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Reanne Hemingway-Douglass
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The Shelburne Escape Line: Secret Rescues of Allied Aviators by the French Underground, the British Royal Navy & London's MI-9 Kindle Edition

by Réanne Hemingway-Douglass (Author), Don Douglass (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 36 ratings
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An account of WWII rescues that “pays tribute to the audacity and heroism of the men and women of the French Resistance and Allied military personnel” (Warship World).

The Shelburne was one of the later escape lines that operated within Nazi-occupied Europe. It was established at the end of 1943 by two agents who worked for MI-9, the London-based military intelligence agency responsible for providing assistance to Allied servicemen stranded behind enemy lines. Working with the French Resistance, these agents arranged for groups of Allied airmen to be taken from “safe houses” in Paris to Brittany, where a Royal Navy motor gunboat picked them up from a secluded beach and delivered them back to England. Eight audacious evacuation operations were conducted between January and August, 1944, without the Shelburne Line ever being infiltrated by the Gestapo.

Aspects of the Shelburne story have been told previously in memoirs by several of the participants, including the late MP Airey Neave, who was an MI-9 operative. However, Hemingway-Douglass expands the story to include recollections of some of the local Breton people who were involved with the Line. The second half of the book comprises personal stories of airmen and other individuals who were affiliated with the Shelburne Line or were otherwise caught up in the war in France.

A lifelong Francophile, Hemingway-Douglass took eight years to research and write the book. She describes it as a labor of love that pays tribute to the heroism and courage of “ordinary” people, while reinforcing the fact that war touches everybody.

“Fascinating . . . A must read for military and espionage enthusiasts.” —The Bulletin (Military Historical Society)
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  1. Print length
    226 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Military
  4. Publication date
    April 30, 2015
  5. File size
    33.3 MB
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  7. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The only Underground escape line that successfully evaded infiltration by the Gestapo was the Shelburne Line. Allied airmen, rescued after being shot down, were taken to Paris by Resistance members where after intense interrogation they received new names, identity cards, clothing, training, and special passes for the forbidden coastal zone in Brittany. They were hidden in safe house attics of loyal local farmers, waiting until a moonless night for evacuation to England via the Royal Navy s high-speed Motor Gun Boat 503.

About the Author

Réanne Hemingway-Douglass holds a BA degree in French from Pomona College. She attended Claremont Graduate University and the University of Grenoble, France. Sailor, writer, cyclist and language teacher, Réanne's articles have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines. Her best-selling book, Cape Horn: One Man's Dream, One Woman's Nightmare, describes pitchpoling in the Great Southern Ocean and has been published in French, Italian and Spanish. In the 1980s, Réanne led the first women's bicycling team to cross Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ZGOZM30
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Military; Reprint edition (April 30, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 30, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 33.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the author

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Reanne Hemingway-Douglass

Reanne Hemingway-Douglass

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Réanne Hemingway-Douglass, co-founder and owner of Cave Art Press, is an award-winning author, editor, cyclist, sailor, and language teacher. Her book Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare is a classic in nautical survival literature. Her articles on bicycling, cruising, and women's issues have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines. Her WWII book, The Shelburne Escape Line was the 2015 winner of the U.S.A. Best Books Award for history.

She and her husband Don have also published numerous nautical guidebooks and maps covering areas from Baja California to the Gulf of Alaska.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
36 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and interesting. They describe the book as an engrossing, informative read for those interested in WWII history. The account is well-researched and a great read for anyone interested in the story.

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Story qualityEnthralling
6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find it fascinating and interesting, with vivid historical details and military tactics. The book tells a true-life story of quiet heroism, not a fictionalized tale of heroics. Readers appreciate the collection of true-accidents and little-known pieces of WWII history.

"Very interesting story in history, but the story in the book was just OK. Unexciting, lack of character development, slow moving...." Read more

"...gathered this galvanizing collection of true-accounts, vividly portrayed historical details, and military tactics of these little known, but amazing..." Read more

"I'd loved her other book, Around the Horn, and knew she was a great story teller...." Read more

"Outstanding story whose participants were little-known and played an important part" Read more

5 customers mention "Enthralling"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They say it's a great read for those interested in WWII history. The book is well-researched and an accurate reference on its subject. Readers appreciate the vividly depicted historical accounts.

