Leaving Holland.

Wednesday April 19th 1944, Tobias travels from Vught to Eindhoven by train and makes a bike trip to Reusel where he contacts mr. Willekens. In the afternoon Tobias crosses the Dutch Belgium border in the company of two custom officers. They gave him a custom armband as well so it seemed that three custom officers were passing the border on patrol. That same afternoon Tobias reaches a monastry located in the Belgium village of Postel. Here he meets father Nicolaas Boon who takes care of him. Tobias spends the night in the monastry and travels the next day in the company of father Hubertus from Postel by tram via Turnhout to Antwerp where they spent the night with friends of father Hubertus

Friday April 21st 1944, Tobias tells father Hubertus to return to Postel, because he thinks he can find his way from Antwerp to Brussels and from Brussels to Namen. In Namen he stays in the Hotel Vlaanderen and the next day he travels on to Dinant where he meets father Martens in the local monastry. Father Martens buys him a bicycle and on Sunday April 23rd 1944 Tobias bikes to a little village close to the Belgium-French border called Mazee. Here he spents the night, probably at a farm and on Monday, April 24th, he crosses the border without any papers explaining what he is doing in France. That same day he arrives in Paris, spents the night somewhere and on Tuesday April 25th he goes to a safehouse called 'La Garage'. It is located on 44 Rue Caulincourt in the 18th district of Paris. It's not clear who gave Tobias the address of 'La Garage' is was a secret safehouse only known to a few people. Most likely is that Tobias got the address from a member of the Belgium resistance organization 'Escape Service'. Here he meets a Belgium SOE officer of Section-T. This officer, Ides Floor, offers him to use his radio link which connects Brussels with London and advises him to return to Holland after transmitting his messages to London. 

So Tobias returns to Brussels, where he sends three messages to London via a Belgium wireless operator called Jean Flour alias GLOVE. Flour was the wireless operator of SOE agent Guillery both stationed in Brussels. The first telegram from Tobias was sent to London May 8th 1944. It looked like this (transcription):

DORIA FROM NELLY CONTACT POUR UN WT PRWH IS A SOCRATES VERLANT RPT SECINTEEN AVENU FLORIST CODE HOT DE PASSE ET FAIS CE QUE JAI PRONIT STOP MESSAGE FOR DUTCH SECTION FROM NO FIFTEEN STOP HAVE LOST PACKAGE THINK STOLEN FARMER SECURITY OK I WENT TO PARIS GARAGE MET DELIGATE BELGE AGNES ON HIS WAY TO UK GIVING ORDRE FOR RPT ESREE NUMBER GET FANT STOP LOVE FOR CHELSEA KOKATOO BLUE STOP QSL RIBBON FOUR SEVEN FOUR EIGHT STOP

The second telegram was sent on May 10th 1944, in this telegram Tobias tries to tell Londen where to drop new wireless sets for Jan Steman during the next moon period:

DORIS SEC MESSAGE FROM FIFTEEN FOR DUTCH HQ STOP USE MICHELIN MAP SHEET NO ONE NO MIL MAP HERE STOP SEVEN HALF KM FROM SPOOR SPLIT VUGHT VYF KM FROM DATE BOXTEL TILBURG VIER KM WEST FROM STATION ESCH TIEN KM SPLIT TILBURG STOP OPERATION ON BBC HIER IS ALLES KLAAR VERWACHT THIS MOON PER NEW PARCEL HAVE NEW ACHGEL I OX STOP

The third and last telegram was sent on May 18th 1944, Tobias had left for Paris again on May 12th 1944. The telegram contains the following message:

SIROB FROM NOLA LIARD BLOCK VTT SHILLING A PARIS DT PKIS LT JUINZE MAI STOP DUTCH SEC FROM NO FIFTEEN NO ANWHWTRL GAVE BRUSSEL TWELVE LEFT AGAIN PARIS STOP ID ZIT ER AAN TE KOMEN GEHEEL NIET DUIDELIJK GROTE VA STOP FROM GLOVE QSL RIBBON TWO DTVTN TWO EIGHT CHEERIO KITYD

