Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-03-08

DR.. Gerald Schipper says even
he is sometimes bewildered by
the violent turns his life has
taken. Dr. Schipper, dermatolo-
gist and allergy expert, has re
Gently opened his office IN the
Rockville Medical Center.
DR.. Schipper was born in Eng
land of Dutch parents AZ years
ago, making him a man with two
countries. He began his medical
education at the University of
Amsterdam, receiving his degree
after the Germans had taken over
the country
Working for the underground
in Holland and France, he was
arrested and questioned eight
times by the Gestapo, he spent
time in cells in France and Spain.
Studying at John Hopkins Uni
versity on a Rockefeller fellow.
ship after the war; he married
an American girl after he'd been
in this country only five months.
He has served three years in the
American Air Force.
Bewildering indeed
DR.. Schipper now lives on an
11-acre farm in Spring Lake
Park where the most dangerous
activity of this man who once
matched wits with the Nazis is
arranging the purchase of MeXi-
can burro for his four children.
Born in England
Cert, as he is called by his
close friends, was born in London
in September of 1914. His father
was in the color etching and
printing business. When the lad
was five years old, the Schipper
family returned to their native
Holland.
He received his medical degree
from the University of Amster-
dam in 1871, year after the
Germans had occupied his coun.
try. The Nazis permitted him to
continue his medical training un.
til 1913. In May of that year be
cause / would have been taken
by the NaziS to work for them
in Germany the young doctor
said goodbye to his father and
three sisters and set out for Eng
land.
Lying in wait until a frontier
post was left unguarded, DR..
Schipper crossed into Belgium.
He was passed secretly from
house to house by the under
ground including many doctors
and clergymen" until he reached
France.
He worked with the Maquis-
the famous French underground
group-for three months, helping
Shutdown Allied flyers escape to
neutral countries. During what he
calls 1.-THE most exciting period
of my life" DR. Schipper was ar
rested and questioned eight times
by the Gestapo.
Worked for Underground
One of the doctors cloak-and-
dagger activities was distributing
the underground newspaper "Het
Parool" under the noses of the
Germans. Some of his friends
were caught and shot.
Finally, toward the end of 1913,
he had to go to the Swiss border
to make arrangements for the es-
cape of a group of Allied flyers.
Finding that French civilians"
were not allowed to board the
train he disguised himself as a
Gestapo officer.
At the Swiss border DR.. Schip-
per was informed by a Catholic
priest, who had helped stage pre-.
vious crossing that the flyers
would have to use the other es-
cape route-across the Pyrennes
Mountains into Spain.
At this point the group was
arrested by the French police and
spent 10 days in cell before
guards could be bribed to let
them escape.
Climbed Across Mountains
Then the escapes set out
across the mountains, fighting
off the cold and effects of rare
air, trying to avoid German dogs
and sentry posts. One man fell
by the wayside, unable to con.
tinue. Another thought he knew
4 better way to Spain and struck
out alone. He was never seen
again.
The cold and hard climbing
took their toll on DR.. Schipper:
he lost most of his toenails.
Finally the escapes reached
Spain, where they were arrested
again. After three days they were
freed with the help Of the Brit
Ssh embassy because several Can.
ldian flyers were in the group.
While in the Spanish prison the
men had to sing the Franco song
each day before they could get
their meals
When the escapes finally