The accompanying story below (main article already translated) that was developed in cooperation with Peter Monasso, about David Gaston Alford, is an eloquent example of this.

Another example is one with which the recovery society is now busy; the search for the satchel (briefcase) of navigator David Williams. He jumped out of the burning airplane in early February 1944 that contained, among others, David Alford. The airplane landed in the vicinity of Meddo in Zwolle.

The personal documents of Mr. Williams were recovered from the airplane by a certain Huiskes of Huisman. The ex-navigator would like to meet with whoever now has his satchel or his documents. The recovery society wants to help him. The digging brings such things to light, and according to Peter Monasso, living on Banka Street, this is one of the most pleasant things. "I have uncovered secrets from World War II that for years have been hidden in the bosom of the Achterhoek."

LETTER FROM LOU BREITENBACH'S FILES:

MAASTRICHT 11 DEC. 1970.

"My part in the helping of pilots were the following minor contributions: I married in 1943 (August) and started living above the Rotterdam bank in the Brede Street in Maastricht. The entrance to my living quarters was the same as the entrance to the bank. Because of that it was not suspicious that many people entered and left the building through that door. Therefore, after a short while my home was used as a contact address, rendezvous and hideout place. Shortly after our wedding Mr. v. Leur (Medal of Freedom) who worked with customs, began bringing pilots to us to stay for a couple of days. That's when I started to guide pilots to other addresses.

"After doing this for some time (I never brought pilots across the border) I persuaded a Belgian friend of mine who had permission from the

Germans to drive with his truck between Maastricht en Luik (Liege) to become a member of our group. He modified his truck so that it had double walls. We then took about 12 pilots with his truck from Dutch Eysden to Luik in Belgium. My friend did this alone (I only went along a few times). The pilots were loaded in the truck in the garage of Mr. Fernaud van Dyk at O. L. Vrouwenwal. Mr. van Dyk died a short time ago. Anyhow, it was in his garage between 1200 and 1230 (when the personnel was out for lunch) that we brought the pilots in, unscrewed the outer walls of the truck and hid 2 to 5 pilots. For my friend, Mr. Fernand Dumoulin, it was very risky because at the border in Eysden he had to stop at least 15 minutes while he got his papers checked and the Germans searched the truck. Just one cough would have been disastrous. Well, it didn't happen and all went well. I still have the names and addresses of these pilots as I got them later from Dumoulin.

"The others, before the truck days, always crossed the border via underground tunnels under the St. Peter mountain. I was not in that organization. I did, however, also hide a Russian officer, Nikolai Tsjilibin, in my house, who was later taken to Deurne in Belgium.

"As Dumoulin started to take part with his truck, my job was mainly hiding people for a couple of days, and then bring them to other hiding places. I still have some names, they were:

(here listed names)

"Unfortunately, I don't remember any more names. It's been so long ago and furthermore, in the first week after the liberation I had a very serious motor accident together with Dumoulin. My brains were seriously injured then and I lost my memory for a year. It has all recuperated, but still I don't remember many things before and after the accident.

"With cordial greetings.......

"s/E. Backarra"

OCTOBER, 1986

During the years since our first visit to Holland to get reacquainted with the people in that country who helped me through all those months of 1944, we have tried to find Floyd Stegall through military records sources and were unable to do so. The only knowledge of him I had since we parted in the fall of 1944 was that he was from Illinois.

When I remet Lou Brietenbach in Atlanta at our first AFEES meeting (he was one of the men with us when we were nailed into the truck to cross the border from Maastricht to Liege) I found that he had written down our hometowns (mine was Rising Star, Texas) on the backs of cigarette pack covers as he met us and he said that the address he had for Floyd was Cameron, Illinois.

This was in May, 1986 and in July, 1986 a friend of mine, France Vancil, whom I have played golf with for 20 years, told me that he and his wife were again going to visit friends and relatives in Illinois as they did almost every year. This led to my question, "Where is Cameron, Illinois?"and he answered that he knew it well, his wife grew up there. With this I told him the story about Floyd and me and about my contact with Lou Brietenbach and that very evening he called me at home and said that his wife had, in fact, gone to high school with him, but that she knew him as Martin Stegall; Martin is his middle name. She had 2 high school yearbooks and his picture was in both.

Anyway, while Dorothy and I were gone on vacation to Alaska, Vancil and his wife went to Illinois and located Floyd. He now lives in Galesburg, Illinois. Before I saw Vancil, Floyd called me long distance and I was elated to have found him after 42 years! He planned to come to see us in January, 1987 but because of the illness of his wife, he was unable to do so. However, during her illness that had gone to Arizona to avoid a hard winter in

Illinois to help her health and on the way back, without calling or letting us know, he drove home via Wichita Falls and one Sunday afternoon he knocked at our door and when I answered, didn't recognize him, but he soon identified himself and he and his wife came in and visited for hours. They were on their way north, so couldn't stay, but it was a real joy to see him again. About a year later his wife died (of cancer). And within a year or two after her death, he remarried a neighbor who had also lost her husband and they seem very happy. They travel around in a motor home and the did come and visit us for about a week in 1990 or 1991. We exchange Christmas cards now and I am happy to know that he survived the war and is well and happy.

NOVEMBER, 1997.

Floyd and his wife, Pat, came by again to see us. This time he had been working on his memories of his travels after being shot down in World War II, and I am attaching them as an appendix to this story. The portion of his memories and mine as you will see are different. But his story is interesting and worth telling!

