Quantcast
Channel: La Resistance Francaise
Viewing all 631 articles
Browse latest View live

Le maquis Bir Hacheim, des histoires méconnues.

$
0
0
Rédigé par Tony dans la rubrique Document et livreMaquis Bir Hacheim

Le maquis Bir Hacheim, des histoires méconnues de Jacky Brun.

Soixante douze ans après, le passé ressurgit... 

Jacky Brun passionné par le maquis Bir Hacheim a écrit cet ouvrage après deux ans de recherches. 
Ouvrage qui se veut être un complément sur ce maquis est disponible à la bibliothéque de Montemboeuf et à l'office de tourisme de la maison des lacs à Massignac (CHARENTE) au tarif de 15 €.





Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Le 28 avril 1945 - Lettre d'un soldat à sa soeur

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Lettre du cannonier Louis Bigot, Compagnie de canons, la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyé à sa soeur Madeleine Bigot le 28 avril 1945.





Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Le 28 juillet 1945 - Cartes postales d'un soldat à sa famille

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Des cartes postales du cannonier Louis Bigot, ancien de la Compagnie de canons, la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyées à sa famille le 28 juillet 1945.






Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Le 28 septembre 1945 - Une lettre d'un soldat à sa soeur

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Une lettre du cannonier Louis Bigot, ancien de la Compagnie de canons, la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyé à sa soeur Madeleine Bigot le 28 septembre 1945.






Le Bunker de La Rochelle

$
0
0
Rédigé par Tony dans la rubrique Lieu de mémoire

Visitez cet étonnant bunker qui se trouve en plein centre ville de La Rochelle. Cet endroit a abrité des commandants de U-Boot de la 3eme flotille pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. 

Vous y découvrirez également les principaux événements qui ont marqué l'histoire de La Rochelle durant cette période.

Voici le site du bunker où vous trouverez toutes les informations utiles pour votre prochaine visite => Le bunker de La Rochelle 

Vous serez bien accueilli et vous pourrez dans la mesure du possible discuter avec la personne à l'accueil. 






Saint Séverin (16) : Exposition - La Ligne de Démarcation - du 13 au 31 mars 2017

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Évènement 

Exposition à la salle du Vieux-Four de Saint Séverin en Charente
La Ligne de Démarcation
Du 13 au 31 mars 2017




Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Allemagne le 31 octobre 1945 : Lettre d'un soldat à sa soeur

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Une lettre du cannonier Louis Bigot, ancien de la Compagnie de canons, la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyé d'Allemagne à sa soeur Madeleine Bigot le 31 octobre 1945.






Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Le 28 novembre 1945 : Lettre d'un soldat à sa soeur

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Une lettre de Louis Bigot, ancien de la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyé de Baden Baden en Allemagne à sa soeur Madeleine Bigot le 28 novembre 1945.





Brigade Rac / 50e R.I. - Le 7 décembre 1945 : Lettre d'un soldat à sa soeur

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade RacDocument et livre

Une lettre de Louis Bigot, ancien de la brigade Rac / 50e R.I. envoyé de Baden Baden en Allemagne à sa soeur Madeleine Bigot le 7 décembre 1945.







Général de Gaulle - L'Appel du 22 juin 1940

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Document et livre

L’appel du 22 juin 1940 est le premier discours de guerre enregistré par Charles de Gaulle. Il est pour cette raison souvent confondu avec l'Appel du 18 juin 1940, premier discours prononcé par le général à la radio de Londres (BBC) mais non enregistré (audio ou vidéo).


Texte de l'Appel du 22 juin 1940


Le gouvernement français, après avoir demandé l'armistice, connaît, maintenant, les conditions dictées par l'ennemi.

Il résulte de ces conditions que les forces françaises de terre, de mer et de l'air seraient entièrement démobilisées, que nos armes seraient livrées, que le territoire
français serait totalement occupé et que le gouvernement français tomberait sous la dépendance de l'Allemagne et de l'Italie.

On peut donc dire que cet armistice serait non seulement une capitulation mais encore un asservissement.

Or, beaucoup de Français n'acceptent pas la capitulation ni la servitude pour des raisons qui s'appellent l'honneur, le bon sens, l'intérêt supérieur de la patrie.

Je dis l'honneur, car la France s'est engagée à ne déposer les armes que d'accord avec ses alliés.

Tant que ses alliés continuent la guerre, son gouvernement n'a pas le droit de se rendre à l'ennemi.

Le gouvernement polonais, le gouvernement norvégien, le gouvernement hollandais, le gouvernement belge, le gouvernement luxembourgeois, quoique chassés de leur
territoire, ont compris ainsi leur devoir.

Je dis le bon sens, car il est absurde de considérer la lutte comme perdue.

Oui, nous avons subi une grande défaite.

Un système militaire mauvais, les fautes commises dans la conduite des opérations, l'esprit d'abandon du gouvernement pendant ces derniers combats nous ont fait
perdre la bataille de France.

Mais il nous reste un vaste empire, une flotte intacte, beaucoup d'or.

Il nous reste des alliés dont les ressources sont immenses, et qui dominent les mers.

Il nous reste les gigantesques possibilités de l'industrie américaine.

Les mêmes conditions de la guerre qui nous ont fait battre par cinq mille avions et six mille chars peuvent nous donner, demain, la victoire par vingt mille chars et vingt
mille avions.

