Peggy van Lier

Marguerite "Peggy" van Lier Langley (born 16 March 1915, South Africa; d. 20 July 2000, England[1]) (code named Michele, Melle, and Mitchell) was a guide in Belgium for the Comet Line which helped allied airmen shot down in World War II over German-occupied Europe escape to neutral Spain.

The Germans shot down a growing number of the bombers over German-occupied territory as the war rolled on.

Work for the escape lines was dangerous and many of its "helpers" (as they were called) were captured by the Germans and some were executed.

Comet Line founder Andree de Jongh fled Belgium to Paris to avoid arrest.

De Jongh told Van Lier that she doubted that Nemo would last as Comet Line leader for more than six months before he was captured by the Germans.

After crossing the Pyrenees and entering Spain, she was met by Michael Creswell of the British Embassy.

Illegally in Spain and conspicuous because of her red hair, the British accompanied her to Seville where she was smuggled to British-owned Gibraltar in a boat loaded with oranges.

[12] After the war van Lier was awarded the Order of the British Empire, the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the Belgian Croix de Guerre, and the Dutch Cross of Resistance.