Comments on: They “Shipped the Books”: World War II Missionary Evacuation

By: Becky Rose

Becky Rose — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:16:51 +0000

My father was one of the missionaries that was evacuated at the first one in 1938. My family has copies of telegrams and a 3 page typed letter from my dad to his parents detailing the whole story. The secret police had my fathers “papers” and he had to go to them 3 times to get them back.

He heard the whistle of Do What is Right and the church historical records now have the original letters.

My dad was latter drafted into WWII to go fight the people he went to save!

By: Barbara Smith

Barbara Smith — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:09:58 +0000

HI I would like any info on the mission and the evacuation from West Germany in 1939.my mother was the daughter of President and Sister Wood
my Mother`s name was Anna Wood i have a copy of
the Book Mine Angels round about and i would like to know more about how thing`s were for them in the mission home and the evacuation my mother was not one to talk about her life in Germany.i would
like any info or photo`s she would have been about 15 or 16 while she was over in germany .
she passed away in 2005. my Email is
moonlake3 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Thank-you
Barbara North Smith

[Email address edited to obscure it from spam email harvesters -- AEP]

By: Michelle Glauser

Michelle Glauser — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:44:27 +0000

So interesting. Thank you.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:05:27 +0000

Mark B: I agree!

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:32:44 +0000

Re: 15

If it’ll give me a chance to spend a few hundred hours looking at pictures, moving or still, of Ingrid Bergman in 1942, I’ll volunteer to help with that research.

By: Maurine

Maurine — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:10:13 +0000

Steve, thank you for your interesting post. I printed it off for my husband, who is very much interested in war history.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:50:46 +0000

Jeff Johnson: Thanks for the insight into the evacuation of the Chapuises.

The problems mission leaders reported in the mission records after the first evacuation in 1938 ultimately benefited the German Church. Throughout most of 1939 until the war began mission leaders and missionaries were involved in training local members to run the Church. The result was that from this training local Germans ran the Church in a very commendable fashion. Six years later, when American LDS returned, they found the Church in order.

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:55:10 +0000

I knew Flora Chapuis and she would tell us about their problems in getting out of France to Spain. She was proud that they left the mission home in good condition and very clean. She sewed money into her coat lining so they could get out and still pay for the ship tickets.

I also have former German members in my ward and they don’t believe the reported “problems” when the missionaries left. They had been members of the Church for several generations before the War and would not have had women blessing the sacrament. They also said that if there were candles on the sacrament tables it was becuase there was no electric lights. One of the members is a son of the counselor in the acting mission presidency and he feels that the Church programs were well run during the War. They continued their home teaching, meetings and youth activities.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:24:35 +0000

#12 & 14: I’m sure they’d all be sitting around saying to each other “We’ll always have Paris.” I wonder if Rick helped the missionaries escape from Europe. Something I might want to research further.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:59:34 +0000

#12 Undoubtedly, but they wouldn’t have run into the missionaries, since they would have spent most of their time in the bar singing As Time Goes By.

Interesting overview, Steve C., as well as the follow-up comments.