Je dis l'intérêt supérieur de la patrie car cette guerre n'est pas une guerre franco-allemande, qu'une bataille puisse décider.

Cette guerre est une guerre mondiale.

Nul ne peut prévoir si les peuples qui sont neutres, aujourd'hui, le resteront demain.

Même les alliés de l'Allemagne resteront-ils toujours ses alliés ?

Si les forces de la liberté triomphent finalement de celles de la servitude, quel serait le destin d'une France qui se serait soumise à l'ennemi ?

L'honneur, le bon sens, l'intérêt supérieur de la patrie commandent à tous les Français libres de continuer le combat là où ils seront et comme ils pourront.

Il est, par conséquent, nécessaire de grouper partout où cela se peut une force française aussi grande que possible.

Tout ce qui peut être réuni en fait d'éléments militaires français et de capacité française de production d'armement doit être organisé partout où il y en a.

Moi, général De Gaulle, j'entreprends ici, en Angleterre, cette tâche nationale.

J'invite tous les militaires français des armées de terre, de mer et de l'air, j'invite les ingénieurs et les ouvriers français spécialistes de l'armement qui se trouvent en
territoire britannique ou qui pourraient y parvenir, à se réunir à moi. J'invite les chefs, les soldats, les marins, les aviateurs des forces françaises de terre, de mer, de l'air,
où qu'ils se trouvent actuellement, à se mettre en rapport avec moi. J'invite tous les Français qui veulent rester libres à m'écouter et à me suivre.

Vive la France libre dans l'honneur et dans l'indépendance !




8th USAAF - 31st December 1943 : mission no. 171 - South West France

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Les Alliés

As Christmas passes and we approach the last day of the year I am always reminded of the fates of so many American Airmen who left England on various missions over the South West of France early in the morning of 31st December 1943 for what they believed would be "just a quick milk run". 



Over the years I have had the pleasure of being in contact with many families of some of the Airmen who took part in that mission and it has been an honour to have helped their research. 

On the 31st December 1943 464 B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberators from the First, Second and Third Air Divisions 8th USAAF left their bases in the South East of England, destination the South West of France. Their mission was to attack air fields used by the Germans at Cognac-Châteaubernard, Bordeaux-Merignac, Landes Bussac, St. Jean d'Angely and a Blockade Runner Ship in the mouth of the River Garonne.
24 of the planes were lost due to enemy attack and bad weather.

Six in Charente Maritime :
  • B-17 piloted by Major John R. Blaylock / 351st Bomb Group. Crashed at the Aérodrome de Medis 
  • B-17 piloted by First Lt Marvin H Bender / 351st Bomb Group. Crashed at le long de la Seudre, L'eguille
  • B-17 piloted by 2nd Lt Stanley D. Wainwright / 94th Bomb Group. Crashed at "Le Maine Dorin", Corme Royal
  • B-17 piloted by 2nd Lt Edward J. Sullivan / 94th Bomb Group. Crashed at Figers, Echebrune
  • B-24 piloted by Lt Coleman K. Goldstein / 92nd Bomb Group. Crashed at "Soubise", Expiremont
  • B-24 piloted by 1st Lt Thomas R. McKee / 392nd Bomb Group. Crashed at "Chez Bonnet", Montlieu-la-Garde

Two in Charente :
  • B-17 piloted by 2nd Lt Milton R. Moore / 447th Bomb Group. Crashed at Gimeux
  • B-24 piloted by 1st Lt Max R. Jordan / 448th Bomb Group. Crashed at "La Croix-de-Gente

One in Gironde 
  • B-24 piloted by 2nd Lt Charles V. Frascati / 446th Bomb Group. Crashed at "Les Agrieres", Marcillac

One in Deux Sèvres
  • B-17 piloted by 2nd Lt James L. Grumbles / 92nd Bomb Group. Crashed at "Le Joug", La Bataille

Thanks to the extensive research made by Christian Genet, Jacques Leroux and Bernard Ballanger for their book "Les deux Charentes sous les bombes : 1940-1945" published in 2008 by La Caillerie - Gemozac we are able to find out what happened to the crews of these ten planes. Some did not survive the crash, some were taken prisoner, some with the help of French patriots managed to get to escape lines and got back to England via Spain, some joined the Résistance and were later picked up by the Allies when the region was liberated and some died in combat while fighting alongside the résistance.

I have had the pleasure of being in contact now for several years with one of the book's authors Bernard Ballanger. He has very kindly sent me many photos of various commemorations in honour of the Airmen and photos of meetings with some of the Airmen and their families in past years. I have translated below six of the stories from "Les deux Charentes sous les bombes" and included a few of those photos and also some links to some of those stories that I have posted over the years.


Crash at Medis (17)


A B-17 from the 351st BG, based at Polebrook in Northamptonshire crashed at 13.10 after being hit by ground fire. Three of its crew lost their lives, Major John R. Blaylock and Captain Edward C. Boykin jr. had been injured in the attack and were unable to parachute from their plane, 2nd Lt James A. Taylor parachuted but died on impact when his parachute did not open. The remaining 8 crew members, Colonel William A. Hatcher jr., Captain John W. Smith, S/Sgt Edward C. Kase, S/Sgt William S. Maupin jr., S/Sgt Joseph R. Quiles, T/Sgt Roger Blaser, T/Sgt Adam J. Fisher and Captain Jack E. Danby parachuted from the plane but were all taken prisoner soon after they had landed. One of the crew had landed in a tree near Puiraveaux (commune of Brie) and a local couple helped him down but unfortunately Germans arrived before they could help him escape.


