A Wartime Journey Revisited

Authors Ian and Sandie Schagen present their book "A Wartime Journey Revisited" In 1943, a young Dutchman, Pieter Schagen, fled from the Nazis. Travelling in secret through Holland, Belgium and France, he had many narrow escapes before crossing the Pyrenees to Spain, where he was interned in appalling conditions. After his release he finally reached England, and achieved his goal of serving in the Allied forces. Years later, Piet wrote an account of his adventures for the family, titling it An Odyssey through Occupied Europe in 1943. Lively, quirky, and horrifying in parts, it gives a glimpse of the difficulties and dangers he encountered, and the people who helped him at their own considerable risk. In 2015, Pieter’s son Ian fulfilled a long-standing desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. Accompanied by his wife Sandie, he traced his father’s route, aiming to find the places mentioned in Piet’s book and (if possible) descendants of those who had helped him. The journey led them across five countries, to large cities and remote farms. Despite occasional frustrations, they succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. They were excited when they discovered places exactly matching Piet’s description, and delighted when they tracked down relatives of those who had given him shelter.