Women in Action Series - Andree de Jongh

 Lately I've been intrigued by the stories of women who are mostly unknown to the general public, but who's life and work have made an enormous difference to others. I would like to start this series by going back to Belgium in 1941.

Her name was Andree de Jongh. She was born in Belgium in November of 1916. She became a member of the Belgian resistance during World War 2 and while still in her early twenties, she founded the Comet Line, an escape route to get Allied soldiers and airmen back to England. 

The Line was the largest of several escape networks in occupied Europe. Their motto was "Pugna Quin Percutias", which means "fight without arms" as they would not undertake armed or violent resistance to the German occupation. 

Andree and the others who worked with her set up safe houses on the route from Belgium to Spain. Procured slothing and false IDs and ran the operation along with her father. She personally made around 24 round trips before handing off to other trusted couriers. 

The escape lines became more dangerous after the German occupation of southern France in late 1942 and in January of 1943, Andree and three of the airmen she was escorting to safety were captured, having been informed on. She was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo but did not break. She was then sent first to Ravensbruck and then Mauthausen concentration camps, but survived the war.

An estimated 3000 civilians, mostly Belgian and French, assisted the Comet Line. 700 were arrested by the Nazis and 290 were either executed or died in prison or in concentration camps.

The British government funded the Comet Line, though much of the funds were unused by the end of the war. Andree attempted to return the money, but London refused it so she used the funds to set up school scholarships.

Andree died in her home country in 2007.