Yvon Michiels

Yvon Michiels, alias Jean Serment, started already in September 1940 with activities for different clandestine organizations and the intelligence network ‘Zéro’. In August 1942, he made several contacts with Comète via Baron Donny and became a useful  collaborator of the Chiefs of the Belgian Sector in Comete : Baron Jean Greindl and Count d’Ursel. In June 1943 he succeeded Count Antoine d’Ursel (alias Jacques Cartier) as the head of the Comète-line in Belgium and continued to direct that area of the Line until his departure to the UK on the 15^th of May 1944.

As head of the Line for BELGIUM,  he was responsible for directing it in all its complicated aspects. That is to say liaison with the other clandestine organizations for collection of pilots, controlling the airmen, supervising the security of the Line, obtaining false papers and ration cards, helping especially in dressing the airmen by his professional work in mad-dressing, selecting the personnel to be employed, briefing the airmen and raising and controlling the funds. Under his able direction the Line was responsible for the evacuation of a large number of allied airmen. In addition to the aspects of the work already mentioned he had to make arrangements for the difficult crossing of the Belgian-French-frontier. He had very good people under his authority, like Jules Dricot who was accomplishing a very large and basic work of organisation, and Gaston Matthys, who organised a new system/network of people for the crossing of the the Belgium to France frontier with several points of crossing. He had also for the organisation of the lodging and sheltering of the escapers the huge help of Michou (Aline-Lily) Dumon, ép. (later Ugeux), she has been an incredibly useful person for the Comete Line.