To the outside world, Jacques Dumont masquerades as the friendly, un-assuming harbour master of the Royal Flandrian Yacht Club. The visiting sailors and their families marvel at the way he easily converses in their various native languages, yet none are aware of how he became so fluent. For beneath his charismatic façade, there are secrets Jacques has buried deep. Secrets that tell of a life resisting the forces of tyranny and oppression, suffering the torments of loss and heartbreak – the cries of his beloved daughter, cruelly torn from her loving parents - still haunting his dreams.

How ironic, then, that the same authority who took his beloved daughter should anoint him as a war hero, celebrating his bravery as a member of the Belgian resistance against the Nazi regime in WW2.

Follow the life of Jacques Dumont, coming-of-age amidst the majestic wilderness and colonial racism of the Belgian Congo, where his character is forged and his heart broken. Journey with him across war-torn Europe as he evades capture for stealing precious classified intelligence, relying on his determination, ingenuity and luck to escape. And feel his sorrow in the aftermath of war, as Jacques returns to the tranquillity of Ostend, where one final secret remains to be revealed.

Inspired by true events, The Harbour Master’s Secret takes readers on a thrilling journey of oppression, loss, betrayal, courage, and enduring love.

And through it all, the compelling despair of a father searching for his lost little girl.

The formative years of my childhood were spent sailing. Every year we would cross the English Channel aboard our 28ft yacht Baylis Tee and hop from port to port along the north European coastline. This was how my Summers were spent as a child, in France, Belgium and The Netherlands. 

Our most favourite of locations was the Belgian city of Ostend. Over the years we grew fond of the charismatic harbour master, Pierre Leclef, and his larger-than-life wife Jenny. They had no children of their own, and so they became adopted relatives. We would visit them in the Summer, and they would celebrate Christmases with us, in Herne Bay.

Over the years, little by little, we learned about Pierre's youth growing up in his beloved Belgian Congo, his adventures as a member of the resistance in WW2, his map, his feat of endurance cycling across Europe, his escape to Britain, and how met and fell in love with Jenny. 

Piecing this story together, from one of the most humble and un-assuming heroes of WW2, was enlightening, captivating and inspiring to us all. 

He has been highly decorated for his bravery, and stayed in contact with his resistance friends in Bayonne until, one by one, they all passed, and with them, the countless stories of courage.

The Harbour Master's Secret is fictional, and inspired by Pierre and Jenny. They had no family to keep their story alive, so I'm passing it on to you.

Hi, I'm Simon and thanks for visiting my book page!

As I was cycling through Europe on a charity fundraiser in 2024 I wondered if Pierre had cycled the same French country roads as I was suffering, head bent over the handlebars, struggling to pedal into driving wind and rain.

He had died 20 years previously in 2004, and Jenny sadly joined him in 2023. As I rode South towards Paris, I felt sad that his wartime adventures and their story would be lost to the passing of time. There are only a few people on this planet who knew these two wonderful humans and the events that shaped their lives.

What a shame, I mused (trying to distract myself from the aching in my legs and feet). What a shame that their story should never be heard.

And it was there ... as I reached the town of Abbeville on the banks of the majestic River Somme, that the rain stopped, warm sunshine broke through.. and a rainbow appeared.

I wanted to write their story.

Although It is a work of fiction, The Harbour Master's Secret contains all of the key parts of their wartime escapades, captured for eternity.