Eliazer Heigmans left the Netherlands in the first half of July 1942, trying to escape to Switzerland to avoid deportation. He travelled in a group of 10, including his brother Samuel Heigmans and his fiancee Helena De Leeuw (born 26 April 1924). Eliazer lived either in Amsterdam or in Hilversum. They caught a train to Tilburg, then a coach to Baarle-Nassau, then a car to Antwerpen. They stood four weeks in Brussels, before being able to reach France, cross the whole of occupied territory, finally crossing the Swiss border on August 14. Unfortunately, Switzerland had closed its borders on August 4, so five of the ten refugees were sent back on the day following. Samuel Heigmans was allowed to stay because of his state of exhaustion, as well as two couples in their fifties. Eliazer Heigmans, Helena De Leeuw, Isaak Springer (born 1 Nov 1900), Juda Erwteman (born 21 May 1890) and Rosa De Miranda-Van der Molen (born 2 Dec 1900) were sent over the border again and immediately caught by the Germans, imprisoned in Belfort and sent to Drancy. The five of them were deported in transport Nr. 23, on August 24, 1942.
Source: Swiss Federal Archives E 4264(-) 1985/196 N 3886