During World War Two, in German occupied Belgium, Arthur Abeels, husband of Clementine and father of Roger and Janine "Jenny", made his home a safe house for the downed American airmen Staff Sgt. Gerald "Jerry" E Sorensen and TSgt. Bernard "Mac" McManaman.
Arthur was president of the Ganshoren, Belgium veterans association. His son, Roger, was a member of the Secret Army, a Belgium resistance group.
On 20 Mar 1944, the B-24 Liberator "Baby Shoes" had been shot down after a bombing run over Germany. On 1 May 1944, the B-17 bomber on which Jerry Sorenson was a turret gunner was shot down after a bombing run over the railway yard at Metz, Germany. Both men had been found by the Belgium resistance and were being secreted through a series of safe houses on their way to an expected escape to neutral Switzerland. On 31 May 1944, Mac was delivered to the Abeels home followed the next day by Jerry.
Jerry, Mac and Roger Abeels became fast friends. The two rescued aviators were treated as family by the Abeels. They called Clementine Abeels "Mama" and Jerry Sorensen told her he hoped to stay with the family until the war was over.
Rather than continue to flee Belgium, Mac and Jerry decided to stay and fight in the Secret Army.
Jerry and Mac lived in the Abeels' attic. Other than the resistance missions, they risked only one excursion in public and that was to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart just a couple of blocks away from the Abeels home.
By September, the German Army was in full retreat, hindered at every step by the Secret Army. On September 3, McManaman, Sorensen, Roger and others were headed by bicycle to Marcq-les-Enghien to harass the Germans as they passed through the village. Jerry and Roger had to stop and fix a bicycle while the others continued on. Hearing what they thought was a single German vehicle, they took cover and opened fire. That vehicle, however, was the head vehicle of a retreating German column. Outnumbered and under heavy fire, they took cover in a rabbit hutch but were discovered. In the ensuing firefight, both were killed by a grenade. One half hour later an American column arrived on its way to liberate Brussels. McManaman, already in Marcq-les-Enghien, joined the American column and rode the tanks into Brussels engaging the straggling Germans on the way. Mac returned to Ganshoren the following day to learn of the deaths of Jerry and Roger.
The Abeels family risked certain death in providing the safe house for the American airmen and being associated with the resistance movement. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allies' D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, would later send the Abeels family a presidential memo thanking them for sheltering Sorensen and McManaman.
Arthur was president of the Ganshoren, Belgium veterans association. His son, Roger, was a member of the Secret Army, a Belgium resistance group.
On 20 Mar 1944, the B-24 Liberator "Baby Shoes" had been shot down after a bombing run over Germany. On 1 May 1944, the B-17 bomber on which Jerry Sorenson was a turret gunner was shot down after a bombing run over the railway yard at Metz, Germany. Both men had been found by the Belgium resistance and were being secreted through a series of safe houses on their way to an expected escape to neutral Switzerland. On 31 May 1944, Mac was delivered to the Abeels home followed the next day by Jerry.
Jerry, Mac and Roger Abeels became fast friends. The two rescued aviators were treated as family by the Abeels. They called Clementine Abeels "Mama" and Jerry Sorensen told her he hoped to stay with the family until the war was over.
Rather than continue to flee Belgium, Mac and Jerry decided to stay and fight in the Secret Army.
Jerry and Mac lived in the Abeels' attic. Other than the resistance missions, they risked only one excursion in public and that was to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart just a couple of blocks away from the Abeels home.
By September, the German Army was in full retreat, hindered at every step by the Secret Army. On September 3, McManaman, Sorensen, Roger and others were headed by bicycle to Marcq-les-Enghien to harass the Germans as they passed through the village. Jerry and Roger had to stop and fix a bicycle while the others continued on. Hearing what they thought was a single German vehicle, they took cover and opened fire. That vehicle, however, was the head vehicle of a retreating German column. Outnumbered and under heavy fire, they took cover in a rabbit hutch but were discovered. In the ensuing firefight, both were killed by a grenade. One half hour later an American column arrived on its way to liberate Brussels. McManaman, already in Marcq-les-Enghien, joined the American column and rode the tanks into Brussels engaging the straggling Germans on the way. Mac returned to Ganshoren the following day to learn of the deaths of Jerry and Roger.
The Abeels family risked certain death in providing the safe house for the American airmen and being associated with the resistance movement. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allies' D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, would later send the Abeels family a presidential memo thanking them for sheltering Sorensen and McManaman.
