Survival at Sea

Gilbert Bayot

Captain of the President Franqui (1942)

     When the war started, the Captain Bayot was ashore in Belgium. In April 1941, after Belgium was occupied by Germany, he and his brother decided to escape and make their way to England.. However, they were arrested in Spain, and imprisoned. After several interrogations and being held in various prisons, they were put in an intern camp in Miranda.. At the end of 1941, they were freed under the condition that they not leave the country. Despite giving their parole, they managed to escape to Gibraltar and from there to Great-Britain. There Captain Bayot is given command of the President Franqui, a Belgian ship.

In December 1942, after the President Franqui is torpedoed and sunk, Captain Bayot was taken prisoner by the German U-baot (u-336) what had sunk the ship. He was imprisoned in MILG at Westertimke, but managed to escape. He was awarded the "Cross of the Escaped", a Medal of the Sea, and received the Order of the Knighthood of Leopold.

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