The return from the exodus

In the aftermath of the French surrender, the hundreds of thousands of Belgians who had taken to the roads in May found themselves stranded in France, often destitute, far from home, in a country itself occupied. Flight had offered no lasting refuge: Germany had overrun everything.

For these families, including yours, the question of returning arose. To remain in France meant staying in destitution, with no assured work or housing, dependent on an exhausted solidarity. To return to Belgium meant recovering one's house, land and employment, but under German administration, and after a long and uncertain journey home.

The German authorities, eager to put the country back to work, encouraged the refugees to return. You could return as quickly as possible to recover your home and resume a normal life under the occupation; remain in France in the hope of better days or a passage to England; or wait and watch before deciding. The choice would determine where your family would spend the years of occupation.