Take Men on Board!

The Dutch WW2 Escapes to England

De: Borre Winckel

Narrado por: Borre Winckel

Dutch law school graduate Philip Winckel manages to escape Nazi-occupied Holland in February 1944. Germany still had the Country in its deadly grip, its long coastline included. Joined by a radio engineer plus three geology students, Philip miraculously slips through the enemy’s Atlantic Wall fortifications by sailing away in a small, repurposed fishing vessel. Powered by a Chevy truck engine, the five men crossed the perilous North Sea to reach England. Many had tried before but failed resulting in their imprisonment and execution. The odds of their success were comparable to Russian Roulette albeit with just one empty chamber.

Theirs was the only successful Dutch get away in 1944. They had much help. Over 100 individuals risked everything to assist them. In London, the five men put themselves in the service of HM Queen Wilhelmina by joining the Allied cause through the RAF, the Princess Irene Brigade and the Netherlands East Indies Army. For some the end goal was to free family members from the brutal Japanese prisoner camps.

As their liberation was achieved the Dutch colony erupted in total chaos, barreling towards its independence. Philip provides a chilling eyewitness account by taking part in a massive POW repatriation effort with a deeply personal outcome.

Meticulously researched, Borre’s engrossing story takes its listeners from occupied Holland to a free England and finally to Indonesia, the former Netherlands East Indies. Against all odds, after frequent mishaps and countless dangers, the book’s protagonists finally triumph. The Mighty 8th Air Force and the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service played significant roles in this outcome. This is a true tale of luck, adversity, and perseverance. The listener will be challenged by the thought, “What would I have done?” Uniquely, this rescue was filmed! Search for “RAF Rescue of Engelandvaarders.”

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Borre Winckel (P)2025 Borre Winckel

The pure determination of these young Dutchmen..

Nothing Brilliant . Every young person born into a free world needs to understand that these young men were like without freedom overnight in May 1940.. It took 5 years..

Surviving the Odds

Some stories feel almost too improbable to be true. Take Men On Board is one of those. In February 1944, with Nazi-occupied Holland still under German control, five Dutch men decided to escape. Not by air or through hidden land routes, but across the North Sea in the middle of winter, using a refitted fishing boat powered by a truck engine.

That they made it across at all is astonishing. That theirs was the only successful Dutch sea escape that year makes it even more remarkable. Borre Winckel’s account, drawn from deep research and family history, turns what could have been a simple war chronicle into something vivid and human. It’s about courage, luck, and the stubborn will to survive when the world seems determined to crush it.

If you ever want a reminder of how much determination and sheer ingenuity the human spirit can muster, Take Men On Board delivers it in spades. This isn’t just a war tale; it’s about people trying to make something impossible work with whatever scraps they can find, and sometimes that’s more gripping than any firefight.

The audiobook follows the real events behind a daring wartime escape, told through a mix of recollection and retelling, showing exactly what it took to get out. There’s a lot of trial and error here, small moments that show just how much thought went into each decision. From sourcing a Chevy truck engine as a substitute for a boat engine, to scavenging batteries and fuel, every step feels like a calculated risk wrapped in desperation.

It’s also one of those rare wartime accounts where film footage exists (search it on YouTube!). The RAF’s rescue of the Engelandvaarders was actually captured on camera. Seeing those faces later adds an eerie authenticity to what you’ve just heard, grounding the story in something real and visible.

The later chapters shift focus to Indonesia, where the end of the war gives way to the collapse of Dutch colonial rule. The tone changes from daring escape to moral reckoning, tracing Philip’s involvement in the massive repatriation of prisoners of war. By then, the exhilaration of survival has faded into something heavier and more complex. It feels less like an adventure and more like a reckoning with what comes after.

What’s interesting is how ordinary it all sounds, in the best possible way. These weren’t movie action heroes; they were people who made things work because failure wasn’t an option. The book captures that grit and persistence, even while some scenes sound like they’re ripped straight from the movies. Smuggling operations, sneaking supplies past the Germans, digging tunnels to escape POW camps… it’s surreal to think of people actually doing the things I’ve only ever seen in films.