In 1997 the town of Medis honoured the memory of Edward Boykin by giving his name to a road in the village of Brie (rue du Captain Edward Boykin). The road was inaugurated on 30th April 1997 during the annual commemoration organised by the Amicale de la brigade Rac. The commemoration honours the members of la brigade Rac / 50e R.I., (Résistance originating from the Dordogne), who died in combat at Brie during the liberation of Royan in April 1945.



Ten aviators bail out over l'Eguille (17)


A second B-17 "Iron Ass" from the 351st BG crashed after being hit by enemy fire after bombing the airfield at Cognac-Chateaubernard. All the crew survived after parachuting out over Saujon. The B-17 was never found and is believed to have crashed into the sea. Three members of the crew managed to evade capture, 2nd Lt Harold O. Freeman, 2nd Lt Robert B Wilcox and S/Sgt Francis E. Anderson. 


Robert Wilcox was taken in by two families, the second family at Bénigousse looking after him for eight months until the region was liberated by the Résistance in early September 1944. Francis Anderson was aided by the Resistance and managed to cross the Pyrénées over into Spain on the 19th January 1944. He managed to get back to England via Gibraltar by the middle of February. (Full story : link)



At a ceremony organised for December 2015, Kari Wilcox, grand daughter of Robert Wilcox, poses in front of
the Nadaud family home. To her right, Thomas Wolf (US Consul at Bordeaux) and Christian Barbe (Souvenir Français)
(Photo B. Ballanger)

Harold Freeman and S/Sgt Levi H. Collins landed close by and made their way together toward Saintes and then on to Colombiers where they were given refuge in a farm and civilian clothes. The following morning they left heading south towards Pons. They knocked on the door of a remote house and were invited in. Sitting in the kitchen were a family of ten. Amazingly the house was the home of a family who had the day before helped four American Aviators who also crash landed on the 31st December during the same mission.

Head of the household was Elie Dodart an active resistant in the Pons region and at the time Mayor of Bougneau. The following day he drove Freeman and Collins over to a safe house at Cussac in the Haute Vienne where six Aviators were also being looked after (part of the same mission). They remained there until March and then were taken by a guide on a train down to Carcassonne. The group were divided into three and Collins' group were unfortunately stopped by Gendarmes. He was handed over to the Germans and spent the rest of the war in a German prison. 


The remaining six members of the crew, 1st Lt Marvin H Bender, 2nd Lt William J. Grupp, Sgt Francis W. Rollins, Sgt Veikko J. Koski, S/Sgt Harold F. Long and S/Sgt Lawrence R. Anderson were captured soon after they landed and all made prisoner of war. Anderson had landed in a lake and totally drenched was taken in by a family near Saintes. With his clothes dried he left heading east but was soon picked up by Germans. He would spend 18 months of captivity in Stalag 17 prison camp near Krems in Austria.


Crash at Figers - Echebrune near Pons (17)


A B17 from 94th BG "Pacific Dream" was hit by ground fire soon after bombing the airfield at Cognac. With two of its engines on fire it began to lose altitude and its place in its formation. German fighters continued the attack and the pilot ordered the crew to bail out. All ten airmen survived their jump landing around Pon and the plane exploded on impact in between Figers and Meussac. Four of the crew were found and taken prisoner by German patrols quite quickly, 2nd Lt Edward J. Sullivan, 2nd Lt Clifford H. Robinson and T/Sgt Elmer L. Shue.


The remaining seven crew members were able to find help from the Résistance, 2nd Lt Harvey B Barr, jr., S/Sgt Charles Hoyes, S/Sgt Stanley J. Dymek, S/Sgt Alvin E. Sanderson, S/Sgt John C Mclaughlin and S/Sgt Kenneth Carson all successfully made it over the Pyrénées and into Spain. Six of them, like two airmen from the crash at L'Eguille were taken in by Elie Dodart and his family. The seventh airman 2nd Lt Reuben Fier had been looked after by the Boizeau family before joining the others at Dodart's house at "des Robelines". He was picked up by Gendarmes close to the Pyrénées along with Levi Collins from the crash at l'Eguille.


Elie Dodart would soon join Jacques Nancy's maquis group Section Spéciale de Sabotage based in the Charente. This group would later become part of la brigade Rac (Armée Secrète Dordogne-Nord) which continued fighting the Germans until they finally surrendered at La Rochelle on 8th May 1945.


Crash at Maine-Dorin


As a B-17 from the 94th BG arrived over their target at the airfield at Cognac-Châteaubernard it was hit by flak and the pilot began to lose control. One of the crew, Sgt Paul F. Schatsau was injured in his arm and foot. Isolated, the B-17 came under attack by two German Messerschmitts and several of the crew were hit, 2nd Lt Norbert A. Lorentz jr., Sgt Paul F. Schatsau, S/Sgt Arthur C. Mahy and Sgt Arthur M. Deuenhauer, T/Sgt Henry J. Patterson, Sgt Henry O. Richard and S/Sgt Paul M. McGill. With the cockpit on fire the pilot gave the order to bail out but only four of the crew were able to jump, 2nd Lt Stanley D. Wainwright, Norbert Lorentz, Sgt John Di Silva and Paul Schatsau. When John Schatsau had jumped from the plane he had seen 1st Lt John J. Bickley preparing his parachute to jump and it is believed that he had been able to bail out but his parachute had not opened. 