Where Tobias stayed during his second time in Paris is unclear. Did he manage to reach Paris in one day, or did he arrived there May 13th? A few days later, Monday May 15th, Tobias goes to a safehouse of the widow Odette DELORME, 4 Rue Ernest Cresson, Paris and calls himself JAN DAUBRY. Here he meets Francois Xavier Emile DANHAIVE, resistance member of Belgium who wants to travel to England too. The next day a courier of JULIEN (Francois Mitterand) called GERMAINE takes both men to the railway station 'Austerlitz' and introduces them to the guide who will take them to Toulouse. This guide was accompanied by a man called George MARCQ from Belgium who also wanted to escape to England. At half past ten in the morning May 17th the whole group arrives safely in Toulouse. Danhaive travelled with false papers on the name of Denizot, Germaine had given him those papers. It is not clear from whom Tobias received his false indentity card. They were taken to an apartment above a bicycle dealer in Toulouse. At a certain moment Tobias and Danhaive are picked up by the local resistance commander called 'Q' or 'monsieur Edouard' who took them to an other safehouse at 9 Rue du Mas. Augustin also in Toulouse. Here they stay till May 23rd when 'Q' takes them to the railway station where they are introduced to a Spanish guide who takes them to Perpignant. From Perpignant they travel the next day, May 24th, to a village which is siuated 7 km from the French-Spanish border. Here they found out that an accident had happened to George Marcq and they decided to return to Toulouse. On May 26th Tobias and Danhaive travel back to Toulouse, to the safehouse of monsieur CABRIT at 6 Rue Rossignol. Monsieur Cabrit tells them that George Marcq, an other man from Belgium and their guide had been arrested just outsite Perpignant. 

George Marcq who had stayed behind in their first safehouse and waslater on  taken to an other safehouse of a guide who took him to Perpignant May 22nd. He was arrested the same day just outsite Perpignant. He was accompanied by at least one other man from Belgium, but possible by three men and three guids, who would take them across the Pyrenees. Just guides were able to escape, the four Belgians and one guide were arrested. This according to a telegram sent by the SOE station in Barcelona on May, 26 1944.

Tobias and Danhaive stayed with monsieur Cabrit till the 11th of June. They were take to the railway station were they met their guide and an american airman who would travel with them to Spain. This airman is Norman PERO from Rochester, Monroe County, NewYork. Pero was a waistgunner of the 401 Bomber Squadron, of the 91st Bomber Group (H). He wrote in his Escape & Evasion report: "My ship was shot down on March 20th over North-West France by an FW-190 while on a mission to Frankfurt. I made a delayed jump from about 10.000 feet, opening my shute at 2000 feet. I followed the waist gunner but passed him on the way down. I landed, hid my shute, and immediately started walking to the south-east by compass. I asked several people for help when I had gotten clear of the area, but they either could not understand me or were unwilling to assist. About three hours after I started walking I encountered a man who understood English, and from here on my journey was arranged". 

From Toulouse the group travels by train to Tabres and from Tabres to Montrejeu where they arrive after many delays at five o'clock in the afternoon. They are introduced to again an other Spansh guide who had bicycles with him for all three of them. They head out in the direction of the Pyrenees and after about ten km they take a break and have something to eat and to drink. At this point an other Spanish guide took over, a man called ANGELE. They were probably in a village called St. Bertrand-de-Commings. From this village they probably went to Bagnes-de-Luchon an other 30 km by bike. Here they went to a mountain cabine called 'La Cabana' where they arrived at ten o'clock at night. They spent the night here, while they did so their guide went back to pickup more men who had to cross the mountains. They were the two Belgiums Jean DRAPIER and Rene SOUDAIN and the American airman Richard ELLIOT. Together they started walking the next day, June 13th,  towards the Spanish border.  It took them three days to cross the border near de Col de Rioumajou and Hospice-de-France. It took them so long because one of them, Drapier, was in bad physical condition and had to rest frequently. The guides stayed with the group till the had reached 'La Caverna' , The Cave, which was situated 45 km into Spain. In this gave the group waited two days for a car to appear which would take them to Barcelona. However when it arrived it was stopped just outsite the Spanish town Graus and all of them were arrested. This event took place on Tuesday June 20th 1944. The next day the whole group was transported by the Guardia Civil to Zaragossa, via Huesca. They arrived in Zaragossa on Thursday, June 22nd. Here Tobias was able to contact the British consul who gave them permits to travel to Madrid on the 29th of June. 

Tobias write his first after-mission report in Madrid, he leaves the capital July 6th and arrives in Gibraltar on July 8th. A few hours later he leaves Gibraltar by plane. The next day July 9th Tobias lands in Bristol. All in all the whole mission had taken hundred days of which just 19 were spent in Holland.

