Survival in WWII, 1933–1944 · Alfred Moritz (alias Mauricet)

Fall 1942, Lac Léman (aka Lake Geneva), France

ith their two sons in apparent safety, our parents had found their way to Evian, on the French side of Lake Geneva, and paid a smuggler to guide them into Switzerland.

Once in possession of the agreed-upon price, he indicated he would row them to the middle of the lake and leave them to continue into Switzerland; for his part, he would return to France in the boat they would have towed along.

They gave up the attempt, aware that entry into Switzerland was illegal for refugees such as they, and that, at best, they might be caught and interned, or, at worst, shot by border guards.