Soon after their bail out the B-17 exploded in mid-air over Pisany and Corme-Royal to the east of Saintes and ended up near the village of Maine-Dorin. The four American aviators landed around Pisany all with serious bullet wounds and burns. John Di Silva was found by Pierre Sirot and taken to Dr Boucher, a Doctor in the town. The other three parachutists were soon picked up by the Germans and also taken to the same Doctor. Norbert Lorentz had landed in woods to the south east of Pisany and initially been helped by several villagers until the Germans arrived. Stanley Wainwright had landed at Grand Village and Paul Schatsau at Le Pointeau but both were soon picked up by German patrols. 


Crash landing in the Deux Sèvres (79)


After suffering mechanical problems over France it was forced to make a crash landing at 13.15 in a field near "Le Joug" 400 metres north-west of the village La Bataille in the department Deux-Sèvres. All ten of its crew members survived the crash landing. F/O Lloyd C Busboom and 2nd Lt Edward F. Neu made it over into Spain with the help of the Resistance at Campels in the Haute Garonne and returned to England via Gibraltar on 27th April 1944.

Two of the crew, Sgt Miland F. Bills and Sgt Hugh L. Halsell Jr., were picked up by the Germans soon after the crash landing and made prisoners of war.


Sgt Richard J. FrievaltSgt Michael F Cahill jr.S/Sgt Clarence J. Muntzinger and S/Sgt Alex J. Dominski were picked up by the Resistance group Bir-Hacheim at Chasseneuil in the Charente. They were placed among a small résistance group at Négret who were unfortunately tracked down by the Germans to a barn at Andourchapt on 22nd March 1944. During the attack Alex Dominski and one of the résistants André Potevin were shot dead trying to escape. The other three Americans were taken prisoner with 33 resistants who would be executed as "terrorists" on 8th May 1944 at Poitiers. Frievalt, Cahill and Muntzinger being American soldiers were sent to Germany as prisoners of war (Full story : link).

Photo taken in late January / early February 1944 of the Maquis Bir Hacheim in the Charente.
The four guys to the left kneeling are the four American airmen from the crash at Deux Sèvres. 
From left to right : Michael Cahill, Alex Dominsky, Richard Frievalt (with flag) and possibly Clarence Muntzinger

Crash landing at Experimont (17)

Crippled by flak and enemy fighter attacks over Cognac the B-17 piloted by Lt. Coleman Goldstein (92nd BG based at Podington) was forced to make an emergency landing at Experimont near Montendre in the Charente Maritime. The Pilot managed to land the plane in a field and all ten aircrew survived and torched the plane so it could not be used by the Germans. The crew split up into two-man teams and scattered into the countryside with the aim to reach Spain via the Pyrénées.


Six of the crew managed to get back to England, Coleman K. Goldstein, 2nd Lt Shirley V. Casey, 2nd Lt Herbert Brill, Sgt William Weber, Sgt George Jasman and Sgt Owen R. Scott. Brill and Weber were picked up by the Résistance at Angoulême (Charente) and Herbert Brill stayed with them for eight months, taking part in sabotage and attacks, notably the fighting at Javerlhac and the liberation of Angoulême. (Full story : link). With the region liberated in September 1944 Brill, Weber along with several other American aviators were flown back to England. 



Photo taken at a private ceremony on 3rd January 2004. From left to right : Lt. Lorentz, Lt. Brill, Lt. Goldstein
(Photo : B. Ballanger)

Coleman Goldstein, Shirley Casey, George Jasmin and Owen Scott were helped by French families and managed to get down to the Pyrénées, cross over to Spain, then Gibraltar and returned to England in March 1944.

The four remaining members of the crew, 2nd Lt John E. Maloney, Sgt Herbert C. Edenholm, S/Sgt Nicholas Mucci and Sgt Emil J. Mahne were soon captured by the Germans and made prisoner.


Each year on 31st December a ceremony is held at Chez Bonnet, a little south of Montlieu-la-Garde, to remember the lives of the nine American Airmen who died when their B-24 Liberator exploded in mid air after being hit by German fire. Two of its ten man crew managed to bail out, one shot dead by Germans as he parachuted down, the other shot but survived and was taken prisoner.

In 1947 a monument was erected at Chez Bonnet and each year since a ceremony has been held in their honour. (link)

Photo taken by Bernard Ballanger at this year's ceremony (20126) at Montlieu-la-garde (link)

In 2001 a monument was erected at Lamourette to remember the crew of "Devil Dream" (sometimes referred to as "Flak Bait") of the 446th BG based at Flixton near Bungay in Suffolk who crashed near Marcillac. The crew bailed out successfully but one of the crew died on impact, his parachute shot at by Germans and riddled with holes it is believed. The remaining nine members of the crew were taken in by locals and local R
ésistance, seven of them were eventually captured by the Germans and sent to POW camps but two managed to evade capture, get to Spain and back to England by April and May 1944.