Summary of all witnesses

DANHAIVE: "Loge à Hotel de la Civette justqu'au 30 Avril, est conduit chez Madame DELORME à Rue Ernest Cresson 4, Paris 18e ou il reste 17 jours.Le 13 mai 1944, est rejoint par un Hollandais J. DAUBRY (Biallosterski). Le 16 Mai quittent ensemble Paris, avec un guide et un plus GEORGE 'Le Commandant', pour Toulouse avec carte d'indentité françaiseet certificat de travail. Ils sont conduits chez un marchand de vélo. Le Chef local de la ligne qui se faisait appeler Q ou Monsieur EDOUARD vient chercher Danhaive et le Hollandais laissant la George 'Le Commandant'. Il arrive à un autre gite et repartent le 22 mai 1944 pour Perpignant. Quittent Perpignant le 26 mai et rentrent suite à un accident survenu a George 'Le Commandant', leur dit-on à Toulouse chez Monsieur CABRIT, Rue de Rossignol 6. Repartent le 11 Juin de Toulouse rencontrent un Américan (Norman Pero) qui suit jusqu'a Montrejeau (cabane de bucherons, houthakkers) le 12 Avril 1944 rejoint par un Américan (Richard Elliott) et deux Belges, DRAPIER et SOUDAN. Dès lors le voyage est identique à la relation No. D76".

Stayed in Hotel de la Civette till the 30st of April, after that he stays with Mrs Delorme at Rue Ernest Cresson 4 in the 18th district of Paris, here he stayed 17 days. On May 13th a Dutchman J. Daubry (Biallosterski) joins him. Together they leave Paris on the 16th of May with a guide and also 'George' also known as The Commander, for Toulouse with a French identity card and a work permit. They were loged in an apartment above a bicycle dealer. The local commander who called himself Q or Mr. Edouard came to fetch Danhave and the Dutchman leaving George 'The Commander' there. He arrives at another gite (safehouse) and leaves for Perpinant on the 22nd of May. They leave Perpignant on the 26th of May after an accident happened to George 'The Commander', this was told to them at Mr. Cabrit at 6 Rue Rossignol, Toulouse. They leave Toulouse on the 11th of June and met an American (Norman Pero) who followed them to Montrejeau. They stay in a wood-cutters hut and are joined the 12th of May by another American (Richard Elliott) and two Belgiums Soudan and Drapier. From there the journey is the same as the report of D76.

DRAPIER & SOUDAN: "Ils partent avec en plus un aviateur Américain (Richard Elliot) le 12 Juin pour Montrejeau. De là à pied jusque Saint Betrand-de-Comminges ou ils remis au guide passeur. Logent le 13 Juin dans une Cabane de berger ou ils rejoignent un Américain, le Belge (Danhaive) et un Hollandais (Biallosterski).
Le groupe campe le 14 Juin puis la nuit suivante en passant par un tunnel de captage arrivent à la frontière qu'ils passent le 16 Juin (probablement au Col de Venasque). Drapier étant épuisé de fatique, le groupe campe jusqu'a la nuit du 18 Juin en attendant une voiture que le guide est allé chercher.
Le 18 Juin, retrouvent la voiture que le près d'une centrale éléctrique (Route descendant à Graus). La voiture est arrêtée par la Garde Civile en amont de Graus, et amenée sous garde à Graus ou tout le groupe est arrêté".

They (Drapier & Soudan) leave with the addition of an American aviator (Richard Elliott) on the 12th of June for Montrejeau. From there they walk to St. Bertrand-de-Comminges where they were transferred to the guide (passeur). The 13th of June they are housed in a shepherd's hut where they are joined by an American (Norman Pero) the Belgian Danhaive and a Dutchman (Biallosterski).
The group encamps on the 14th of June and then the next night passing through a catchment tunnel, they arrive at the border which they cross the 16th (probably at the pass of Venasque / Col de Venasque). Drapier being exhausted with fatique, the group camps until the night of the 18th of June whilst waiting for a car that the guide went off to find. The 18th they find the car on the road near a power station (Route that descends towards Graus). The car is stopped by the Guardia Civil ahead of Graus, and taken into custody where the whole group is arrested.


