Diary of David Taylor Galt - 461 Squadron - Part 3

39
which was our destination
and alighted from the train
while the German officials
were leaning out of the
windows. There were also
a few German troops on this
train. We cleared off quickly
and remained away fom
the village until the train
had finished shunting.
We had a large scale map
of the locality and we reckoned
we would have to follow
the valley of a river that
ran through the village.
We found a small mountain
track going in our direction
which we decided to keep to.
The only traffic possible on this
track was either by foot
or pack-mules. We followed
this track for an hour or
so and passed quite a few 

40
peasants, some with mules.
We stopped at a far isolated
cottages and dranksome
wine. As my two
companion were French
this was no effort.
Towards evening we
came to a cottage where
we had a meal from our
kit bags. There was a
man here who was very
helpful. He was half
French and half Spanish
and had fought much in
the recent war in Spain
He changed some of our
French francs for Spanish
pesettas and it was
arranged that he would
guide us across the
frontier into Spain. He
would do all this for
100 p. less than the price 

41
of a bottle of cheap wine.
We walked far into the
night up and down
mountains and across
rivers and valleys until
we came to another lonely
cottage. We drank some
more wine here and ate
some bread and then went
to sleep for a few hours
on a haystack inside
the cottage. In Spain the
people keep all their
animals in the house
the ground floor and store
all the fodder etc. in a

room on the 1st floor.
It seemed only a few
minutes before we woke
up and started off again
and it seemed that we
were climbing the steepest
mountain in the world. It
was very dark and the
going was extremely rough.
We had to have frequent
rests. After a few hours
dawn broke and we were
nearly at the top of
the ridge. The sheep
grazing on these mountains
are very white and clean
looking and all have
bells tied around their
necks. Shortly afterwards
we reached the top and
stood gazing down into
a valley where we could
see many villages of
houses that were all
white. This was Spain.
We said adieu to our guide
here and continued down
into the valley. Soon we
came across a man who
was herding his sheep. 

43
He could speak a few
words of English and
when we said we were
hungry he invited us

to come to his house
near by, which we did.
We had to walk through the
pig sty or the ground floor
to reach the stairs. We had
quite a good meal and
afterwards had a wash and
shave at a nearby stream.
These houses are very primitive
They cook at an open fire and
lavatories are things often
never even heard of. Our
guide of the night before
had told us of a Frenchman
in the village of 6
which was quite close. He
told us not to walk along
the road but to take a
track which joined the road
 44
further along. His precaution
was to avoid the Carabinero.
We had hopes that this man
would take us or get
someone to take us to this
village at night but his
wife would not let him.
She was afraid of the
Carabinero or something.
He directed us to another
house where he said was
man who could speak
French. After an hour's
hard going we reached this
house but found the man
could only speak about two
words of French; but he
directed us to another house
where we had the same
result. After this had
happened 5 times we gave
up and decided to wait
until dusk when we 

45
would try and find our
own  way. We waited until
about an hour before dark when
my companions were very
anxious that we should start,
so we set off along the track.
We were going very well and
were turning the corner into the
main road when we ran
slap bang into 2 Carabineras
who of course stopped us.
I was completely in the
dark for the next few hours
because I knew not a single
word of Spanish, but apparently
they knew a few words of
French, because my companions
were able to talk a little
with them, but with
difficulty. They seemed very
friendly towards us and by
this time it seemed the
place was alive with 

46
Carabineros. They escorted us
up to the village where
the whole populace turned
out to have a look at us.
Shortly afterwards a
sergeant arrived. He sent
the population away and
searched us for fire arms.
Afterwards we were taken
to another house where
there was a Frenchman who
acted as interpreter. The
sergeant took down full
particulars and I had
great difficulty in explaining
through my companions
my French identity paper.
They did not know much
English. We had a very
good meal there and were
escorted to another village
where another sergeant was
woken up and had a long 

47
talk with the first
sergeant that lasted about
an hour.  We were just
about dropping with fatigue
by this. Part of the time
they decided they would
escort us back the way we
came and next that they
would hand us over to
the Germans and next that
my companions would be
escorted back to the frontier
and I would be interned,
but they did not seem to
worry about sticking to one
idea for very long. At long
last we were escorted
back to the first village
and went to bed in very.
comfortable beds with
6 guards with rifles sitting
outside the door. At about
1130 next morning we were
48
told to get up and had
some coffee and toast. In
spite of our protests we
were escorted to still
another village where there
were a lot more Carabineros.
After a hell of a lot more
discussion between themselves
it seemed they were going
to let us go and advised
us to try to reach SAN SEBASTIAN
across the mountains, as if
we kept to the roads other
Carabineros would be sure
to stop us and ask for one’s
papers, which we did not
have. He did not believe
this to be true, but two
of them came with us along
the road until we came
to a small track. They
wished us "Good luck for
the Victory," and off we went 

