All unattributed epigraphs are either excerpts or memories as recorded and shared in the war journal of Major General Joseph Henri Kestens, the author’s grandfather. Major General Kestens was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery, and served in the Belgian Army during the Second World War as part of the Belgian Resistance, before being captured and imprisoned in Spain. Following his liberation, he spent the rest of the war in London. After the War, he returned to Brussels. His family, including the author’s mother, emigrated to New Jersey, USA, via London, in 1948.