Origins of the Comet Line
The Comet Line, like many other escape routes, was constantly facing attempts of infiltration. Nazis would have people pose as airmen or helpers in order to discover and report those involved. "The Comet Line (so called in 1943) began with a small group of Belgian friends...They formed a team called DDD after their names: De Bliqui, Deppé and De Jongh.
De Bliqui was arrested following infiltration of their group. In July 1941, Arnold Deppé took Andrée De Jongh down to show her the new route: the DD Line. On the next journey Arnold Deppé was arrested...Deppé and De Jongh had been infiltrated by a Belgian Gestapo agent, Victor Demets. Now alone, [De Jongh] made the courageous decision to take the remaining three evaders to the British Consulate...the line now connected occupied Belgium with the British secret services." -A Brief Story of the Comet Line, Philippe Connart Because of this, the resistance helpers took many precautions. Airmen were aggressively interrogated before they would be offered help and guidance in order to reduce these threats. Despite their diligent efforts they were infiltrated several times. |
De Jongh
"'It is safer to call me Dédée.'" - Airey Neave, "Little Cyclone"There was no shortage of danger for those involved in the line. From forging documents, to housing airmen, to guiding them over the Pyrenees there was always a chance of being caught. To limit the effect of infiltrations and captures, almost everyone involved, including the airmen, went by different names. De Jongh chose Dédee which means little mother. "'But you - you are a young girl. You are not going to cross the Pyranees again?'
'But yes.' [replied De Jongh] 'I am as strong as a man. Girls attract less attention in the frontier zone then men.'" - Airey Neave, "Little Cyclone" |
"Andrée De Jonhgh was dubbed 'The Little Cyclone' by her father because she was so determined it was impossible to ignore anything she said."
- Airey Neave, "Little Cyclone"
"She was tortured and admitted being the head of the network, but the Germans did not believe her." - Peter Chen, WWII Database
Betrayed by a German collaborator, De Jongh was arrested. Instead of execution, which surely would have been her fate if the Germans had believed she was the leader, she was sent to several prison camps until being freed at the end of the war.