49
We walked a few miles
and crossed a river and
up the side of a mountain
where we found a stone
shed that was open. There
are many of these about.
We decided to spend the
night here. At dark we
lit a fire, but as we could
not keep it going all night
it was bloody cold. Next
morning there was a thick
fog enveloping every thing.
It showed signs of clearing
about mid-day so we set
out and very soon afterwards
it was a sunny and cloudless
day. There was a white
mist covering the village in
the valley which suited us
well  because that decreased
the possibility of our being
seen from there. At about 

50
two o'clock we were feeling
rather hungry so we called at
a farm house where after a
little preliminary explanation
we were given a very good
meal. Afterwards we continued
on our way until dark
when we tried our luck at
another farm house, but
without success, the people
would have nothing to do
with us and waved us away.
This was rather disappointing as
it was by now dark, but
we continued on until
we came to a man
walking along with a
basket on his shoulder. He
was not very helpful but
we followed him to his house
where we made out better
with his wife. Most of these
people had never even heard 

51
of the R.A.F. We had a
good meal and they fixed
us up a bed in the day.
None of these people would
accept any money for their
help although they were all
very poor. We started out
fairly early next morning,

intending to go around the
top of the mountain range
to by pass the village of 
After walking all
morning we found ourselves
just on the outskirts of the
village, so I decided to
change our tactics. We
had lunch from our kit bags
and rested until dark.
We walked along the road
till we came to the railway
line and then walked along
that until we came to
the town of SANTESTEBAN 

52
This procedure was only
possible because we had
a very good large scale map
of the locality. At the town
of SANTESTEBAN we left
the railway line and took
to the road. It was my
intention to walk at night
and rest in the day time,
because by doing so we
would not need to come
in contact with any people
but my companions felt
they could not sleep on
the mountain in the sun, and
so after walking all night
we tried our luck at a
house adjoining a hydro electric
power station. They would
not help us so we continued
for another hour. It was
day light by this and we
came to a workman's settlement 

53
of road workers. They
offered us food but would
not let us sleep there
Further along we came to
another hydro electric station.
These are numerous along
this road. We went in there
and had a meal. The
boss was going to get a
truck driver to take us
into SAN SEBASTIAN, but
when the truck arrived the
driver told us that the
Guards 6 mile along the
road had already asked
him had he seen three men
of our description walking
along the road so that idea
was out of the question.
Evidently one of the men
from the workers settlement
had split on us. The boss
seemed pretty sure that
the power station would be
searched so it looked as
though we had better clear
off quickly, and take to
the mountains again. One
of the men would guide us
across the mountains
right into SAN SEBASTIAN.
We were just about dead with
fatigue but as the only
alternative was capture we
set off again. The guide
seemed to think that speed
was essential and he was
quite fresh so we scaled
an almost perpendicular
mountain side in record time.
My feet were blistered and
it was an effort to keep
my eyes open but still we
kept on. We kept going all
day. The scenery here is
really beautiful as it was 

55
through the whole of the
Pyrenees. Sheep grazing on
the mountain sides have
bells around their necks.
When they move the bells
tinkle and they are all of
different notes so that it
sounds like soft music made
by water rippling over
pebbles. At dusk we came
to a stone shed where we
slept for 2 hours while the
guide went down to the
village. When he came back
we followed him for another
3 hours to his house in the
village. After a while we
had a meal and went
to bed at 2300 hrs. Next
morning at 0400 hrs we started
off again. Further along
the road this man collected
a friend of his who knew
56
SAN SEBASTIAN fairly well
and could take us to the
address that one of my
companions had. We walked
until nearly day light
where we had reached the
outskirts of SAN SEBASTION
here we took an auto bus
ride into the city and
after a short search found
the address of our friend.
A Frenchman. The two men
who had brought us here
would only accept 25 pesettas
for their trouble. At this
Frenchman's house we had a
very good meal and then
went to bed for a while.
This Frenchman was quite a
well to do business man
so he had a very nice home.
He sent one of his daughters
around to the———

57
for me during the afternoon
and in the evening a man
came round with instructions.
Here I learned with regret
that I would have to bid
farewell to my two companions
as the
could do no more for them
than give them
and give them ———  as to have
they could————
where; if they managed to
arrive they would be able
to get help from the
  ———-              to get to England.
I was taken around to
another house by this man
where, after having another
very good meal went to bed
again. I would have to wait
here for several days until
it was possible to take me
to      ———-           My sojourn
58
here was with out incident,
and apart from having nothing
to do was quite pleasant.
I was taken to the Cinema
one night and went for
a walk right around the
boulevarde one afternoon
and went on the funicular
railway up to the amusement
park which is not however
in operation these days.
but there is a wonderful
view of the city of SAN
SEBASTIAN from here. We
watched the lights come
on as darkness came, and
after being used to a
complete blackout for many
months it was quite a
wonderful sight. I arrived at
this place on the evening
of 10 Dec. and left 7 days
Later on 17th Dec. A