AUGUST, 2003.(FROM A BOOK) AS FOLLOWS:

STEPPING STONES TO FREEDOM (Help to Allied Airmen in The Netherlands During World War II) by Bob de Graaff (Copyright 1995, 2003 Bob de Graaff, Rotterdam. The Netherlands. Note included behind the binding of the book: "This book was originally published in the Netherlands in 1995 in coperation with "The Escape" organization. Members of "The Escape" felt so strongly abut its historical contents that theygathered financial support to have it translated and printed in English for AFEES members. Therefore, you are receiving it with the compliments of "The Escape", c/o Albert J. Postma, Kruislandsedijk 27-A, 4651 RH Steenbergen, The Netherlands.

The cost of handling and mailing your book is being paid for the "The Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society." 19 Oak Ridge Pond, Hannibal, MO 63401-6539. We trust that you will enjoy this book and appreciate the necessary cooperation that made it possible.

PAGE 44:

"Illustrative for this kind of mutual uncertainty and hesitation is the story of David G. Alford, one of the crewmen of a B-17 that crashed on 4 February 1944 in the area bordering the communities of Winterswijk and Eibergen:

'Life on the farm belonging to the Overkamp family was thrown into commotion by an unusual visitor. Mr. T. G. Overkamp was first to see David Alford and made it clear that he was in The Netherlands. However, Alford ran away, probably fearing that he might be taken prisoner, and while running pulled his airman's cap off his head and threw it into a well. Still running, but without a goal in mind, Alford decided to hide himself in the "Rozenbos" woods. After hiding there for a while, he decided that it would be better to go looking for help. He hoped that the enemy had already given up their search for him. Not feeling totally at ease he approached the farm belonging to the Bus family where he found help. However, he remained unsure of his predicament because no one at the farm spoke English. A neighbor's son was asked to help translate which put Alford more at ease. However, there was suddenly a knock at the door, and Alford was rapidly hidden in a bedroom because it could be the Germans. However, it was only Gotink who worked at a garden nussery and was thoroughly reliable. Gotink was informed about the situation. First everyone decided to have dinner but after the meal was over, the elderly Mr. Bus said that the pilot really must leave for he feared the harsh punishments imposed by the Germans to anyone harboring airmen. Some civilian clothing was gathered together and, after being dressed as a labor

worker, Alford departed heading westward. Once again Alford decided to hide awhile in the woods. Later, after walking further, he again found a farm where he climbed into a haystack and fell into a deep sleep. Early in the morning when he awoke, he decided to learn who lived in the farmhouse.'

'It was the occupants of this farm who finally brought Alford into contact with the resistance. After roaming repeatedly from place to place around the country, Alford finally crossed via Maastricht into Belgium where he was liberated in the Ardennes."

On p. 63 of the book there is mention of Fernand Dumoulin who worked with the underground in taking escapees across the Dutch/Belgian border in his truck that was equipped with a secret compartment where 4 evadees could be nailed in and hidden with the produce that he was allowed to transport between Maastricht and Liege:

"...resistance workers often approached individuals such as CCD controllers, doctors, veterinarians, policemen andmembers of the air-raid precaution agency who due to their profession were allowed to use automobiles. One well-known exaple for transportation by road was the truck driven by a Belgian named Fernand Dumoulin. A secret hiding place had been constructed in the truck so that Dumoulin could transport airmen whom he had collected from the Sijmons group in Maastricht over the border into Belgium."

Also on p. 90:

"For transportation of crewmen into Belgium... the group... had several channels at its disposal ...Finally, Fernand Dumoulin from Belgium transported airmen who he had obtained from the Sijmons group across the border using a Belgian truck in which a secret compartment had been constructed.

On March 3, 1998 I received the following letter, which I thought might be of interest in connection with this story:

"Dear Col. Alford:

"I just received my 91st Memorial Directory and looked through it to see familiar names and there you are on the front page. This letter may put your long time memory to a tests. I was in Group Operations from the beginning to end and I sure remember you quite well.

"I will ist a few items that stand out in my mind about Col. Alford.

"In the wee hours one night in the back room of operations you were trying to get a nap. You stepped to the door and said "I hope my sleeping is not interefering with all this racket out here."

"On another occasion, early one morning you let me be a passenger in an A-20 that you took for a flight. I'm glad that I had the ride but I thought at any time you were trying to scare the hell out of me, you did a fine job. My stomach has not been right since. Of course, I'm kidding, it was great fun.

"However, the most memorable thing was a night that you returned to Operations at Bassingbourn after your ordeal on the continent. Yours was surely one of the outstanding survival stories of the war.

"I retired in 1984 from Combustion Engineering and my wife, Marian, and I will soon celebrate 50 years of being married. We have a son and a daughter and 5 granddaughters. These kids and grandkids are probably the smartest people on the planet. If I were inclined to brag I would go into details but I won't do that. My halth is fair and I tinker around in my hobby shop. I've made 3 violins since I retired, they would probably rate a C minus by a real expert.

"I hope this finds you doing well, and with best wishes,

"Sincerely,

"s/Louis B. Wheeler

"Former S/Sgt Louis B. Wheeler

"P. S. I think some of my health problems may have been caused by the coffee we made in the back room of Operations and the English warm beer. Also, I think that most of the enlisted guys in the Operations office have passed on."

__________________________________________________________

Quotes from: COLONEL DAVE AND THE SCHROFF CONNECTION by David M. Williams.

Keap Publishing Co., San Diego, CA 92109, 1993.

Lou Breitenbach's narrative on his evading and capture, WW II.

Jim Hensley, who was travelling with Lou Breitenbach, when we were all transported from Maastricht to Liege, is still alive and Lou gave us his address (1995): 1502 N. Baxter, Johnson City, Tenn. 37601. Tel: (615) 928-9359. His other friend whom we have met at AFEES meetings is: Bob Hannan, 786 Whitegate Ave., Healdsburg, CA 95448. Tel: (707) 433-3435.