to gather enough information from my box, My Uncle, and other people, websites, researchers, records that other people had and historians to find out what happened and how it happend when my Uncle was arrested in Paris and turned over to the Gestapo. It is pretty much absolute as far as who the Traitor was that turned in my Uncle and those that were travelling with him, including several other Allied Airmen, but I want him to verify with the pictures that I have located....The main leader that led my Uncle from Brussels to Paris was called "The Captain" who had a Spanish looking girlfriend. For those here that have knowledge of the Comet Line, I think you know who I am talking about. My Uncle has an extremely sharp memory to the point that he even remembers street addresses of some of the homes that he was taken to and what color the house was. ( He remembers how many pieces of shrapnel was removed!) He described "The Captain" in detail along with the girlfriend and many other things that has led to the identity of several people involved.

I still have a long way to go. I have several names of people that helped in Belgium that I know nothing about yet but, I received a phone call this morning from a contact with the Eisden (Belgium) Historical Society. I will be sharing all with them and hopefully finding out more.

Some things I have learned about are very sad, some of the people that were working the Comet Line that helped my Uncle were captured, tortured and executed. I still have a lot to learn about the Comet Line.

I have not slept much these past few days...either going over notes and docs or being so excited!

My next to-do list is to find out about Buchenwald and get my Uncles POW file and to continue to try and find out about everyone that helped my Uncle! I also have Allied Airmen names that my Uncle met and I am looking into what happened to them.

This truly has been an adventure for me and my family. I will be back...I need some sleep and by the way, My Grandfather served during WW2 in Africa with the US Army.....

One more thing, I want to acknowledge the people and websites and more that helped me but I want to get permission before I make my full list....

(They may get hit a thousand times.....)

The internet is remarkable!

Jo Ann

Hi Jo Ann, This is tremendous news. I'm so glad tha tyou made contact with the familly who helped your relative. I will have some time this weekend to look through my papars and see if I have more information , especially the pictures I mentionned earlier, so keep in touch I may have more.

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Skipper,

You can count on it!

BTW there is so much more that I didn't put in...

My Uncle was travelling with what I call "The Group" It included a Jewish Female Doctor, Three other Allied Airmen, and another man that said he was from Belgium and that he was a British Agent that would parachute into Belgium. He did not tell my Uncle what his job was but he said that he had done this several times. My Uncle said that the man was not very tall but very heavy-set. My Uncle did not feel comfortable around him. The guide that transported the group from Brussels to Paris gave my Uncle the travelling papers for all of the group and was told to hold onto them. My Uncle put them into his coat pocket. When the train stopped just at the Border into France, everyone got off the train but the guide told the group to stay. My Uncle asked why and the guide motioned with his hands "money." When they were arrested in Paris and he was taken to La Fresnes Prison, he was put into a corridor in line with the others in the group, except for the guide that ran around the corner and left when the Gestapo arrived, and they were waiting to go into an interrogation room. My Uncle knew he had the papers on him and he told a German guard that he needed to use the bathroom. The guard took him to one and stayed by the doorway watching. My Uncle was able to flush the papers. When it was his time to be interrogated the Gestapo asked for the papers. They knew that he had the papers and they got pretty mad at him when they found out he got rid of them. It makes me wonder if the Belgium man who said he was a British Agent was working with "The Captain." Also it is obvious that the Guide was. The next day after my Uncle was arrested, the Gestapo told my Uncle that the Female Doctor and the British Agent had been executed.

Please forgive my spelling...tired and no notes in front of me!

Question:
Is there anything that I need to ask my Uncle in particular? My Uncle lives far enough away that we have to fly to see him and I want to be able to get as many pictures to show him that might either answer something or trigger something? Suggestions? He doesn't get on the computer or have someone close to him that does. I have a picture of De Zitter, Dessoubrie, Flore. Have you heard of Jean-Marcel Nootens? Eitenne in Liege?

Jo Ann

The information I would be most interested in is whether your uncle remembers names of the airmen he was with , either in Bellgium or Germany, including Buchenwald. I have not heard of Nootens, nor Etienne. I do not know all the members. However I have documents with original signatures of a couple of Comete members. I will check for names you never know. Your story of the arrival at Fresnes is fascinating. I have a full description of the arrival at this prison. By the way it is Fresnes , not la Fresnes.

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Skipper,

I have a list going on that topic. He started spewing out names like crazy yesterday on the phone. I will be calling him again today. He said that this talk has triggered a lot! Should I post names here? Of course it would help others looking too!

I saw my typos... Comet....should be Comete! When I can I will edit!

Jo Ann

If they are names it's all up to you, It will help others and it would not hinder you in your research. I would however be cautious with pictures, they might be downloaded by people who don't know you and who could publish them without your permission.

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OK

John Smith "Smitty" (found out more about him)
Yvette Etienne
Biernaux
Jack Horton (fellow crewman)
Ted Nicholson (Fellow Crewman)
William "Bill" Bailey (Fellow Crewman)
William " Bill" Cole (found out more info)
Frank Hugo (found out more info)
Pilot last name Russell (Found out more info)
Ford Flight Engineer (Found out more info)
Whitney a Gunner (Found out more info)
Stuart M. Sharp (Found out more info)
Stan Eardley (Found more info)

I will fill in info on on them as I can. (Grandson goes down for a nap soon!)

Jo Ann

I thought you had the details of the whole crew. If not here they are.

F/S Richard Campbell ELLISON (age 23) deceased at the crash, or nearby, but has no known grave and is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial. He was from New Hartley in Northhumberland. his service number is 147969
SGT W. G. Bailey RCAF evaded.
SGT H. E. J. Horton pow
SGT E. C. NICHOLSON pow

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Sgt. John J. Smith RAF Sq. 218 (Listed on the Comete website) Arrested with my Uncle on July 9th, 1943 in Paris. My Uncle remembers carrying the female Doctor's heavy bag with Smith. "Smitty was on one side and I was on the other" When they were walking towards the Train station they were both carrying the bag and that was when they were arrested by the Gestapo.

