RAF Escaping Society 1945-95: Sermon for Comète, Brussels Sunday 21 October 2007

Rev Bruce Lyons, former Chaplain RAFES

Owen Seaman, a war poet, wrote:

Ye that have faith to look with fearless eyes beyond the tragedy of a world at strife, and know that out of death and night, shall rise the dawn of another life:
rejoice, whatever anguish rend the heart, that God has given you the priceless dower to live in these great times and have your part in freedom’s crowning hour:
that you might tell your sons that see the light
high in the heavens – their heritage to take –
“I saw the powers of darkness put to flight! I saw the morning break."

Today, we have in our hearts, so many, who have been very dear, both to air-crew and Comete. Sir Lewis, as President of RAFES, who gave so much of his energy to reunions such as this; Willi Veerman, who, though not a helper, did so much to draw Dutch helpers together and was so much loved here, with her husband Paul; and of course Al Day, who would have struggled to get here again, and entertained us all with his stories. “How are you now, Al?” and I hear him say, “Well, I got up this morning!” and others.

And how can I put into words the immense debt evaders and escapers owe to Dédée de Jongh. They have often spoken of their awe at the slight figured girl, who put them to shame on those night-time treks, as well as her repeated courage on the journeys down to Bayonne. Yet it was all part and parcel of a life dedicated to a vision of freedom under God – later as missionary in Congo, Ethiopia and elsewhere. Our memories of Dédée will long burn brightly.

‘Out of death and night,’ the poem said, ‘shall rise the dawn of another life.’ In this church today, everything of the Communion service and the readings, speak of resurrection, new life from the dead, eternal life.

The prophet Jeremiah gave God’s message to his people:

“I will rescue you on that day,” declares the Lord, “you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you. You will not fall by the sword, but will escape with your life, because you trust in me,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 39:17,18)

So through that poem and through the Bible, I want to draw a few ideas, of thankfulness and encouragement.

• There were powers of darkness at work in Belgium and the rest of Europe during those years, yet Comète helpers and air-crew played their part and in the words of Owen Seaman, “I saw the powers of darkness put to flight. I saw the morning break.”
  Another generation says, ‘Thank you, Comète, thank you, air-crew, for playing your part in putting darkness to flight ”

• Jeremiah spoke of not being ‘handed over to those you fear.’ And I think of Dédée, Florentino and other dear helpers, leading Al Day and so many others over the Pyrenees, and I think of Al seeing a star, wondering if it was the star that led Wise Men to a stable. I think of helpers being determined that air-crew should not be handed over to those they feared, and yet, so many of Comète were handed over through treachery.

• Then, in the poem again, “Rejoice, that God has given you the priceless dower (or gift) to… have your part in freedom’s crowning hour.”
  Certainly there were so many to mourn, as victory was won, as fragile helpers returned from camps. Aircrew, too, will have remembered so many who did not survive, yet in the streets of Brussels and untold other cities, there was such rejoicing. And the rejoicing should continue among those who were part of it all. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but it was a precious gift, a privilege to “have your part in freedom’s crowning hour.”

• “That you might tell your sons that see the light high in the heavens …”
  That is why we are here, to remember, yes, but also, as it were, to tell our sons, deep in the throes of a prospering Europe, so occupied with their comfortable lives. That is the reason for ELMS' existence, to make sure another generation knows the stories, knows the self-giving heroism. Remembering the past, whether with tears or laughter, is pretty useless, unless we also look to the future with hope and determination.

So we have promise of resurrection and eternal life; we have help to escape; we have rejoicing at the privilege of being part of rolling back the darkness of evil; and we have our sharing of the vision of such as Willi & Paul Veerman, Sir Lewis Hodges and Al Day, above all, Dédée, with another generation, who can hardly imagine the fear, the pain, the struggle, the humour and the rejoicing, deprivation and sacrifice of those hard, yet rewarding days.

“I saw the powers of darkness put to flight! I saw the morning break".