Each year on 31st December a ceremony is held in their memory at 10.30 at the monument. (link)

Photos of the monument at Lamourette (link)

Photo taken at the 60th anniversary in 2003. The Mayor of Montlieu-la-Garde holding the street sign honouring the airmen downed on 31st December 1943.  To his right is Nancy Cooper, U.S. consul-general at Bordeaux.
(Photo : B. Ballanger)



446th BG - B-24 crash near Marcillac on 31st December 1943

$
0
0

On 31st December 1943 464 B-24s from the 8th USAAF based in the South East of England set out on a mission to attack a blockade runner at Gironde, airfields being used by the Germans at Bordeaux-Merignac, Cognac-Chateaubernard and St. Jean d'Angely in the South West of France and two airfields on the outskirts of Paris. Due to bad weather and attack from enemy fire, twenty two of the planes did not make it back to their bases in England.

In "Les deux Charentes sous les bombes" an exhaustive work by Christian Genet, Jacques Leroux and Bernard Ballanger, published in 2008, about a quarter of the book is dedicated to the ten planes that came down in the Charente, the Charente-Maritime and close to their borders in Deux-Sèvres and the Gironde 

With the kind permission of the author Bernard Ballanger I have translated the 13 pages that tells the story of the crew that flew "Flak Bait". They were part of the 446th Bomb Group based at Station 125 near Bungay in Suffolk and one of the 22 planes that were lost during the mission.
The photos are by kind permission of Bernard Ballanger and the two photos of Louis Sortino are with the kind permission of his daughter Barbara Sortino Potter.

Pilot : 2nd Lt Charles V. Frascati
Co Pilot : 2nd Lt Victor J. Swenson
Navigator : 1st Lt Gustavo Kotta
Bombardier : 2nd Lt Richard S. Wilson
Radio Operator : T/Sgt Edward L. Cannon
Top Gurret Gunner : T/Sgt E. Warner
Ball Turret Gunner : S/Sgt Felix L. Anderson
Waist Gunner : S/Sgt Louis C. Sortino
Waist Gunner : Sgt Edwin R. Ashworth
Tail Runner : S/Sgt Bennie J. Ricci

Near the small village of Les Agrières, in the commune of Marcillac in the Gironde close to the border of Charente-Maritime, an American B-24 crashed at 12.30 pm in a pine forest close to the D254. In 2001 a monument in memory of the crew of the B-24 was erected at the approximate place where the plane crashed.

The plane was a B-24 Liberator, named "Flak Bait" (also referred to as "Devil's Dream" - either names have not been confirmed) belonging to the 706th squadron of the 446th Bomb Group of which its initial objective that day had been the bombing of the airfield at La Rochelle.

Before reaching the French coast, the plane's pilot Lieutenant Charles Frascati had worries about one of the planes four engines. While flying over France towards their objective the plane came under attack by German Messerschmitt 109 fighter planes and two more engines were damaged. The B-24 Liberator quickly lost altitude. Lieutenant Gustavo Kotta, the bombardier navigator on board decided to drop their bombs over a river to lighten their load.


Crew of the B-24
Standing from left to right : Bennie Ricci, Edwin Ashworth, Robert Warner, Edward Cannon, Felix Anderson, Louis Sortino. Kneeling from left to right : Gustavo Kotta, Charles Frascati, Richard Wilson, Victor Swenson.
The B-24 left its formation following the coastline to the west of Bordeaux. The plane was in distress and the Pilot gave the order for the crew to bail out and they all put their parachutes on. The Sergeants Bennie Ricci, Louis Sortino, Edwin Ashworth and Felix Anderson jumped from the trap door in the gunner's section. The copilot Victor Swenson jumped through the bomb door followed by the Radio Operator Edward Cannon and the Mechanic Robert Warner. The whole crew had bailed out in less than two minutes, ten men in total. Sadly one of them fell to his death, possibly due to parachute malfunction or shot by Germans during his descent. Eye witnesses differ on this.

The nine other parachutists landed successfully, dispersed over a large area between the villages of Marcillac in the Gironde and Montendre and Courpignac in the Charente-Maritime. Only two of them would be successful in evading capture and cross the Pyrénées over to Spain. They were Gustavo Kotta, who got back to England on 17th April 1944 and Robert Warner who got back to England on 11th May 1944. Their seven fellow crew members would be captured, some of them while trying to get down to the border with Spain.

Each of the crew members possessed an evasion kit pack which contained items to help navigate and to survive. When he had been taken prisoner by the Germans, the Sergeant Edward Cannon had in his possession his two "dog tags", a map of France with a map of Germany on the other side, a plastic map of North Africa, a wallet containing 2000 francs, a survival kit including rations, matches, a compass and some wire.

Sergeant Edwin Ashworth - Waist Gunner
We have mentioned earlier that one of the airmen of "Flak Bait" had died on impact after his parachute failed to open. This was Sergeant Edwin Ashworth. In the report given by the crew, Sergeant Anderson writes : "I had spoken with him just before we put on our parachutes and he was injured. With the help of Sergeant Ricci we had helped the two gunners to jump from the plane". Some witness accounts tell us the story of Ashworth's jump.

Thérèse Lafon, née Bouinot, aged 9 at the time was living with her parents in the village of Chez Marronnier in the commune of Rouffignac to the north west of Montendre. She remembers having seen the plane in difficulty above the village of Chez Georget, being chased by German fighter planes. The parachutists had jumped from the plane and were coming down. One of them had been shot. His parachute, probably filled with bullet holes looked like an egg she thought. Edwin Ashworth fell quickly down to the ground, landing in a stream in the village of Marronniers. His body landing hard on the ground, he had, it seemed, a shot wound to his head just behind the ear.

