In April 1941, seven Canadian women became prisoners of war while on a voyage from New York City to Cape Town. The aging Egyptian liner, the "Zamzam," was sunk off the coast of South Africa by the German raider "Atlantis." The passengers were transferred to a prison ship and eventually put ashore in Nazi-occupied France. The Americans were released after five weeks in captivity, and the news of their narrow escape became an overnight sensation with the help of the Life photographer in their midst. The seven Canadians were taken to Bordeaux and became part of a group of 28 women and children forcibly interned in various German detention camps. With some freedoms, the Canadians adapted, organizing their lives among the Berliners and establishing contacts with American journalists and diplomats, Red Cross officials, an elderly Jewish professor, and even with Nazi propagandist P.G. Wodehouse. Finally, in June 1942, they were able to board a special diplomatic "Freedom Train" bound for Lisbon, and from there they got back across the Atlantic to New York.

The Accidental Captives: The Story of Seven Women Alone in Nazi Germany

Biographies & Memoirs

Carolyn Gossage

Community & Culture

I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Prime Minister Winston Churchill created the SOE (Special Operations Executive) to set Europe ablaze as he said, by working with resistance groups in Nazi-occupied countries in Europe especially in France. Count Robert De La Rochefoucauld s memoir of wartime service in the French Resistance and work with the British told of extraordinary exploits of courage and espionage.  After receiving commando, explosives, and sabotage training in Britain, De La Rouchefoucald parachuted twice into occupied France to combat the Nazis. During his resistance work he was captured on two occasions and successfully escaped from his execution. He was also known for his eclectic use of tools of espionage and escape including explosives hidden in loaves of bread, a stolen Nazi limousine, a nun s habit, and a bicycle. His story is a remarkable account of ingenuity, endurance, and survival.  Carolyn Gossage s authorized translation of the memoir, access to family archives, and additional research provides English readers a remarkable story of survival and sacrifice during the Second World War.

Gentleman Spy: The Exploits of French Resistance Hero Robert De La Rochefoucauld

Leaders & Notable People

Stone Tower Books

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Books by Carolyn Gossage