All of the locations in the story are real except for the Polish town of “Wiesko,” near the Berkowicz farm. All of the battles, to the best of my knowledge, happened at or near the locations indicated and during the times indicated. The military units (armies, divisions, regiments, brigades, etc.) actually existed, except for the Twenty-ninth Uhlans Regiment, which is a composite of several of the actual regiments of the Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade. I have attempted to describe the major battles of the story—the Battle of the Bzura and the Battle for Antwerp—as accurately as possible though I occasionally employed what the noted historian R.G. Collingwood described as “imaginative construction.”
The Resistance organizations in the story—Armia Krajowa (AK) in Poland and White Brigade in Belgium—were real, though there were dozens of others operating in those countries and all over Europe during the war. These organizations were not part of any highly organized strategic scheme. Rather, they were the outgrowth of the will and determination of ordinary people who, against overwhelming odds, chose to fight back against their oppressors. The discovery and subsequent recovery of the V-2 rocket by the AK in Poland was one of the most remarkable achievements by any Resistance organization during the war. Similarly, the activities of the White Brigade during the Battle for Antwerp, including the seizure of the Kruisschans Lock and the re-routing of the British tank squadrons over the Pont van Enschodt, were crucial contributions in the liberation of this vital port.
Finally, Colonel Stanley Whitehall is a fictional character, but the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) was an actual World War II organization, established in 1940 by Winston Churchill to encourage and facilitate espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines. Sometimes referred to as “Churchill’s secret army,” the SOE was ordered by the British prime minister to “set Europe ablaze.”
Chronology of World War II in Europe
September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland, war in Europe begins
September 17, 1939 Russia invades Poland
September 29, 1939 Germany and Russia divide and occupy Poland
May 10, 1940 Germany invades Belgium, France, Netherlands
June 23, 1940 Hitler tours Paris, Germany occupies Western Europe
August 23, 1940 Germany begins bombing of London
June 22, 1941 Germany attacks Russia, driving Red Army out of Poland
September 3, 1941 First use of gas chambers at Auschwitz
October 2, 1941 German troops advance on Moscow
September 13, 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begins
February 2, 1943 Germans surrender at Stalingrad, begin retreat from Russia
July 9, 1943 Allies land in Sicily, offensive in Italy begins
January 6, 1944 Russians re-enter Poland as Germans retreat
June 6, 1944 Allies land in Normandy
August 25, 1944 Allies liberate Paris
September 4, 1944 Allies liberate Antwerp
January 17, 1945 Red Army enters Warsaw
January 26, 1945 Red Army liberates Auschwitz, Russia occupies Poland
April 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide
May 8, 1945 V-E Day, war in Europe ends
Acknowledgments
The writing of this story would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of many people. Among those to whom I am eternally grateful are Dr. Slawomir Debski, Polish Historian, Warsaw, whose assistance with research of the war in Poland was invaluable; Dr. Filip Vermeylen, Assistant Professor in Cultural Economics at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, and also my son-in-law (though I’m certain he would have helped anyway), who led me through the history of Belgium and Antwerp during the war, as well as the Flemish and German translations; our dear friends, Antoine and Jet Vermeylen, who lived through the German occupation of Antwerp as children and shared their memories, including the still visible bullet holes in the wall at the end of their street; my daughter, Kerri Vermeylen, one of my toughest critics, who read every word of every draft and was instrumental in helping shape the vital character, Anna; my son, Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Mary, who were the first to read the initial draft and kept a straight face when they told me how much they liked it; Judy Bridges and the Tuesday Writer’s Roundtable at Redbird Studio in Milwaukee, who helped this barely literate engineer write a story people might actually read; Jackie Swift at McBooks Press who took a chance on me and my story and, with great humor and wisdom, helped bring it to life; and finally, to my biggest fan and best friend for thirty-nine years, my wife, Janie, who would call me out of my cave each evening and listen patiently to every word.
Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner, and World War II history enthusiast. Inspired by the war-time experiences of his Belgian relatives and his own Polish ancestry, Doug began a five-year research effort that resulted in his debut novel, Night of Flames. He lives in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. Visit him on the Web at www.douglaswjacobson.blogspot.com
Table of Contents
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
PART TWO
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Night of Flames Page 40