The Gendarmerie at Montendre had been quickly informed and two French Gendarmes arrived at the location soon after. They searched his clothes and found the identity papers of this unfortunate American. A photo found amongst his papers showed him standing with his wife and young daughter aged 8 or 9 in front of a house covered in flowers. Some of the local inhabitants of the village came out to see him and passed the very moving photo between them. The Gendarmes ordered that the body be taken to a house in the neighbouring village of Chez Beaulon. A cart pulled by a horse belonging to Edward Bouinot, the father of Thérèse Lafon, is for the moment transformed into an improvised hearse. The two Gendarmes following behind them.

The body of Sergent Ashworth did not stay laid out on the bed for long, arms crossed over the chest. Having made their report the Gendarmes left. Later that afternoon, some German Soldiers arrived in an open truck and took the body to Montendre where he would be buried in the local cemetery. (After the war his body was returned to the U.S. and buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.) 


Château de la Hoguette in the commune of Chamouillac, South of the Charente-Maritime
Robert Warner at the château de la Hoguette.
Sergeant Robert Wagner jumped from the plane straight after Lieutenant Gustave Kotta. He delayed opening his parachute until he was at 500 metres from the ground, loosing during his jump his pair of military boots which were attached to his harness. He landed in the middle of a farm and was seen by a man and a woman. They continued their work not offering any help to the airmen who had injured his foot landing heavily on the ground. Robert Warner had landed around the town of Chamouillac. It would be the beginning of an adventurous week in that area. He takes up his story in his evasion report number 627 after his return to England on 11th May 1944 :

"I cleared away my parachute. Then jumped a barbed wire fence and headed towards a grove. I hid my parachute in some long grass. My foot was in a lot of pain and I was feeling pretty rough. In spite of the pain and believing that the Germans would arrive at any moment, I started to walk north thinking that the Germans would expect me to head south. On the edge of a copse, another airman was surrounded by some Frenchmen. I went towards him but he was injured. I could do nothing for him. The Frenchmen around him motioned to me to leave the area. I left him knowing it was impossible to help him or to return later to him. Some minutes later in the wood I came across a man who pretended he hadn't seen me. But he returned an hour later with some bread and cognac for me. He then took me  to a neighbour's house".

This kind man was Raoul Joulin, a farm worker who lived in a house in the grounds of the château de la Hoguette, about 500 metres to the west of Chamouillac. The château was an old manor house entirely restored in the 17th century. The owner, the viscount de Roquefeuil, rarely stayed there and only in the summer. He had a couple by the name of Yvon and Madeleine Dugue look after and upkeep the château, who at the same time tended some rows of vines and bit of land. The château was otherwise the responsibility of Edgard Joulin and his wife Marie-Louise, helped by their two sons, Maurice aged 26 who was unmarried and Raoul aged 22 and married to Marcelle Orsonneau. This family lived in a large farmhouse attached to the château and made use of some of the land and had a herd of around 20 cows.

Raoul Joulin talks about the circumstances of his meeting with the American Aviator Robert Warner : "We were quite close, my brother and I, to where the plane crashed. In fact, we were chopping wood in the pine forest, away from the château de la Hoguette, about two or three kms as the crow flies towards Marcillac. Seeing all the parachutists in the sky I jumped on my bike to get back to the farm and see what was going to happen. My mother and my wife told me that an airman had landed nearby. I went out to try and find him, which I did.

When the airman saw me he hid, which saved him as the German Police were patrolling on motor bikes all around the area. But I made some signs to him to show I was friendly. The American came towards me and I told him to hide in some bushes telling him that he would be safe. There was no way he could walk to the château without being spotted.
It was necessary that he stayed where he was for security. I had also made a sign for him to stay hidden and not move. Returning to the farm I untied one of our horses and hooked it up to a cart filled with cabbages and returned across some fields to the wood. The parachutist got onto the cart and hidden under the cabbages he could not be seen. Nobody suspected anything. When we got to the house my mother and my wife took the fugitive and hid him in a bedroom in the château".

S/Sgt Louis C. Sortino
Raoul Joulin points out that his father was busy carrying out his work on the farm. On returning from the fields, he had seen the American and at first was not at all happy with the situation. He was thinking of his family and was worried that the Germans would search the buildings and find the airman. He went to meet the American and on seeing him welcomed his new guest.

Another Parachutist had also landed close to the château de la Hoguette in the small village of "Chez Sirouet". Having been shot by German fighter planes while in the air he landed seriously injured. This information has been provided by Maurice Joulin and other habitants of Chamouillac and fits in with Robert Warner's statement. In his evasion report he speaks of seeing another parachutist looking in a pretty bad way and obviously unable to flee the scene. The Germans had then quickly captured him on the spot where he'd landed. The facts known would suppose that the seriously injured Airman would have been Sergeant Louis Sortino.

Gustavo Kotta rejoins his fellow crew member Robert Warner.
Lieutenant Gustavo Kotta, bomber on board "Flak Bait" had jumped from the plane just after the Navigator Richard Wilson. In his evasion report no. 570 he speaks of the events that followed. "I had immediately opened my parachute. I saw two others, one unopened and a second below. (It is very likely that the unopened parachute is that of Sergeant Edwin Ashworth). Mine balanced itself quite quickly and I landed quite heavily in a forest. As I was hiding my parachute and equipment in the undergrowth a Frenchmen, probably a lumberjack passed along a lane followed by his dog. I dropped flat to the ground, the dog came over and sniffed me but the man who had certainly seen me continued to walk on.