Norman Pero: "... and were taken to the house of Mme. Germaine, where they (Pero & Elliott) were kept for about 23 days. They received new identity cards there and left with a guide named Lucie, to go to Toulouse by rail. They picked up new guides from time to time enroute to Toulouse. Here they spent 22 days in the house of Joseph Corraze at 30 Rue Dine Tard. Guides took them by train to Montrejeau and thence by bicycle to the Pyrenees where they were met by other guides including Belgian helpers (Danhaive, Drapier & Soudan) and a British officer (Biallosterski). They immediately set out to cross the mountains. The crossing took 7 days as they were delayed by the poor health of one of the Belgians (Drapier). In Spain they stayed hidden in a cave for two days while waiting to contact a driver. From here they started for Barcelona by automobile, but were arrested by police at Gros (Graus), where they declared themselves to be escaped prisoners of war. They spent the night in jail and were questioned the next morning as to name, rank and serial number. They gave their actual ranks. Thet were also asked how much money they had. They were kept here for two days. They were fingerprinted, and through a Red Cross representative they contacted the British Vice-Consul at Zaragossa. The Vice-Consul told them that under no circumstances should they declare themselves to be airmen. From here they went to Madrid where they remained for four weeks, they moved to Gibraltar they were questioned by a British IO who asked for all details of their trip, including helpers, etc. From here they returned to UK.

Page 2 of the handwritten E&E report by Richard H. Elliott: "... Met by another man wating ... train ...
ca 19 hrs to Toulouse. ? took to ... eat-strange men took us when stay with Joseph Corraze, 30 something, married, boy & girl. Met some of his relations. 30 days with him. ... ... .. /P. ... to station with Joseph - but ... ... Then Pero leaves, would catch up with him ... ... The next day men take me - Two Belgians (Drapier & Soudan) ... in train leaving Toulouse I .. ... To Montrejeau - 3 of us ... ... Met by another ... to woods - Two Belgians, Jan - ? Ca 2200 hrs in Sp ... stint walking. ... Toulouse ... ... invasion.
C.. with Pero, another Belgian (Danhaive) and Dutch boy (Biallosterski). Walking sleeping ... ... 3 days - one of Belgians is in bad shape (Drapier) fat body. 16 June ... ... Spain -to long ... when lot ... ... - 2 into which ... ... ... to Barcelona - ca 3 kms from Graus ... ... ... police ... in jail. To - ... Chief instr N, R, SN ... find not who guide was. Met ... who been 8 years U.S. Night in hotel. Then to Huesca, stop Barbastro on way - ca 6 kms - jail - Call British Consul Zaragossa - Zaragossa - Madrid - Alh... - Madrid - ... - Gibraltar - Br....".



From Dahaive's RVPS report nr. 22240: "... In Paris Dahaive was left by Lucien at the Hotel de la Civette (known), where he remained until sunday 30-4-1944. During the intervening time, he reported daily to Mlle. Bellierres, a cousin of Jacky des Essarts who lived near the Porte Neuilly. She was aged about 31 and was not unattractive looking; but spoke with a lisp.
On the last day of his stay in Paris he met there Mme. Germaine (known), a grey haired, distinguished looking woman of about 60 who brought him to the house of Mme. Veuve (widow) Delorme (known), 4 Rue Ernest Cresson, Paris. Danhaive remained there for 17 days (30-4-1994 till 16-5-1944)

On 15-5-1944 he was joined by a Dutchman known as "JAN" (Biallosterski), who later became known as James Oliver when the party reached Spain. He left Madrid on 6-7-1944 and is supposed to have reached this country shortly afterwards.

On 16-5-1944 they set out for Toulouse with a guide, a middle-aged man of medium build, well dressed, name not known, to whom they were introduced by Mme. Germaine at Austerlitz station. He had with him another escapee, a Belgian named Georges Marcq who was later arrested by the Germans between Perpignant and the frontier and nothing more has been heard of him since.
They reached Toulouse at 1030 hours the following morning and no control took place on the way. Here Danhaive added that before leaving Paris he was supplied by Mme. Germaine with a new identity card, as well as a Carte de Travail. They were both in the name of Francois Denizot and he was supposed to reside in Conde-sur-Aisnes.

In Toulouse Danhaive and his two companions were lodged in a modest compartment over a cycle shop. Next day Danhaive and the Dutchman were taken by a man known as Le Commandant to another address, 9 Rue du Mas. St. Augustin, Toulouse, where they lodged untill 23.5.1944 (Note: Reference to Le Commandant was recently made by Vincotte RPS. 21818 and he also cropped up in the report on Dupreel RPS. 21816)

On the latter date Danhaive and his companion (Biallosterski) were brought by Le Commandant to the railway station, where they were introduced to another guide, a Spaniard aged about 29, tall, with slightly rounded shoulders, with whom they travelled to Perpignant. They stayed overnight with two friends of this guide, also Spaniards, and were brought by the next morning (24-5-2015) to the house of a wine grower some 7 kms further south, where they remained to 2 days.
During this time they learned that the other Belgian, Georges Marcq , whom they left in Toulouse, had been caught in a trap together with another Belgian, and their guide, after leaving Perpignant. Owing to this breakdown in the line, Danhaive and his companion had to return to Toulouse, (26th or 27th May 1944), where they were left by the guides chez M. Cabrit, 6 Rue Rossignol, who was aged about 46 and was a furniture dealer before the war. He now worked in a metallurgical works.
They remained with him until 11-6-1944 and then left for Montrejeau together with another guide, aged about 34, short and stocky with a poch-marked face, to whom they were introduced by Le Commandant. They were also joined by an American, Norman Pero and together they boarded a train leaving at 0900 hours. However, owing to sabotage on the line, they were considerable delayed and only reached Montrejeau at 1700 hours.

