Dumon Aline

 

Mlle Dumon (Micheline) started working in Brussels for "Comète" in September 1942 shortly after her parents and sister, who had also worked for the Secret Organization "Luc-Marc”, had been arrested. Her work was to gather airmen together and hand them over to a member of the organization who then dispatched them to Paris. 

 

By June 1943 there had been so many arrests in the organization that there was hardly anybody left. Mlle Dumon was forced to move from place to place in order to avoid arrest. For the next year, until January 1944, she continued to convoy and hide airmen in Belgium. In January she was told to leave the country as she was very "brulé", but undaunted she decided to go to Paris to work there instead.  Towards the end of January when the head of the line was arrested with various other members Mlle Dumon went to live at Bayonne. At this time the members were in great difficulties and were in constant danger of their lives. On 13 February she returned to Paris with more funds for the organization and stayed for a few days. 

 

On 26 February she returned to Bayonne and on to Madrid. On 3 March Mlle Dumon left Madrid and returned to Brussels to find out what had happened to the organization and to collect information about airmen who were known to have landed in Belgian territory. She remained there for a few days before going back to Paris, where she waited for airmen and convoyed them on no less than five occasions to the South. It was not until 10 May 1944 that she was persuaded to return to Madrid and later arrived in the United Kingdom on 22 June 1944. 

 

Mlle Dumon had handled, in the course her long and astonishing career with the Comète-line, more than 250 evaders and her name became a legend amongst the airmen who had been shepherded across Brussels by the famous "Lily"

 

 

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Citation of the "Medal of Freedom with Golden Palm":

 

Aline Lily Ugeux, Citizen of Belgium, for extraordinary service to Allied airmen who fell in enemy-occupied territory from September 1942 to May 1944. Performing a series of brilliantly conceived operations, she aided the escape of more than one hundred fifty aviators, sheltered them, supplied them with papers and clothes, guided them past German surveillance and sent them on their road back to freedom. The repeated successes of her evasion work brought her fame among the Allied air force and, at the same time, alerted agents of the Gestapo. Circumventing all efforts to halt her activities, however, she continued helping Allied evaders up to the moment when her superiors faired her safety was too greatly endangered and sent her to England. Her gallantry stands as a bright example for her countrymen and her great material contribution to the Allied victory merits the profound admiration of peoples of all the United Nations