'Gaby' Mme Gabrielle Wiam 'The Lady In Red' was one of the great stars of the evasion line story in Paris, France. She was the wife of a policeman and the mother of a son, Robert age 15, both of whom helped her in her work. She was primarily a Paris city guide for airmen and a liaison between safe-house. She knew everyone and came into her own when both Comete and Oaktree were destroyed in mid-1943, rescuing 'orphaned' airmen and passing them on to other organizations for eventually evacuation. She was that very rare kind of person, not only a survivor, but a veteran of many organizations. She was active from the 'first to the last hour' and during this time worked for Comete, Oaktree, Burgundy and Shelburn. She was especially distinguished by the fact that she never gave up in the dark hours out of fear or despair. She handled a minimum of 105 persons who successfully evaded, of whom: 69 were American, 34 were British Forces, and two were Russians. She personally sheltered 19 airmen at her own home and farmed the rest of to the 54 different safe house within her various groups. She was never arrested. She was once quoted as saying: "It was a nice trade and I loved it!". In recognition of her outstanding achievement, she was given the evasion worker's highest possible award, The Medal of Honor with a Gold Palm.

Some of the airmen who stayed with her at her home signed chits of paper with their names and home town addresses, no doubt in anticipation of contact when the war was over. Some of these chits have survived the war. Among these relics are three written by 100 BG airmen: E&E 311 Lt. James G. Bormuth, E&E 310 S/Sgt Warren G. Lush. and the ill fated Lt Wendall K. McConnaha - who was to died in the Pyrenees. E&E 309 Sgt Francis W. Anderson, shown on the same note as McConnaha, was an air gunner with the 387th BG/559 BS.

There were other evaders helped by Gaby Wiam: S/Sgt Nolan D. Kreitenstein (E&E 181), Lt. Alfred J. Zeoli (E&E 259), S/Sgt Warren J. Lush (E&E 310) and Lt. Eugene V. Mulholland (E&E 397).

Robert Wiam, the son of Gaby and Charles Wiam, was born on 7 February, 1928. During the winter of 1943-44, he was only between the ages of 15 and 16, yet, he was considered mature enough, as well as man enough, to guide airmen for his mother. It is believed he was a guide for E&E 254 Sgt John M. Wagner of the 100 BG.

His 'Helper' file credits him with leading 4 or 5 airmen around Paris by himself. It goes without saying that he would have been involved in many little deeds for his mother and the19 airmen they sheltered at their home. The resistance to which his father appears to have claimed membership for him, was in 'Shelburn'. This suggests his 'personal' activity was more closely associated with that line helping to evacuate airmen in MGBs from the coast of Brittany, rather than the Burgundy line, to which his mother belonged before the Canadian-British Line was established.

This picture was taken sometime before 13 September, 1945, the date on which his father's 'Helper Card' was being filed. His hair style is remarkably 'contemporary', perhaps like those of his own time and young generation. By the time his helper file was being prepared, he had become a soldier and had joined the 'Occupation Army in Germany'. His single page file was found tucked in with that of his father, Charles.

Robert would not have been present to submit his own story and it seems his father knew very little of his actual activities. Why worry your father with facts & details is a typical teenage attitude. History is poorer for it.