The Key West citizen., 1954-11-17
HaI
Boyle
avs

BRUSSELS, R-The scar of a
German Gestapo agents bullet
still can be seen in the neat green
doorway of Nine. Josef Duchene.
Every time she goes through the
door the mark reminds Nine. Du-
chen, an Irish-born widow of IS
who has become symbol of Bel.
gian civilian courage, of the terri.
bic price she paid for sheltering
two fugitive British soldiers durng
the last war.
People used to come often TO
look at the bullet hole" said Nine.
Duchene, a sweet-faced, white
haired old lady with apple pink
cheeks, who wears black ribbon
at her throat. "But no one has
come now for long time"
Born Anna Hodges in Waterford,
Ireland, in 1869, she came here at
Is as nursery governess. This is
the story she told me as we sat
in her small living room, hung with
pictures of her late husband, her
two dead children, King Albert,
Belgium's first world war hero, and
the present Queen Elizabeth Of
Britain.
Il felt so young and strange and
homesick when / first came here
she said, "but people were nice to
me and felt better after / learned
their language and their ways.
Later l married Josef, coachman
to the king. / forget the year, but
/ remember / was 80"
During the first world war her
husband was sent to England with
the Kings horses. Nine. Duchene
remained here during the German
occupation with her children, Leo
pold and Florrie. No funds reached
them and they had a difficult
time.
"0ften We were hungry" she re-
called. "But we made out.
During this period Leopold, al
though underage, ran away and
joined the army, later was cap
tured by the Germans.
Reunited. the Duchene family
had tough struggle in the years
between the wars. Money was
scarce, but Nine. Duchene now
looks back wistfully upon this as a
happy time. because those she
loved were at least together.
After the collapse of the Allied
lines in the last war, two young
Scottish soldiers, John McCubbin
and Bobby Conville, leaped from
a Nazi prisoner train near here
and escaped.
THE woman who hid them be-
came frightened" recalled Nine.
Duchene. 81 couldn't let the Ger
mans take those boys again, so
said they could hide with us. We
had bed but no mattress, so Flor.
RE and I ripped open our sofa
pillows and made them mat
tress, so the poor lads would sleep
easier.
THAT Bobby = he was such a
good little boy. Always Laughing.
My daughter ran arnillhery hop,
and Bobby used to help her make
hats"
The two British soldiers hid in
the Duchene home at night Tor IL
months, sometimes moving to other
places during the day.
One day, while Bobby was out.
three Gestapo agents knocked at
the door. They searched the house
and found McCubbin, shot and
wounded him when he tried to es-
cape.
81 told Florrie to run out the
back, that it made no difference if
the Germans took me as | wouldn't
live long anyway" said Nine. Du-
chene. "But she wouldn't leave
me-"
Mother and daughter we're put in
| solitary confinement in prison here.
Neither would give any informa-
ton to their captors. After 8
months, during which her husband
had died, Nine. Duchene was re-
leased.
"But they took Florrie to Ravens
bruck, that awful place" she said,
land later to Belsen, the most ter
rible of all.
"When she fell i'll, they took her
away from the other prisoners one
day. have asked and asked what
happened to her after that, and
no one will tell me.
"She was so good and nice ) 50
kind to everybody"
Bobby Conville was smuggled
back to Britain by the Belgian
underground. John McCubbin, de-
spite bullet in his back, survived
his wartime stay in German
prison camp.
Both men got in touch with Nine.
Duchene as soon as they could to
thank her. Three grateful govern
ments = Belgium, Britain, and the
United States = have honored the
gallant old widow with citations
nnd ,nodale fnv har vaIor