Dutch law school graduate Philip Winckel manages to escape Nazi-occupied Holland in February 1944. Germany still had the Country in its deadly grip, its long coastline included. Joined by a radio engineer plus three geology students, Philip miraculously slips through the enemy’s Atlantic Wall fortifications by sailing away in a small, repurposed fishing vessel. Powered by a Chevy truck engine, the five men crossed the perilous North Sea to reach England. Many had tried before but failed resulting in their imprisonment and execution. The odds of their success were comparable to Russian Roulette albeit with just one empty chamber.

Theirs was the only successful Dutch get away in 1944. They had much help. Over 100 individuals risked everything to assist them. In London, the five men put themselves in the service of HM Queen Wilhelmina by joining the Allied cause through the RAF, the Princess Irene Brigade and the Netherlands East Indies Army. For some the end goal was to free family members from the brutal Japanese prisoner camps.

As their liberation was achieved the Dutch colony erupted in total chaos, barreling towards its independence. Philip provides a chilling eyewitness account by taking part in a massive POW repatriation effort with a deeply personal outcome.

Meticulously researched, Borre’s engrossing story takes its listeners from occupied Holland to a free England and finally to Indonesia, the former Netherlands East Indies. Against all odds, after frequent mishaps and countless dangers, the book’s protagonists finally triumph. The Mighty 8th Air Force and the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service played significant roles in this outcome. This is a true tale of luck, adversity, and perseverance. The listener will be challenged by the thought, “What would I have done?” Uniquely, this rescue was filmed! Search for “RAF Rescue of Engelandvaarders.”

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