They were met at the station by a young, tall fair looking Spaniard, most un-Spanish appearance, and each member of the party having been supplied with a bicycle, they set out in the direction of the Spanish Frontier. They halted after covering about 10 kilometres and were than handed over to another Spanish guide known as Angele (this man id identical with the Angele referred to in the report on Vincotte -para. 26)
Having had refreshment and food, they set out once more, at about 2200 hours and after a long and arduous journey, came to a place known as La Cabane, where they waited while one of the guides returned to Montrejeau to collect two Belgians, Jean Drapier (RPS. 22241) and Rene Soudan (RPS. 22268) and an American, Richard Elliott.
Having joined forces, the party set out once more (13-6-1944) and after a three day trek, reached the Frontier (16-6-1944), close to the Col de Roumaillou (Rouminque), near Hospice de France.

The guides remained with the party until a hide-out known as La Caverne was reached some 45 kilometres from the Frontier. At this point they were to be met by a car and driven to Barcelona. The car turned up on the second day, but just outside Graus it was held up by Civil Guards and all members of the party were detained.

The following day (21-6-1944), they were sent under escort via Huesca to Saragossa, arriving on 22-6-1944. When he was arrested Danhaive gave his name as Anthony Butler and declared his nationality as Australian, having been advised to do this before leaving Belgium if he got into difficulties.
He was just about a week in Saragossa and the British Authorities having intervened on his behalf, he was allowed to proceed to Madrid on 29-6-1944. He put up at the Hotel Medicdia (known) and during his stay saw both Mr. Cresswell and M. Wodon, the British and Belgian represtentatives.
He eventually left Madrid on 26-7-1944 together with Drapier and Soudan and a number of Frenchmen, the party being in the care of a British official with whom they travelled via San-Roque to Gibraltar. A day later Danhaive was put on board a plane and sent to this country.
 

May 13th, Biallosterski joins Danhaive in a Paris safehouse', 4 Rue Ernest Cresson.
May 16th, Biallosterski, Danhaive & Marcq leave Paris for Toulouse by train.
May 17th, 1030 hrs Biallosterski, Danhaive & Marcq arrive at trainstation Toulouse.
May 17th, Biallosterski, Danhaive & Marcq stay in a safehouse above a bicycledealer.
May 18th, Biallosterski and Danhaive are moved to another safehouse, 9 Rue du Mas St.Augustin.
May 23rd, Biallosterski and Danhaive leave Toulouse for Perpignant.
May 24rd, Biallosterski and Danhaive leave Perpignant for a village 7 kms further south.
May 26th, Biallosterski and Danhaive return to a safehouse Toulouse, 6 Rue Rossignol.

June 11th, Biallosterski, Danhaive and Pero leave Toulouse for Montrejeau.
June 11th, Biallosterski, Danhaive and Pero cycle towards the Pyrenees, spent the night in La Cabane.
June 12th, Drapier, Soudan and Elliott are moved from Toulouse to La Cabane.
June 13th, Whole party with at least two guides start it's walk towards the Spanish border.
June 16th, Cross the French / Spanish border.
June 17th, Late afternoon, begin of the evening. Party arrives at hidding place La Caverne.
June 18th
June 19th, Car for transport to Barcelona is found during the evening.
June 20th, Party is arrested by the Guardia Civil just outside Graus.
June 21st, Everbody is moved under escort from Graus to Barbastro.
June 22nd, All group members are moved from Barbastro via Huesca to Zaragossa.
June 29th, Party moves from Zaragossa to Madrid.

July 6th, Biallosterski leaves Madrid for Gibraltar.
July 8th, Biallosterski arrives in Gibraltar en takes a plane to the UK.
July 9th, Biallosterski arrives in Bristol.
July 26th, Danhaive, Drapier & Soudan leave Madrid for Gibraltar.



It is still unclear which route the party took across the Pyrenees. This is still under investigation.
 

Draft version