- les - Ver g nes ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁June ▁but ▁stayed ▁with ▁them ▁for ▁only ▁four ▁days ▁before ▁setting ▁out ▁for ▁Spain . ▁He ▁managed ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁vis a ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁attempt , ▁being ▁refused ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁for ▁carrying ▁too ▁much ▁money ▁with ▁him . ▁Once ▁in ▁Spain ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁train ▁to ▁Madrid , ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁Lis bon , ▁where ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁emb ass y , ▁which ▁arranged ▁his ▁passage ▁to ▁Britain ▁on ▁a ▁merchant ▁ship , ▁the ▁SS ▁Hill ary . ▁ ▁Africa ▁De ▁Haut ec loc que ▁arrived ▁in ▁London ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁and ▁met ▁with ▁de ▁Ga ulle , ▁who ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁prom oting ▁him ▁to ▁Che f ▁d ' esc adr ons ▁( major ). ▁He ▁also ▁encountered ▁his ▁cousin ▁Pierre ▁de ▁Haut ec loc que , ▁X avier ' s ▁brother , ▁who ▁was ▁serving ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 3 e ▁Dem i - B rig ade ▁de ▁L ég ion ▁É tr ang ère ▁( 1 3 e ▁DB LE , ▁an ▁inf antry ▁regiment ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Foreign ▁Leg ion ). ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁unit ▁that ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁Free ▁French ▁Forces . ▁After ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁Batt les ▁of ▁Nar vik , ▁it ▁had ▁found ▁itself ▁in ▁Britain ▁when ▁France ▁surrender ed . ▁Form ed ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁began , ▁it ▁contained ▁many ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁fought ▁for ▁the ▁Republican ▁cause ▁in ▁the