Items related to The Comet Connection: Escape from Hitler's Europe
In November 1943, George Watt, Flying Fortress gunner, parachuted out of his burning bomber and landed in a village in Nazi-occupied Belgium. The villagers risked their lives to hide him in the field, sneaking him past the German patrols, and bringing him safely to Brussels, where he connected with the Comet Line, the rescue arm of the Belgian resistance.
While hiding in "sale houses" in Brussels, Watt had a ringside view of bold acts of defiance by Belgian patriots against the German occupation. From Brussels he traveled by rail past Gestapo control to Bordeaux, rode a bicycle through southern France, and was led by Basque guides along ancient smugglers' trails over the Pyrenees into Spain.
Six years earlier. Watt had climbed those same Pyrenees to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War against General Franco. Watt's experience in that prelude to World War II adds insight and drama to the story of his escape from Fortress Luropa, his fears of capture heightened by his having been a Lincoln Brigader as well as a Jew.
Forty years after the war Watt returned to Belgium to find that the "story of George Watt" had become a legend in the villages of Zele and Flamme, passed on to second and third generations. And in Brussels he heard with grief of the tragic fates of several of the underground comrades who had helped.
Whether writing about the war in the skies or the "war within the war" (the resistance movement) or recalling the earlier fighting in Spain, Watt's style is uncompromising and direct. The writing is tilled with suspense and humor, illumined by love and appreciation for its participants. This gripping story of compassion and commitment can be enjoyed for its high adventure alone. For the young, and for students of history, it is also a valuable contribution to understanding the two great antifascist struggles of our century.
While hiding in "sale houses" in Brussels, Watt had a ringside view of bold acts of defiance by Belgian patriots against the German occupation. From Brussels he traveled by rail past Gestapo control to Bordeaux, rode a bicycle through southern France, and was led by Basque guides along ancient smugglers' trails over the Pyrenees into Spain.
Six years earlier. Watt had climbed those same Pyrenees to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War against General Franco. Watt's experience in that prelude to World War II adds insight and drama to the story of his escape from Fortress Luropa, his fears of capture heightened by his having been a Lincoln Brigader as well as a Jew.
Forty years after the war Watt returned to Belgium to find that the "story of George Watt" had become a legend in the villages of Zele and Flamme, passed on to second and third generations. And in Brussels he heard with grief of the tragic fates of several of the underground comrades who had helped.
Whether writing about the war in the skies or the "war within the war" (the resistance movement) or recalling the earlier fighting in Spain, Watt's style is uncompromising and direct. The writing is tilled with suspense and humor, illumined by love and appreciation for its participants. This gripping story of compassion and commitment can be enjoyed for its high adventure alone. For the young, and for students of history, it is also a valuable contribution to understanding the two great antifascist struggles of our century.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
George Watt was a leader in the student movement of the 1930s, worked as a printer and a social worker, and retired as an administrator of a community mental health center.
From Library Journal:
This is one of those rare little narratives that engage the reader from the first page to the last. Shot down on a bombing mission over occupied Europe in November 1943 (on his 30th birthday), former gunner Watt parachuted out of a burning B-17 into Nazi-occupied Belgium. Belgian villagers hid him and put him in contact with the Comet Line, a branch of the resistance that guided downed airmen through a series of safe houses to southern France and then Spain. Watt was no stranger to Spain, having fought there in the Spanish Civil War as a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Watt includes details of the fate of the rest of his crew, an account of the brave members of the Comet Line, as well as the tragic fate of some villagers who helped him. This well-written book is more than a war story. It is about the human spirit and those willing to risk their lives for a stranger. Highly recommended for all libraries.
- George F. Scheck, Naval Underwater System Ctr. Lib., Newport, R . I .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- George F. Scheck, Naval Underwater System Ctr. Lib., Newport, R . I .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherUniversity Press of Kentucky
- Publication date2014
- ISBN 10 0813155223
- ISBN 13 9780813155227
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages184
- Rating
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The Comet Connection: Escape from Hitler's Europe
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University Press of Kentucky
(2014)
ISBN 10: 0813155223
ISBN 13: 9780813155227
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good - Crisp, clean, unread book with some shelfwear/edgewear, may have a remainder mark - NICE PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M0813155223Z2
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