Andrée de Jongh - Leader of the Comet Line

Resistance Organizer

Born: November 30, 1916, Schaerbeek, Belgium
Died: October 13, 2007, Brussels, Belgium

Andrée de Jongh was a Belgian nurse who organized the Comet Line, a secret network that helped hundreds of Allied soldiers escape Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II.

On the morning of January 15, 1943, ten German soldiers surrounded a house in northern France and arrested two men and two women. One of those women was Andrée de Jongh. She was accused of helping Allied airmen escape Nazi-occupied Belgium. The Nazis sent her to Ravensbrück and later Mauthausen concentration camps. She was interrogated 19 times by the German army intelligence service, the Abwehr, and twice by the Gestapo. At first, the Germans doubted her claims that she led the Comet Line, a Resistance network that smuggled Allied soldiers to safety. They could not believe that such a young, small woman was its leader. But she was telling the truth, and by the time they realized it, she had disappeared into the prison system.

Andrée de Jongh, known as “Dédée,” was born on November 30, 1916, in Schaerbeek, Belgium, during World War I. She grew up under German occupation and learned the story of Edith Cavell, a British nurse executed by the Germans for helping soldiers escape. Cavell’s bravery inspired de Jongh to study nursing herself. In May 1940, when Germany invaded Belgium again at the start of World War II, she was ready to resist.

At first, de Jongh worked as a Red Cross volunteer in Brussels, caring for captured Allied troops. She helped them write letters home and slowly earned their trust. Soon, she began arranging safe houses in and around Brussels, where soldiers could hide while waiting for guides to help them escape. This early effort grew into a full escape network called the “Comet Line.”

The first group of 11 men tried to reach safety by walking through France and crossing the Pyrenees mountains into Spain. But Spain’s dictator, Francisco Franco, was pro-Nazi. The group was arrested when they arrived in Spain, and only two eventually reached England.

Unhappy with this result, de Jongh decided to personally lead the next group. This time, she successfully guided them through France to Bilbao, Spain, where they found protection at the British consulate. Because of this success, she convinced the British government to provide financial support for the Comet Line. De Jongh refused to let British or Belgian officials take full control of the network, but she accepted money for train tickets, food, and other expenses. Rescuing one soldier often cost the modern equivalent of several thousand dollars.

Between 1941 and 1942, the Comet Line grew into one of the most effective escape networks in Europe. De Jongh and her team rescued about 800 Allied soldiers, moving them through safe houses, across occupied France, and into Spain. But the danger was constant. By late 1942, German suspicion increased. Hundreds of Comet Line members were betrayed, arrested, and sometimes executed.

In January 1943, de Jongh herself was captured, likely betrayed by a farmworker near one of the safe houses. She was interrogated many times, but she refused to give away much information. Although she admitted to leading the Comet Line, her captors did not believe her at first. When they finally realized it was true, she had already disappeared into the larger prison population. Her father, who had also worked with the Comet Line, was betrayed and executed in June 1943.

De Jongh survived the war, even after years of imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps. After liberation, she returned to her nursing work. She dedicated much of her later life to caring for patients with leprosy in Africa, serving in countries such as Ethiopia, Congo, and Cameroon.

For her incredible bravery, Andrée de Jongh received many honors, including the United States Medal of Freedom, the British George Medal, and the French Legion of Honor. She lived a long life of service and passed away in 2007 at the age of 90.

Andrée de Jongh’s story shows that courage, determination, and compassion can change history. Through the Comet Line, she helped save hundreds of lives and proved that even in the darkest times, one person can make a difference.

References:
“Andree de Jongh, 90; Resistance Fighter Helped Downed Allied Airmen Escape.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2007, latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-22-me-jongh22-story.html.
Drift, Nicky van der. “Andrée de Jongh International Bomber Command Centre.” International Bomber Command Centre, 26 May 2020, internationalbcc.co.uk/about-ibcc/news/andree-de-jongh.
“Obituary: Countess Andrée de Jongh.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Oct. 2007, theguardian.com/news/2007/oct/22/guardianobituaries.obituaries.

Keywords:
Wartime, Justice, Courage, Perseverance, Freedom, Selflessness, Take Risks for Others, Make a Difference

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Andrée de Jongh - Discovery Award 2023