I had established approximately my position using the maps and my compass from my evasion kit. Having put on my military boots which had been attached to my parachute and removed my badges and being close to the Sea I started to walk in the direction south-east away from the coast as per my instructions. Some minutes later, at the edge of the wood, I noticed two young men coming along on their bicycles. Having called over that they knew who I was they came over and shaking my hand said "camarade". These two men hid me in the wood, brought me some clothes and some food and then later that night took me over to the house of a farmer.

Lieutenant Kotta had landed in the woods near the small village of "Le Mandin", near the coast and in the direction of Marcillac, not far away from where the plane had crashed. A young man by the name of Georges Lalande, had seen the plane crash a few kms away from his father's farm at Sénégal, close to Montendre and decided to go and help the airmen. He took his bicycle and got one of his friends, Jean Plaisance, to go with him. These are the two young men that had called over to Gustavo Kotta in the wood. The parachutist had slightly injured his ankle. So they had hidden him in the thicket and went for help.

Georges Lalande returned to the house to let his father know what he'd been up to. His father, René, without any hesitation, went with the two boys, taking bottles of wine and hot drinks. But the area was swarming with German motorised patrols. René Lalande weighed up the danger of helping an American fugitive. Such an operation could only be done at night and with extreme precaution.

However, in the course of the afternoon, the news had spread. André Faurie, living at Chez Pignon, had heard that an American had parachuted nearby. His curiosity won over the need to be prudent. With two of his friends, Jacques Rousseau and the sister of Jean Plaisance, a student who knew a little Spanish, went looking for the American. They found him, made sure he was okay and promised to return later that evening. André says that he and his father walked for a few kms in the dark to the hiding place, but it was empty and the American was no where to be seen. René Lalande and his son Georges had arrived earlier. When the evening had fallen they had left for the wood with Jean Plaisance and Jacques Rousseau. The airman was frozen with cold in the place where he'd been left. With his ankle in pain he had to be moved sitting on the cross bar of a bicycle. En route the five men had to lie flat in the undergrowth to evade being seen by enemy patrols. Finally they arrived at René Lalande's farm where a wood fire had been lit and hot drinks were awaiting the new guest. With all the kindness and welcome he had been given he practically cried with joy showing his gratitude to all in the room.

"The next morning" René Lalande goes on to say, "I went into his bedroom and wished him a happy New Year. We both felt that we had to give each other a big hug. At that moment I heard the sound of a big motorbike stopping in front of the house. I went out to see who it was. An officer sitting in the side car asked me in a gruff voice if I had seen any parachutists. I replied I hadn't and he left without suspecting anything. However, with such a high alert in the area I knew that I couldn't look after my guest for long. I had to find a solution. Using a trusted friend as an intermediary I contacted Fernand Couillaud, the mayor of Chartuzac and a member of the local Résistance. This man came the follùowing day and took the American on his motorbike to a place unknown to me". This account was given by René Lalande on 13th January 1946 and addressed to the préfet of the Charente-Maritime. Correspondance began after the war between the Lalande and Kotta families. The Kotta family were keen to show their gratitude to Gustavo's helper from the Charentes and sent a jewellery box containing a dozen silver spoons made in the U.S.


Fernand Couillaud, in his capacity as the Mayor, was able to help any young men who were refusing to work over in Germany (Service du Travail Obligatoire). He would obtain false papers, ration cards and direct them to farms where members of the Résistance held out. Equally he was interested in helping any American airmen hiding from the Germans. Gustavo Kotta, hidden at the home of René Lalande would be taken under his wing. In the meantime the Mayor of Chartuzac had learnt that another parachutist was being hidden at the château de la Hoguette. How did he know ? The secret had not been well kept and tongues started to wag quite quickly. So, he asked the Joulin family if they would look after a second American under their roof. The transfer was organised by motorbike during the day of 2nd January 1944. But instead of going directly to the château de la Hoguette, Fernand Couillaud felt the need to ride with his passenger through some roads of Montendre and to stop at a few cafés. A brave man but very risky. Perhaps by showing off he had wanted to show that he could behave like this freely without the Germans knowing.

The Café de Paris, well placed across from the market, was run by Jean Cazes and his mother aged 75. It's the main meeting place for all the locals. They had a kitchen at the back of the bar with a side exit onto a back street. The waitress at this time was Lucette Lebrun, who had concerns when Fernand Couillaud had brought the American into the kitchen to hide him from unwanted attention out front and present him to his friends. The American was dressed in blue workers clothes, a little rough looking and a little too large for him. Madame Cazes and the waitress hugged him and wished him a happy New Year. They were at the same time surprised to see him there knowing there were Germans sitting out in the café bar. All of a sudden his visit was cut short, and he was ushered out by Fernand out the back of the building.

The Mayor of Chartuzac arrived at the château de la Hoguette. The Joulin family were not aware of what had been going on in Montendre and the risks being taken. Would they have agreed to look after another American if they'd known ? Gustavo Kotta was reunited with his fellow crew member Robert Warner. A room had been been set up for them with two beds situated at the back of the château. In case of danger, the two men could escape by a door which lead out to the woods.


