Canadian Spies
Tales in Espionage in Nazi-Occupied Europe During World War II
AUTHOR: Tom Douglas
FORMAT: 5.5 x 8.5 pb / 144 pages
ISBN-10:1-55153-966-7
ISBN-13: 9781551539669
During World War II, some of the most treacherous jobs were those performed by men and women located deep within enemy territory. Always in danger of being exposed and subjected to torture, imprisonment, and even death, their stories are chilling accounts of bravery and luck — and, in some cases, what happens when the luck runs out.
Prologue
Marcel Desjardins knew he was in trouble when the
German Army sergeant stepped into the road and held
up his hand, signalling Marcel and his travelling companion,
Jean-François Guillou, to stop.
Marcel’s first problem was the name on his identification
papers. He was really Raymond LaBrosse. His
companion was Lucien Dumais. They were both
Canadian secret agents wearing French civilian clothes.
What’s more, Raymond was carrying a wireless radio in a
suitcase on the back of his bicycle. If the German
demanded the suitcase be opened, or realized the papers
they were carrying were false, they would be shot as spies.
“We’ve had it if he finds the radio,” Dumais whispered
to LaBrosse. “You keep pedalling and I’ll see what
he wants.”
This was no time to argue. LaBrosse steered his bicycle
around the German soldier, who made a half-hearted
motion to grab at him before Dumais diverted his attention
by stopping in front of the German to engage him in
an animated conversation.
Looking back over his shoulder as he pedalled furiously,
LaBrosse saw his fellow countryman waving his
arms about and shouting heatedly at the German soldier.
Turning his attention back to the road out of Rennes,
LaBrosse concentrated on the trip ahead. His orders had
been to get to the coast of Brittany as quickly as possible
and the bicycle was the fastest means of transport available
under the circumstances.
LaBrosse rode with a heavy heart. He was sure he
would never see his friend again. But Dumais, who earlier
in the war had escaped from a train bound for
Germany loaded with Dieppe prisoners of war, still had a
few tricks up his sleeve…
About the Author
Tom Douglas, an award-winning journalist and author, lives in Oakville, Ontario with his wife Gail, also an author in the Amazing Stories series.
Tom's father, Sgt. H.M. (Mel) Douglas, was part of the Invasion Force that stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Tom is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, worked as a Communications Advisor for Veterans Affairs Canada, and has written speeches for the Minister of National Defence.
Recently, he self-published a book, Some Sunny Day about his family's experiences in Northern Ontario following his father's return from World War II.
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