The WW2 escape line that fooled the Nazis

Published: Feb. 12, 2024, 10 a.m.

In 1940 a daring rescue operation began to help Allied servicemen escape from Nazi-occupied France.

French resistance fighter Roland Lepers was among those who guided stranded Allied soldiers and airmen to neutral Spain during World War Two. The 1,000 km route became known as the Pat O\u2019Leary Escape Line - or the Pat Line.

It\u2019s estimated 7,000 Allied personnel escaped through this route and similar escape lines, thanks to a network of people who clothed, fed and hid them. Peter Janes was one of those British servicemen.

Roland\u2019s daughter Christine and Peter\u2019s son Keith, speak to Jane Wilkinson about their fathers\u2019 adventures.

(Photo: German-controlled checkpoint in France, 1940. Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)