Herman Bodson

Agent For The Resistance, Herman Bodson, 1994, Texas A&M University Press, 243 pages, photos and maps.

This is an autobiographical work of a member of the Belgian underground, active around Brussels and the Ardennes. The story starts in the early 1930s as the author introduces friends who will figure later in the story and he outlines doctorial work in chemistry. During the Belgium build up to war, he was drafted and trained as a medic, where he was when the war started.
His early work in the resistance centered mostly on activities associated with his profession, until he was suspected in an operation and fled to the Ardennes and assumed an new name. In the Ardennes, he led a group that conducted demolition missions and successfully destroyed a bridge under a 600+ man troop train in early June 1944.
After the liberation of eastern Belgium and his group, Service Hotton, was stood down, he went to work for SHAEF, pursuing agents and collaborators who remained in Belgium. He was in Bastogne on Dec 16 and due to the fluid situation at the time, he stayed on during the siege and provided medical assistance to US troops and civilians. He left not long after the siege was lifted.

The book was a bit slow at the start, but secured my interested quickly after that. The manuscript was well written, with good details and liberal use of names of his compatriots. Bodson provides good descriptions of actions and results and while he did occasionally drift into editorializing, it was by no means obtrusive and did not detract over-all from the excellence of the book.

Dr. Bodson eventually moved to and retired in the United States and I suspect the book may not be available in Belgium and is only available in English.

9/10 An engaging story.… (mais)