When he was in Liege, (the second time he said it was in Brussels) he was at ETIENNE House (Not sure if the house was owned by Etienne. He said "there were about 18 to 20 guys like me there" He said that there was a daughter named Yvette who acted at a theatre. Mentioned Waloom? A Maid/Servant worked in the garage with an Underground newspaper. He gave me the address of the house and said that he wasn't suppose to know it but he looked anyway and remembers it. (He said normally that he had to bend over and not see what the house numbers and street names were.) He said that was where he met "The Captain." He was taken to a Photographer from there. He said that he was treated differently there from the other houses before that one.

Skipper,
I knew about him but didn't have all the details yet. Thank you! Bailey wrote to my Uncle about his mom that passed away shortly after hearing about the tragedy. Said that "She wanted to be with her son Up There!

Jo Ann

Sgt. Stan Eardley, RAF Gunner (I think this is him Halifax ll Serial DT680, of 408 Squadron)
My Uncle said that he was an Englishman that he met in a Prison Camp in Muhlberg (4B). Said that Stan could read, write and speak German but that the Germans did not know it and it helped them in the Camp and Escapes.

Sgt William "Bill" E. Cole, RAF Squadron 7, Engineer (Stirling EF366) I will need to show a picture of him to my Uncle. It lists Cole on the Comete Line as being arrested July 9, 1943 in Paris. (There were two other RAF with my Uncle that he didn't know their names when they were arrested.)
My Uncle only remembers sharing a cell with a man named Bill Cole in Fresnes. My Uncle thinks that Cole was arrested before he was. There has been some confusion with the name Cole and Coles. I will need to check further on this to make sure. Hopefully the picture will clear this up.

here is info about Eardley's crew. Halifax DT680 crashed near Hamburg which was the target.
F/L W.A.Black RCAF KIA Sgt S.Eardley PoW Sgt B.G.Howe PoW F/S F.Waite RCAF PoW Sgt J.A.Taplin PoW Sgt J.S.A.Aubry RCAF PoW P/O I.G.Imrie RCAF PoW Sgt J.S.A.Aubry RCAF was interned in Camps 8B/344/L3. PoW No.27458. Sgt S.Eardly in Camps 8B/344/4B/L7, PoW No.27469. Sgt B.G.Howe in Camps 8B/344, PoW No.27496 with Sgt J.A.Taplin, PoW No.27493 and F/S F.Waite, PoW No.27482. P/O I.G.Imrie in Camp L3, PoW No.505. "

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Sgt. Frank Hugo RAF Squadron 7 (Same Crew with Cole) Comete Line has information on him.
My Uncle said he was in Prison Camp Muhlberg 4B with him. He remembers that the Germans had a hard time with his name, they kept calling him "Hugo Frank." Because in Germany HUGO is a first name and FRANK is a last name. My Uncle said that when the Germans called Frank's name wrong, he would say "Oh there they go again."

This is what I got on cole's crew at the lost bombers site:

"22Jun43. Shot down by a night-fighter (Hptm Siegfried Wandam, 1./NJG5), and crashed 0140 at Achel (Limburg), 5 km W of Hamont, Belgium. The two men killed are buried in Heverlee War Cemetery. F/O R.B.Meiklejohn RAAF KIA Sgt F.W.Coles PoW P/O C.H.G.Redwood RNZAF KIA Sgt F.Hugo PoW Sgt L.E.Ellingham PoW Sgt J.Kilfoyle PoW F/S E.A.Brown PoW F/S W.A.Brown was interned in Camps L6/357. PoW No.320 (or possibly 298). Sgt F.W.Coles (or Cole) initially evaded until captured in Paris 9Jul43 and interned in Camp 4B. PoW No.22495, Sgt L.E.Ellingham was captured in Paris 17Jul43,Incarcerated in Fresnes Prison before internment in 4B PoW No.222508. Sgt F.Hugo also evaded and was captured in Paris Aug43 and interned in Camp 4B, PoW No.222518. Sgt J.Kilfoyle in Camp 357, PoW No.43262. 'Air Battle of the Ruhr'. A.Cooper, records Sgt F.W.Coles as Sgt F.W.Cole. Crash-site is also reported as Neerpelt, Belgium. "

It is interesting to see that three men from this crew were aparently traced by the same traitor and arrested by the Gestapo at the same place on different dates. This tends to prove that de Zitter knew about the people who were helping the airmen, but instead of turning them in, he kept asking them for more airmen (which they send him , as they did not suspect he was a traitor) . By acting this way he would gain much more money, as he would get airmen over and over again and the helpers could not verify they were in fact turned in.

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Skipper....I'm impressed!

Let's keep going...Uncle not at home! I can type for a while! Grandson...ZZZZZZZ!

smith is more difficult to find the only John Smith I have listed from 218 was kia and RAAF, so I will have to find another one at an earlier crash date.

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Skipper,

My Uncle told me that when he got to the Etienne house, "The Captain" (De Zitter) gave the group of men letters to read by Allied Airmen that went before him. My Uncle read a letter and it was in English. He doesn't remember the contents of the letter or who wrote it. When the group arrived in Paris "The Captain" (De Zitter) asked My Uncle and Smith to write letters to take back to the next group that was to come. My Uncle did not write a letter and he said that it made "The Captain" mad. My Uncle said that Smith wrote one. My Uncle also said that while he was on the train he got a bad feeling about the trip and because things were different at the Etienne House and how the Guide was on the train he didn't trust them too much. He said "What could I do, I had to trust them at the time."