Belgium WW2 Resistance Organizations RAF Escaping Society Survivor RARE Hand Sig

STB07 A rare specially flown first day cover from approx 40 years ago from the RAF Escaping Society for the Belgium WW2 Resistance hand signed by Rowland Williams historic war veteran and survivor with the help of the Resistance (please see below) in mint condition.

"....A former member of the former RAFES, and a member of ELMS from the early days, Rowland Williams had been a Mustang pilot during WW2. On the night of 17 September 44, he was carrying out a daylight attack on enemy aircraft near Aalborg, in Denmark. The attack was successful; Rowland downed two enemy aircraft, and disabled another two that had been sent up to engage him. During his attack on the fourth aircraft, his own aircraft was hit and, too low to parachute, Rowland made a forced landing in a field, where the Mustang collided with a power line.

Heading north, Rowland found difficulty crossing guarded bridges. However the problem was daringly solved with the assistance of Danish forced labourers who offered him lifts on German trucks [driven by German soldiers!]. As the vehicles slowed down or stopped, Rowland was hauled in, or out, of the back. It was while travelling on the back of one of these vehicles that Rowland observed his own aircraft being taken away on the back of another truck!

Rowland now found himself in the hands of the Resistance, which worked with the Saeby Escape Line, and his onward route was organised for him. His feet were given treatment, he was given food and a bed for the night, and next day a courier arrived to take him by train to Aarhus and a local safe-house run by Lasse Egebjerg. He was given the identity of a deaf and dumb basket maker and an ID card. Next he was moved on to another safe-house at Aalborg, then taken by motor cycle to Albaek, and the local Vicarage, the location he had been directed to by the Callisen family.

From here, Rowland was taken to the fishing village of Saeby and another safe-house. On the evening of Monday 05^th June 1944, at 2100hrs, he boarded the fishing boat Laura skippered by Jens Christian Jenson, and arrived in Gothenburg on Tuesday 06^th June 1944, where he learned of the Allied invasion of Europe. From Gothenburg Rowland was flown to Scotland and returned to his Squadron. After three weeks leave he took part in operations over Normandy. Rowland Williams DFC, died on the 05^th March 2008; his story, together with a model of his fishing boat the Laura, are on display at Eden Camp Museum, North Yorkshire...."