RE-UNITED

Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1940, Page 8

RE-UNITED

AFTER ESCAPE FROM BELGIUM. SYDNEY, Nov. 26. Three people, a iuother, father, and iB-year-oid son, who were separated in Belgium during the Gorman invasion, were re-united iii Sydney i'eeeiitiy. 'they are Mr aiid Mrs Sinioh Alpen, linu their soil, Cecil. All throe were forking for tile Belgium Red dross. Mrs Alpen, who is a Belgian by birth, worked as a nurse during the last war, and reported for duty again ibis war, two hours after Belgium was invaded. “Brussels was bombed at 5.30 khd I Was at work at 7,” said Mrs Alpeli; “I was iietef hoittb again. Everything in the World we had we lost, including stocks and shares, etc., Which Were at the bahk. “My husband divided up our savings between the three of us. “On May 15 we left on a Bed dross train arid w'ertt td France, just two days ahead of the Germans. “We w 7 ere, of eoursfe, bombed all the way. . “We wfcre four days in the train t * Calais, a journey which normally takes; One and a half hours. “There w'as nO food anywhere, and We gave bid what little we had to the Wounded. “AH the way We picked up wdiinded along the railway line. “We stopped at a siding, where hospital trains were coming in every five minutes. “As best we could we dressed the Wounds, -Working without any water Whatever. There Was iib doctor 'and only aboiit eight ntirseS. “The French Bed Ctos sent us to Toulouse eventually where We worked with the refugee's, hiahy bf Whom were shockingly Woiinded. “Most of the casualties were back Wounds This is What Was >o different from the last war. “The people had been : injured when, to avoid raiding Napi , plaiies above them, they had thrown tiieriiselves flat bn their facet ,ih ditches and on the toadway. “The Nazi airmen had machinegunned, them,'and Wounded them in the back. “All this tiiiie we had Heard nothing of our s6ii, who Was separatee, iroin‘.us', iii Belgium. He as a stretch-er-bearer. “\Ve tried' to trace him through newspapers . iii Paris, and. finally appealed to the Internatibiidl Bed Cross Society. ; '. ' “In Toulouse, five weeks after we had left .Belgium, we had a Cable to shy lib had afrivCd safely iii EJighind. “\Vo decided .to celebrate. My husband said we would -have a real party at the best cafe in the town. . “I wore, my Belgian Red Cross uniform, not having anything, else!, :

Officers’ Salute “When we . walked into the cafe, which \vas full 9f : Frbridh officers, tlie.y immediately stood' to attention, and bowed as i-passed, ■ - • • ■ “This was one of the niost touching things I have ever 6een.”, ' Mr and MrsdAlpen fiftaiiy left Bayonne, on a Dutch boat, for England. ,• Three thousand passerigefs were jammed into ‘ this shif), vVliieli Was built only to. take 300. . “I attempted immediately to join, the British Red Cross, but Was Unable to get ih at that time. ' ; “Now I have come to Australia, and wish to become an Army riur.se. “My son, who Was too yoUrig for the Arihy in England, intends to join here. We are anxious to do everything we’ possibly can.” In Brussels, Mr Alpeti watched the round Up and arrest of. five German Fifth Column parachutists. One was dressed in woriian’s clothes, one as a Belgian Army officer, ctrie as a padre, and two as ordinary civilians.