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Arthur Beard was my father. He was a member of 77 Squadron Royal Air Force. Sadly he died in 1991. He spent all his life, except the war years in Stourport on Severn, in Worcestershire. He was married with two daughters. The elder also married and had two daughters, and still lives in the Stourport area. His younger daughter is married and has a son and a daughter, but now lives outside Worcestershire.

I am his younger daughter and the following story details Dad's escape from occupied europe following a bombing raid on 27th August, 1943 when the Halifax aircraft in which he was the Navigator, was shot down over Belgium. Dad parachuted and was picked up by the Comet Escape Line. He then escaped down this line through Belgium, France and neutral Spain and so back to England.

In his later years Dad used to give talks on his wartime escape and also recorded a talking newspaper for the local group for the visually impaired. The following is from Dad's notes, made in the late 1980s:-

"On 27th August 1943 Halifax OJD371 of 4 Group, took off from Elvington, Yorkshire at 2230 hrs. to bomb Nuremberg in Germany, with a crew of
F/Sgt Branigan Pilot (killed)
Sgt A.W. Beard Navigator (escaped)
F/Sgt W.F. Catley Wireless Operator (escaped)
F/Sgt P.R. Humphries Bomb Aimer (killed)
Sgt. W. Palmer Rear Gunner (escaped)
Sgt. R. Rodgers Second Pilot (killed)
Sgt. A.G. Templeton Mid Upper Gunner (killed)
Sgt. J.S. Silver Flight engineer (killed)

F/Sgt Catley did not travel with us but made his way home via a different route.

We had a rather uneventful trip out and bombed Nuremberg as instructed. About half way home we were warned by our FFI instrument that we were being followed. The pilot took the proper evasive action but over the German/Begium border a fighter attacked us and we burst into flames, so had to abandone our aircraft.

I parachuted down and landed in a field near Clavier in the Ardennes. After walking until it started to get light, hiding in ditches if I heard a sound, I eventually knocked on the door of an isolated house, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Vanspauwen. He answered and although I could not speak French, I made him understand I was a British Airman who was trying to escape. He took me in and gave me food. He said he would help me. Later he took me into a small culvert, gave me sandwiches and said that he would be back that evening.

At dusk two men came with some civilian clothes, into which I changed. We rode on bicycles into a town named Ciney, where they took me to the house of Mr and Mrs Jambottom, who kept a baker's shop.

The next day several young fellows came into the upstairs room where I was staying and questioned me to ascertain whether I was what I claimed to be (a British airman trying to escape) or a German infiltrator trying to penetrate their organisation.

About two days later the same young men came back to say that they had picked up another man who claimed to be British but they were not sure, would I interview him, and if I was not sure then I would dispose of him. Imagine my relief when they returned in the evening with Bill Palmer.

These young men had been informed that help would come from England to instruct them in sabotage, and they thought that Bill and myself had come for that purpose. They took us into the Forest of Ardennes to meet a group of students who were hiding there to avoid being sent into Germany to work as forced labour.

After about 10 days I found a student who could speak English and told him we were British Airmen and must do all we could to return to England. He said that he knew of a woman in Brussells who could help us and he would go and see her. We found out after our return to England that the woman he was referring to was Anne Brusselmans.

Whilst he was away the Germans attacked the camp where we were and everyone scattered. Bill and I jumped on a train which took us to Liege. Here Lady Luck smiled on us because we bumped into the student returning from seeing Anne. He took us to Malines, where a young lady named Lili Duman had been sent by Anne to interview us. She was satisfied with our answers so she took us into Brussells to meet Anne.

Mrs. Anne Brusselmans lived in a flat over some gas showrooms, togeter with her husband Julien who worked for the gas board, and her children. The best way for me to describe her is to say she was small to medium build, she looked a normal, ordinary housewife and it was hard to relaise what a strong, courageous and resourceful person there was inside that somewhat timid appearance.

In fact, when I appeared with her on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ programme (This is your Life) it was hard to realise that she had done so much, she fitted us out with identity cards, work permits etc.

After about a week a courier took us to a house near the Belgian/French border. Although both countries were under German control there was still a guarded frontier.

The courier took us to the house of a middle aged man and his wife. After tea the man went upstairs and changed into the uniform of a guard commander (which he actually was). We drove to the frontier hidden in the rear of his car. He then called the other guards into the building and gave us a signal to dash across the frontier where another car was waiting to take us to Barvay, Northern France.

Here the Station Master Leon Gerard, gave us tickets and put us with another lady courier on the train to Paris.

On the outskirts of Paris the Germans blocked all roads and searched all trains. Before our train was searched the courier signalled us to alight and we were taken to a safe house. That evening two young women came to the house and took us separately into Paris, past German patrols by pretending we were courting couples.

In Paris we stayed in a flat, where the occupants went out to work all day, so we had to be extremely quiet because there were people living above, below and on both sides, and if they heard any noise they would notify the police. After a few days a lady came and escorted us to the Gare du Nord where we boarded the express train to Bordeaux.

When we got to Bordeaux we got straight onto a local train to Bayonne at the base of Pyrennees. We cycled out of a farm near to the hills where we waited for two more escaping airmen to join us. At dusk 4 airmen and 5 guides set out on foot to cross the mountains, arriving in San Sebastian in the early hours of the following morning.

The following day the British Consul from Bilbao called to see us and said that he would arrange for a car to take us into the grounds of the British Embassy, where, after a short while, we were interviewed by an Officer of MI5 who decided when and how we should be brought back to England.

The same car which had brought us from San Sebastian took us to Seville where we boarded a Norwegian boat with the permission of the skipper. He hid us in the bottom of the boat while Spanish customs officials inspected his cargo, and afterwards entertained us in his cabin.

The boat took us to Gibraltar and after a few days delay we were flown back to England.

After landing at Bristol we travelled on a train under escort to London, and we were taken to the War Office. After interrogation by a Senior Officer we were collected by a Royal Air Force car and taken to the Air Ministry, where we had medical examinations. I passed OK and was sent home on leave. Bill did not and was sent to a Convalescent ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.

On return from leave I was posted to 10AFU in Dumfries and then to Navigation School at Shawbury. I finished my service career as an instructor first at 42OTU at Ashbourne and finally at its satellite at Sleap.

Bill and myself were away from England from August 27th to November 6th (10 weeks).

Some information you may like to know:-

The Comet Line - Over 600 airmen passed down the line, 176 of these actually stayed at the home of Anne Brusselmans.

On Liberation day, 54 Allied airmen were hiding in Brussels.

227 French and Belgian patriots gave their lives to keep this escape line open.

I hope these memories will be of some use to you.

Yours sincerely

Arthur William Beard DFM"

For the information of anyone reading this account Dad was awarded the DFM for helping to extinguish a fire during flight, on a returning aircraft approx one year before the above escape took place.

He went to Buckingham Palace to receive this medal, with his wife and elder daughter. He was very proud of this medal and willed it to my son, at his death.

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