The Escape Line: How the Ordinary Heroes of Dutch-Paris Resisted the Nazi Occupation of Western Europe

by Megan Koreman

Of all the resistance organizations that operated during the war, about which much has been written, one stands out for its transnational character, the diversity of the tasks its members took on, and the fact that, unlike many of the known evasion lines, it was not directed by Allied officers, but rather by group of ordinary citizens. Between 1942 and 1945, they formed a network to smuggle Dutch Jews and others targeted by the Nazis south into France, via Paris, and then to Switzerland. This network became known as the Dutch-Paris Escape Line, eventually growing to include 300 people and expanding its reach into Spain. Led by Jean Weidner, a Dutchman living in France, many lacked any experience in clandestine operations or military tactics, and yet they became one of the most effective resistance groups of the Second World War. Dutch-Paris largely improvised its operations-scrounging for food on the black market, forging documents, and raising cash. Hunted relentlessly by the
Nazis, some were even captured and tortured. In addition to Jews, those it helped escape the clutches of the Nazis included resistance fighters, political foes, Allied airmen, and young men looking to get to London to enlist. As the need grew more desperate, so did the bravery of those who rose to meet it.

Using recently declassified archives, The Escape Line tells the story of the Dutch-Paris and the thousands of people it saved during World War II. Author Megan Koreman, who was given exclusive access to many of the archives, is herself the daughter of Dutch parents who were part of the resistance.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II

424 pages, Hardcover

Published May 7, 2018

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by my relative Megan. It follows the activities during WW2 of Dutch, Belgian, and French people who helped resist the Germans in occupied territory, including hiding Jews, helping Allied aviators escape, and moving important Dutch people to London. This book made me cry, thinking of the bravery and loss that so many endured during WW2.

[Sebastian Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Escape Line tells story of ‘Dutch-Paris’, a clandestine group/line that ran from The Netherlands through Belgium and France to Switzerland and Spain, both sheltering and helping to escape Jews, downed Allied airmen, and others, such as young men fleeing conscription into German forced labour.

Johann or Jean Weidner (he chose to use the more French form of his name, being based in France) was a Seventh Day Adventist and textiles merchant who, along with his wife and an ever growing number of others, found himself drawn into a shady underworld, ostensibly at odds with his former standing as an upright law-abiding citizen, in order to help others and live in accordance with his own inner moral compass.

This well-written and researched book shines a light into this murky netherworld of underground but pacific resistance, which itself occurred during dark times. Finding funds, going on the lam, forging documents, crossing borders. There’s lots of derring-do! Plenty of contemporary pictures and some useful maps help keep the whole thing both vivid and comprehensible. It’s very much a tale of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times.

A compelling page turner, set in Nazi-occupied Western Europe, the network and its stories spread their tentacles outwards from Weidner’s initial base in Lyons, France, to Switzerland and Spain, and up into Belgium and Holland. With characters such as couriers or hosts for fugitives ranging from young secretaries and mothers to elderly widows, and civilian passeurs, from French and Dutch clergy and businessmen to downed Allied airmen, Maquis resistance, Milice collaborators, the SS, SD, Gestapo and so on, it’s a very colourful cast.

It’s very interesting in respect of civil disobedience, and the potential conflict between individual conscience and the laws of the state. As Koreman says many times, most people during WWII in the occupied territories would rather look at the floor, so to speak, and try to just get through such troubled times without risking themselves.

As ever, I’ve got a huge stack of books to review. I was worried I’d find this a chore. But far from it. I was, rather appropriately, captivated, and felt compelled to continue. Indeed, it was hard to put down. I won’t go into any more detail here. Better that you read the book yourself.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Very thorough telling of the story of a particular escape line in occupied Europe during WWII. Plenty of detail on who started the line, how they recruited helpers, how they had documents created and how they moved escapees from one safe house to the next. Excellent description of how a cafe or other establishment would be set up as a ‘post office’ for the resistance. And, of course, the men, women and children they helped escape. Highly recommended.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half introduces a dizzying number of people and connections between them, but the action-packed second half is more compelling. The introduction and conclusion provide excellent summaries of why most people in occupied countries didn't resist during WWII and the motivations and characteristics of those who did.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many characters to follow, but once you are used to that it is and exciting read. So much was going on and the author makes it understandable and interesting. Good maps too that make it easier to look at Google Earth and see the individual locations.

[Jessie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and inspiring