The Escape Lines of WW2

Our Society is non-nationalistic, non-sectarian and non political and commemorates the work, during WW2, of all ‘helpers’ who assisted allied escapers and evaders, be they individuals working alone or members of organised networks.

Lone Helpers

Some individual ‘helpers’ who worked alone are known; others quietly provided aid and support and then faded into obscurity after the war. For reasons of personal security, and to protect families and livelihoods within their communities, many ‘helpers’ never revealed their humane actions. In order to ensure secrecy ‘helpers’ often gave false identities or code names; some had moved house with the specific intention of operating ‘safe houses’ away from the areas of their homes and families, then returned home after the war. Most escapers and evaders were aware of their helpers’ need for anonymity, and so the identities of many brave, selfless people may never be known. However now, generations later, amongst forgotten belongings, some families are beginning to discover clues to the clandestine actions of their forebears.

Escape Lines

Many escape networks appeared worldwide during the course of WW2; they were mainly spread across the continent of Europe due to the concentration of Allied operations there. The life spans and success rates of these networks varied. Some of the smaller networks fed into larger ones that had wider operating areas. Tragically, some networks were short-lived; others lost operators due to capture and betrayal, but reformed and continued their work. No escape line had a definitive ‘route’; they had safe-house areas that their couriers moved between, travelling by a variety of routes and modes of transport together with their messages and ‘parcels’ [the evaders]. The routes varied and safe-houses were alternated for reasons of security.