During World War Two, in German occupied Belgium, Arthur Abeels, husband of Clementine and father of Roger and Janine "Jenny", made his home a safe house for the downed American airmen Staff Sgt. Gerald "Jerry" E Sorensen and TSgt. Bernard "Mac" McManaman.
Arthur was president of the Ganshoren, Belgium veterans association. His son, Roger, was a member of the Secret Army, a Belgium resistance group.
On 20 Mar 1944, the B-24 Liberator "Baby Shoes" had been shot down after a bombing run over Germany. On 1 May 1944, the B-17 bomber on which Jerry Sorenson was a turret gunner was shot down after a bombing run over the railway yard at Metz, Germany. Both men had been found by the Belgium resistance and were being secreted through a series of safe houses on their way to an expected escape to neutral Switzerland. On 31 May 1944, Mac was delivered to the Abeels home followed the next day by Jerry.
Jerry, Mac and Roger Abeels became fast friends. The two rescued aviators were treated as family by the Abeels. They called Clementine Abeels "Mama" and Jerry Sorensen told her he hoped to stay with the family until the war was over.
Rather than continue to flee Belgium, Mac and Jerry decided to stay and fight in the Secret Army.
Jerry and Mac lived in the Abeels' attic. Other than the resistance missions, they risked only one excursion in public and that was to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart just a couple of blocks away from the Abeels home.
By September, the German Army was in full retreat, hindered at every step by the Secret Army. On September 3, McManaman, Sorensen, Roger and others were headed by bicycle to Marcq-les-Enghien to harass the Germans as they passed through the village. Jerry and Roger had to stop and fix a bicycle while the others continued on. Hearing what they thought was a single German vehicle, they took cover and opened fire. That vehicle, however, was the head vehicle of a retreating German column. Outnumbered and under heavy fire, they took cover in a rabbit hutch but were discovered. In the ensuing firefight, both were killed by a grenade. One half hour later an American column arrived on its way to liberate Brussels. McManaman, already in Marcq-les-Enghien, joined the American column and rode the tanks into Brussels engaging the straggling Germans on the way. Mac returned to Ganshoren the following day to learn of the deaths of Jerry and Roger.
The Abeels family risked certain death in providing the safe house for the American airmen and being associated with the resistance movement. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allies' D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, would later send the Abeels family a presidential memo thanking them for sheltering Sorensen and McManaman.
Arthur was president of the Ganshoren, Belgium veterans association. His son, Roger, was a member of the Secret Army, a Belgium resistance group.
On 20 Mar 1944, the B-24 Liberator "Baby Shoes" had been shot down after a bombing run over Germany. On 1 May 1944, the B-17 bomber on which Jerry Sorenson was a turret gunner was shot down after a bombing run over the railway yard at Metz, Germany. Both men had been found by the Belgium resistance and were being secreted through a series of safe houses on their way to an expected escape to neutral Switzerland. On 31 May 1944, Mac was delivered to the Abeels home followed the next day by Jerry.
Jerry, Mac and Roger Abeels became fast friends. The two rescued aviators were treated as family by the Abeels. They called Clementine Abeels "Mama" and Jerry Sorensen told her he hoped to stay with the family until the war was over.
Rather than continue to flee Belgium, Mac and Jerry decided to stay and fight in the Secret Army.
Jerry and Mac lived in the Abeels' attic. Other than the resistance missions, they risked only one excursion in public and that was to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart just a couple of blocks away from the Abeels home.
By September, the German Army was in full retreat, hindered at every step by the Secret Army. On September 3, McManaman, Sorensen, Roger and others were headed by bicycle to Marcq-les-Enghien to harass the Germans as they passed through the village. Jerry and Roger had to stop and fix a bicycle while the others continued on. Hearing what they thought was a single German vehicle, they took cover and opened fire. That vehicle, however, was the head vehicle of a retreating German column. Outnumbered and under heavy fire, they took cover in a rabbit hutch but were discovered. In the ensuing firefight, both were killed by a grenade. One half hour later an American column arrived on its way to liberate Brussels. McManaman, already in Marcq-les-Enghien, joined the American column and rode the tanks into Brussels engaging the straggling Germans on the way. Mac returned to Ganshoren the following day to learn of the deaths of Jerry and Roger.
The Abeels family risked certain death in providing the safe house for the American airmen and being associated with the resistance movement. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allies' D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, would later send the Abeels family a presidential memo thanking them for sheltering Sorensen and McManaman.
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