Evening star., 1944-09-17
MacGowan Tells Story
OF Escape From Train
Amid Hail Of Bullets
by GAULT Mcgowan,
North American Newspaper Allianc

Nolth American Newspaper Alliance.
LONDON, Sept. IA DELAYED -,
am now able to tell the full story o.
how I escaped from the German,
and joined the Maquis In France.
I was being taken from the prison
camp In Chalons-sur-Marne to Ger.
many. I was put into q third -class
compartment of q train which the
German soldiers were using as 9
guardroom. Soldiers were sleeping
all around me and the guard was
changed every two hours.
1t was shortly after I'm. when
new guard had Just come on and
the train was pulling out of way
side station that / succeeded in
opening the carriage door unseen by
the guard In the blackout and fall
Ing out between the tracks on the
side away from the platform.
The guard, whose back had been
turned for one moment, shouted as
I jumped, and in a few moments the
train came to a humping, jerking
stop and fusillade Of bullets swept
the scenery.
The train door through which I
had escaped was on the observation
platform at the end Of the car. To
get out, I had to walk past the SEN
try, recumbent Germans who were
of duty, and others who were wait
ing calls for duty elsewhere on the
train.
There were Is sentries posted on
each side of the train, and it was
they who fired the guns when the
alarm was sounded.
The sentry must have turned his
back to look out the window on the
platform side at the moment chose
to leave, but couldn't see Just what
he was doing. 1t was too dark. I just
knew that he wasn't seated beside
me as his predecessors had been all
night.
Unhurt, I jumped up and sped
across the tracks, over the barbed-
wire fence surrounding the station
across the station approach and
into a COW pasture, crossing another
barbed-wire fence.
The fences seemed to tear my
clothes to pieces My webbing belt
and all the buttons of my trousers
were torn of, so I ran for shelter
holding up my trousers. a ridiculous
situation which wasn't funny for me
until afterward.
Once across the field, I threw my
self into a bed of nettles to regain
my breath, and lay there painting
while the Germans searched the
nearby woods and the station ap-
proach. The place where had
escaped was somewhere between
Chalons and the River Meuse, and
We were just entering the woody
and hilly country.
The Germans pretended to aban-
don the search and the train whistled
and went on. But they had left a
search party behind to look for me
While they searched vainly through
the wood, made of in the opposite
direction.
l travelled all night, the moon and
the stars my guide and the flash of
our guns toward the southwest r
general indication of the war zone.
l knew Gen. Patton's army was be-
tween Paris and Chalons, but the
dawn found me still in enemy-oc-
cupied country and Gen. Patton still
100 miles away.
Two French girls in a donkey cart
taking home a load of faggots from
the forest were the first persons j
ran into.
The girls giggled at my strange
attire. l had discarded my torn
trousers, but still was wearing the
pajamas which 1 had put on be-
meath the trousers.
I decided 1t was best to tell them
the truth to prevent their reporting
me for outrageous behavior in broad
daylight. They showed me a wood
behind village where they prom
ised to meet me with more respect
able garb.
They kept their promise, and also
brought iodine for my wounds and
a bandage for the wrist I sprained
when l fell They also brought me
the most delicious omelette I had
ever tasted. They seemed like angels
to me.
After two nights of hiding in the
outhouses of farms I succeeded in
reaching the Maquis. becoming the
first accredited Allied correspondent
with them.
D Marina EIvor K;IIoII