How a 24-Year-Old Woman Saved 800 Allied Airmen - Andrée de Jongh and the Comet Line Escape Network

In August 1941, a 24-year-old Belgian woman walked into the British consulate in Bilbao, Spain, with an extraordinary proposal. Her name was Andrée de Jongh, code name "Dédée," and she'd just escorted three British airmen across Nazi-occupied Europe, through France, and over the Pyrenees mountains into Spain 🗻

She explained she'd created an escape network that could bring downed Allied airmen from Belgium and northern France to safety. British officials were SKEPTICAL. This young woman claimed to have accomplished something impossible and wanted British support. They didn't believe her—until the airmen confirmed EVERY detail of her story ✈️

Over the next two years, de Jongh personally escorted Allied airmen to safety 30+ times, crossing the Pyrenees on foot through mountain passes in all weather. The network she created—the Comet Line—evacuated approximately 800 Allied airmen before it was infiltrated and destroyed by the Gestapo.

The journey was brutal: 1,000 miles from Brussels through occupied France to Spain. The Pyrenees crossing took multiple days through rugged terrain at high altitude, often in harsh weather, with minimal food and constant risk of encountering Spanish border guards or German patrols. De Jongh was small and slight, yet she repeatedly made this journey while guiding men larger and often less fit than herself 💪

She worked with Basque guides like Florentino Goikoetxea who knew the mountain routes. They knew which paths avoided border posts, where to find shelter, how to navigate in darkness. The crossing went through passes at altitudes up to 5,000 feet. Weather could be brutal—rain, snow, fog, high winds making travel deadly.

The dangers were extreme. The German Sicherheitsdienst and Gestapo actively hunted resistance members. Informers and infiltrators were constant threats. The penalty for helping Allied soldiers escape was DEATH. Dozens of Comet Line helpers were arrested, tortured, and executed—including de Jongh's father Frédéric who died in a concentration camp 😢

In January 1943, de Jongh's luck ran out. She was betrayed by an informer and arrested by the Gestapo in France along with several airmen she was guiding. The Germans initially didn't realize she was the leader—they assumed a woman so young could only be a courier. She reinforced this by claiming she was following orders from others, protecting the network.

After months of interrogation in Paris, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, then transferred to Mauthausen—one of the harshest camps where prisoners were worked to death. She survived through determination, solidarity with fellow prisoners, and luck. She was liberated by American forces in May 1945, emaciated and ill but ALIVE.

After the war, recognition and honors were offered by multiple governments. Britain awarded her the George Medal. The US awarded the Medal of Freedom. But de Jongh REFUSED most official recognition. She insisted she'd only done what was necessary, that many others had been braver and sacrificed more, and that she deserved no special recognition 🎖️

Instead of accepting hero status, she worked as a nurse in leper colonies in Africa and Ethiopia for many years, continuing her pattern of helping others in difficult circumstances. She lived simply and avoided publicity. She passed away in 2007 at age 90.

The Comet Line saved approximately 800 Allied airmen. Each airman saved could return to operations—significant contribution since training bomber crews was expensive and time-consuming. But the cost was high: dozens of helpers killed by Germans.

Her humility and refusal of recognition makes her story even more remarkable.

Subscribe for more untold World War Two stories: World War Two Uncovered

#ww2 #wwiiuncovered #pyrenees #mauthausen #worldwar2 #resistancefighters #ww2facts

Disclaimer: This content is designed for entertainment and educational storytelling based on World War Two historical events gathered from various sources. While we strive to present engaging and accurate narratives, some details may contain inaccuracies or simplifications. This channel is not an academic or scholarly source. For verified historical information, please consult professional historians, peer reviewed publications, and official archives. Viewer discretion is advised.