Secret Army is a British television drama made by the BBC and the Belgian national broadcaster BRT created by Gerard Glaister. It tells the story of a fictional Belgian resistance movement in German-occupied Belgium during the Second World War, an escape line dedicated to returning Allied airmen, usually shot down by the Luftwaffe, to Great Britain. It was made in the UK and Belgium and three series were broadcast on BBC1 between 7 September 1977 and 15 December 1979.
Main title caption, seen throughout the series.
German occupation of Belgium during World War II
The German occupation of Belgium during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until Belgium's liberation by the Western Allies between September 1944 and February 1945. It was the second time in less than thirty years that Germany had occupied Belgium.
German cavalry parade past the Royal Palace in Brussels shortly after the invasion, May 1940
War damage in the Walloon town of Beaumont incurred during the fighting in May 1940
Leopold in 1934 after his accession to the throne
Contemporary cartoon satirising fuel shortages in occupied Belgium. The man is saying: "Amélie, I feel...all fired up" to which the woman replies "Great, because there isn't any more coal left".