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First Contact in Belgium

Mr. MacLean is being taken by a young Belgian man named Mondo to the home of a couple in Brussels who were to help him to his next escape route destination.

The Journey to Freedom Continues

Mr. MacLean continues his account of his escape from Holland and on into Belgium.

In Hiding on a Dutch River Houseboat

His efforts to remain hidden from the occupying Germans in Holland is helped along through a chance meeting with an elderly woman, a member of a family who lives on a river houseboat.

A Tribute to His Helpers in Holland

From the beginning of his journey through Holland, many Dutch citizens provided great assistance to Mr. MacLean, and others in similar situations. They did so at the risk of being caught by occupying German forces and being executed. He pays tribute to their courage and kindness.

A Close Call With the Germans

Now in civilian clothes, thanks to the efforts of friendly Dutch people who continue to risk their lives to help him, Mr. MacLean begins walking toward a bridge over a near-by river. Again, an unexpected development delivers him from certain discovery and capture by the Germans.

Help from the Dutch

Mr. MacLean sleeps overnight under a blanket of grass in a nearby Dutch orchard. Morning comes.

Discovered!

Mr. MacLean has slept most of the day, hidden in bushes at the edge of the field where he landed when he bailed out of his plane over occupied Holland. He awakes to see two young girls approaching.

Injured in the Landing

Mr. MacLean, preceded by his crew, is the last to jump from his crippled plane. He lands in a field, some miles from where his crew would have come down. It was not an easy landing.

Bailing Out Over Holland

Mr. MacLean continues his account of the bombing run to Essen, Germany that resulted in his plane being hit. He orders his men to bail out while he takes the plane several miles beyond their location and parachutes himself. It’s the beginning of his long and life-threatening journey back to England.

Bomber Raid Into Germany

Now a pilot with Bomber Command, Mr. MacLean has made six or seven bombing raids behind enemy lines, including one that sent a thousand planes to bomb Cologne in south Germany. Within a week of completing that mission, he is told that a smaller group of bombers would be sent to Essen. It would result in a dramatic chain of events for this young Canadian pilot.

Parents React To Overseas Posting

Basic training and a period as a pilot instructor in Canada behind him, Mr. MacLean recalls the reaction of his parents when he told them he had been posted overseas.

Answers Newspaper Ad For RAF

Work was very scarce as Mr. MacLean graduated from university in the spring of 1939. He recalls answering a newspaper advertisement that eventually took him into the Second World War.

Date modified:: 2019-02-19