"An accurate reference book on its subject." Read more

"...The book is marvelous if you have been to Normandy and Brittany and clammored over the rocks, it takes you back. i really enjoyed the book!!..." Read more

"...Royal Navy, and London’s MI-9" is an enthralling and well-researched account about actual events and the ordinary people who took extraordinary..." Read more

"...This is an engrossing book." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • C.H.R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historically accurate
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An accurate reference book on its subject.
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  • Janet
    4.0 out of 5 stars You will love this if you are a WWIi buff!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    We
    ( our book club )hosted the author for a meeting and she was great!! The book is marvelous if you have been to Normandy and Brittany and clammored over the rocks, it takes you back. i really enjoyed the book!! J. Froster
    2 people found this helpful
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  • thayer
    3.0 out of 5 stars OK
    Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting story in history, but the story in the book was just OK. Unexciting, lack of character development, slow moving. I did learn a lot about a little known piece of WWII history
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  • Chanticleer Book Reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling read about the French Resistance, MI-9, Allied Forces escape routes, and the British Royal Navy in WWII
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Once you pick up "The Shelburne Escape Line," you will not be able to put it down. This is not a fictionalized tale of heroics, but one of everyday people who endangered their lives and their families’ lives in the intrepid French Resistance. It was they who answered General Charles De Gaulle’s call to action to regain France and her liberty. And this meant fighting against France’s occupiers in any way possible.

    Escape routes became instrumental as more and more Allied airmen were shot down in German-occupied France. Getting the Allied Forces back to English soil was more than just humanitarian aid; it was necessary to get these highly trained soldiers back into the fight for freedom against the Nazi forces as quickly as possible. We learn that other escape routes had been infiltrated and collapsed due to Nazi-sympathizers. The author shares the accounts told to her of the brutal violence committed upon members of the various resistance groups in the Nazi’s effort to infiltrate and destroy them.

    "The Shelburne Escape Line: Secret Rescues of the Allied Aviators by the French Underground, the British Royal Navy, and London’s MI-9" is an enthralling and well-researched account about actual events and the ordinary people who took extraordinary risks for the war effort.

    Réanne Hemingway-Douglass has gathered this galvanizing collection of true-accounts, vividly portrayed historical details, and military tactics of these little known, but amazing, slices of WWII history. Her adept writing reminds the reader of the human elements of war. Highly recommended.

    [Reviewer’s Note: This book includes: a documented photo collection, a listing of the author’s interviews and correspondence, a comprehensive bibliography, a glossary of WWII military terms, and pilot accounts of missions flown. It also includes information about the Canadian military war efforts and the French Resistance’s perspectives of WWII. ]
    6 people found this helpful
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  • M. Stapleton
    5.0 out of 5 stars an amazing story of quiet heroism
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I'd loved her other book, Around the Horn, and knew she was a great story teller. But this story, with so many characters and unfamiliar locations, was so well-organized that I was involved with these people immediately. I think what most fascinated me was the commitment of everyday people to a cause that they were willing to die for. Each young man who was rescued was so involved in his own story that they probably never really appreciated the depth of patriotism in each person along the line. The rescued were public heroes, but the rescuers were private heroes! This is an engrossing book.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • RICK PAYLOR
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Outstanding story whose participants were little-known and played an important part
    One person found this helpful
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  • Cherrie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and informative
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a fascinating account of the only escape line never to be infiltrated by the Germans in WWII. The Shelburn Line helped 135 allies to escape back to England after surviving plane crashes. It tells of the brave French people who risked everything to help them! A great read for all interested in the history of WWII.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Patrick Gilmore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story. I'd often wondered about the inner workings ...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great story. I'd often wondered about the inner workings of these escape/evade recoveries.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mary Ellen Zogg-McKinstry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Little known facts
    Reviewed in Germany on September 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting as a window to a little known period. Caught just in the nick of time before these fellows die/died. Also that so many american pilots were involved.
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  • RUPERT
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    fascinating
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  • PAD
    3.0 out of 5 stars Its a Book!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Its a account of an escape line of the 2nd world war.
    Is by an American author.
    I found it a Ok and some of the escape accounts were interesting.

    I would recommend MI9 by Helen Fry for an more in depth account of the 2nd world war escape lines.

    MI9 Escape & Evasion by M.R.D. Foot & J.M. Langley (who worked at MI9) for an even more in depth
    account of the systems of escape in Europe and Asia.
    However they were limited by the official secrets acts Of the time and files that
    would not be released until 2010 ! As this book was 1st published in 1979
    Report

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