Take Men On Board is about endurance, humanity, and the quiet bravery history often forgets. It leaves you wondering: when everything is at risk, what would you have done?

Chilling and Compelling

Dutch law school graduate Philip Winckel escapes Nazi-occupied Holland in February 1944, slipping past Germany’s fortified Atlantic Wall with a radio engineer and three geology students aboard a small, repurposed fishing vessel. Against overwhelming odds—where many before them had been imprisoned or executed—the group powers across the dangerous North Sea to reach England. Once in London, the men join the Allied cause through the RAF, the Princess Irene Brigade, and the Netherlands East Indies Army, driven in part by the hope of freeing loved ones held in Japanese prison camps. As victory arrives and the Dutch colony spirals toward independence, Philip offers a chilling firsthand account of the massive POW repatriation efforts and their deeply personal consequences.

Meticulously researched and masterfully written, author Borre Winckel delivers an engrossing story that carries listeners from occupied Holland to a liberated England and ultimately to Indonesia, the former Netherlands East Indies. Through well-crafted scenes and authentically rendered dialogue, he brings to life the countless dangers, frequent setbacks, and extraordinary perseverance that define this true tale of luck and survival. His rich and fully realized character development deepens the emotional impact, compelling listeners to reflect on the sobering question: “What would I have done?” With the Mighty 8th Air Force and the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service playing pivotal roles—and the remarkable fact that this rescue was actually filmed—Borre transforms history into a vivid, unforgettable narrative that resonates long after the final chapter.

Serving also as the narrator, Borre Winckel brings the story to life with rich, resonant tones that give the narrative both depth and warmth. His personal connection to the book adds a layer of sincerity, allowing him to deliver a voice that feels grounded, authentic, and fully in tune with the material. His delivery is steady and assured, with a smooth cadence that enhances the flow of the story. That connection—both to the characters and the events—adds genuine credibility to his performance, making the listening experience all the more compelling.

This remarkable book stands as a powerful, unforgettable testament to courage, resilience, and the extraordinary lengths people will go in pursuit of freedom.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Against All Odds a Daring WW2 North Sea Escape from Occupied Holland

The author is a personal friend of close to 40 years so I was particularly engaged in his narrating the saga of his father Flip’s daring escape from occupied Holland during WW2 across the North Sea to England.

The author had occasionally mentioned the research of his fathers’ story of escaping by a small boat across the North Sea & their rescue by the English Navy. I vaguely recall meeting Flip once, so I was naturally very intrigued after first receiving a Dutch version of the book, but of course I couldn’t read it. I was even more interested in the English translation when it was released on Amazon & bought it immediately. Being a slow reader once the Audible version was released Borre encouraged me to try the narrated version on this ap, which I had never used before. Now I have immensely enjoyed the gripping story of how his father & 4 others made this risky crossing. The remarkable detail the author has included brings their perseverance & survival to life. It’s incredible how many times they could have given up hope with so many setbacks preparing their boat for the challenges of one of the world’s harshest seas.

For decades I have watched numerous war movies of Americas involvement in both the European & Asian theaters this world war. Although Flip was born in 1919, the author is a few years younger than I, & my father was not born until 1931 so he was too young to be involved in that war. So I did not grow up hearing personal tales of WW2 from my father or my grandfathers on either side. Also not being born & raised in Europe like the author, I would have faint understanding of Dutch culture or consequently of Dutch colonial history. But I did travel thru the Netherlands for a few days in the 70’s taking in some Dutch highlights, so it was somewhat easier to understand the lay of the land.

As most Americans, although I fancy myself an avid fan of history, geography & especially maps I knew very little of colonial Netherlands East Indies, so Flips return to that country of his birth as it emerged from the ruins of WW2 was very interesting.

I highly recommend this Audible story of 5 Dutch Engelvaarder (Englandsailor) heroes.