Minnesota Spy ClubMay 20, 1921: On this date, Micheline “Michou” Dumon was born in Brussels, Belgium. Dumon was in nursing school when her entire immediate family were arrested by the Nazis. She subsequently joined the Belgian Underground. (1/5)
Michou Dumon was an agent on the Comet escape line (Réseau Comète) which escorted downed Allied airmen out of occupied Belgium, across France, over the Pyrenees on foot and on to Madrid in neutral Spain. The Comet Line was founded by fellow Belgian Andrée de Jongh. Ultimately, the Comet Line saved between 700 and 800 airmen. (2/5)
Though in her 20s, because of her small stature, Michou Dumon appeared much younger. She had a false identification card which said she was 16 years old. According to one airman, she looked to be 12 or 13 years old. After the war, Dumon recalled an incident in which “her party was caught in a sudden blizzard & she assured the airmen that she knew the way ‘but had to ask the men to hold me down to prevent me from being blown over.’” (Kochanski, 2022) (3/5)
The Comet Line was repeatedly infiltrated by German spies. One Belgian double agent (and fervent Nazi), Jacques Desoubrie, was singlehandedly responsible for the arrest of over 100 people working not only Réseau Comète, but other lines as well. Dumon identified Desoubrie as a double agent in Paris on May 7, 1944. (4/5)
Michou Dumon’s cover was blown & she fed to Britain. She personally aided some 250 people escape the Nazis. In London, she met Pierre Ugeux, a French member of F Section of the Special Operations Executive. They married in 1945, after the war. The couple had 4 children: Nicole, Brigitte, Guy, and Stefan. Michou Dumon died November 16, 2017 at age 96. Read more about her incredible life at the link below. (5/5)
#WW2 #Resistance #Antifa #Belgium #FSection #SOE
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/12/micheline-dumon-obituary?CMP=share_btn_tw