Robert Warner and Gustavo Kotta.
Photo taken by Henry Baudry at the château


It was winter and very cold. The bedroom had no chimney and wasn't heated. Marcelle Joulin remembers giving some heated bricks so the Americans could warm their feet and hands. They were not allowed to leave the building. They had their lunch in the bedroom, which the Joulin family prepared for them. In the evening the Dugue family provided their meal. From time to time they would be invited down to eat in the dining room in one of the wings of the château.

His son-in-law Henry Baudry aged 23 and his daughter Marie-Yvonne aged 17, recently married and living in the village of Tuilerie, in the commune of Chamouillac, came regularly to visit their parents. During the time that the Americans were staying there, the young couple stayed their too and joined everyone for dinner. One evening, Madeleine Dugue prepared a rabbit and shallot stew. With the help of a French-English dictionary the word "game" had been explained to the aviators who were amazed by the friendship they were being shown. After the meal, the evening was generally rounded off with a game of cards played with a few French friends.

After two or three days, it was decided to kit the Americans out properly. Some shopkeepers in Montendre, well known to the Joulins for their discretion, had no hesitation in offering some civilian clothes that fitted the Americans properly. The clothes shop 'Anglade' provided each of them a ready to wear grey suit. The shoes came from the shop 'Tuffreau' and the shop 'Mignot' completed the new look by donating shirts, socks and ties.

The two Americans were very happy to now be dressed in their brand new French style clothes. Gustavo Kotta was a little smaller than Robert Warner, and perhaps more comfortable in his clothes than his fellow American. Some photos taken by Henry Baudry on his old Kodak illustrate this well. The son-in-law of Yvon Dugue had taken several shots, individual and in groups, in the drawing room, with a backdrop of period furniture. One of the photos shows the Joulin brothers and Marie-Yvonne Baudry at the sides of their new friends dressed in their new clothes.


Photo taken in the drawing room of the château.
From left to right : Raoul Joulin, his wife Marcelle, Marie-Yvonne Baudry (daughter of Mr and Mrs Dugué, her husband Henry took the photograph), Robert Warner and Gustavo Kotta.

They stayed around eight days. Fernand Couillaud organised their departure after having contacted a Résistance network around the area of Bordeaux. This clandestine group took charge of them sending over a car to a place that had been arranged earlier, on the road to Reignac. Before they left it was necessary to hide their American made wrist watches. Raoul Joulin's wife had the idea of unpicking a sleeve of each jacket and inserting the possibly compromising objects in the shoulder pads.

The regional branch of the Résistance network 'Brutus' took charge of the two Americans once they left the château de la Hoguette. Doctor Pierre Auriac, a Doctor at Pont-de-la-Maye, in the suburbs of Bordeaux, was one of its influential members. He was in touch with another résistant, Georges Tissot, from one of the evasion lines for allied airmen down to Spain.

Gustavo Kotta and Robert Warner were initially looked after by Pierre Auriac who did not hesitate to have his photo taken alongside Gustavo. This photo was found and published by the Doctor Dartigues in his book "Les hommes en blanc dans la clandestinité, la résistance médicale à Bordeaux et en Gironde", published in 1996.

Gustavo did not stay with him long. The two airmen were taken over to a local résistance group situated close to Miramont-de-Guyenne, in the département of Lot-et-Garonne. Some weeks later, the résistants Pierre Auriac and Georges Tissot, whose network was probably being tracked down by the Germans, decided to cross clandestinely into Spain. All four of them then made it down to the Basque region by car where they were hidden for eight days with the Chango family at Saint-Just-Ibarre. With the help of guides, essential in the Pyrénées covered in snow, they crossed successfully. The four fugitives found themselves safely and in a neutral country, but a little worried about the red tape of the Spanish authorities. After a stay in an internment camp at Miranda de Ebro the two Frenchmen were allowed to leave and managed to get over to North Africa where they joined the French Commandos. As for the Americans, they were helped by their consulate in Spain and taken down to Gibraltar. Their return to England was organised for 17th April 1944 for Gustavo Kotta and 11th May 1944 for Robert Warner.

Sergeant Bennie Ricci at Boisredon then at Jonzac
At the village of "Chez Rhodes", in the commune of Courpignac, Marcel Brifaud ran a smallholding which included some rows of vines. His son Marcel, aged 24, helped him in his agricultural work and doing all that was necessary on a daily basis for a modest sized livestock. The two men were in the middle of chopping wood in the pine forest around Bondou when the american bomber found itself in trouble above their heads. Some airmen had parachuted out. One of them landed quite near to the two Frenchmen. They immediately went to his aid. It was Sergeant Bennie Ricci, the tail gunner, a young man of around 20 years of age of Italian origin.

The buildings of the smallholding run by the Briffaud family were about 1 km away from where the American airmen had landed. He was taken quickly across fields up to the house. All were a little anxious as this was done in daylight and the Germans had began to patrol the area and interrogate the locals. A German side-car pulled up in the village of "Chez Rhodes" and Marcel Briffaud, standing on the step of his home, answered their probing questions as calmly as possible. At the same time, Benni Ricci was taking a few moments of rest in the bedroom of the young Marcel.

Mr and Mrs Briffaud had dressed the American in their sons old clothes who was the same size. They had to explain to him that it would not be possible to look after him for long. Communication was not easy and they had to use gestures and drawings to let me him know that he would be taken during the night away from the house using back roads over to Boisredon, a village about 2 kms away. In the meantime Marcel junior let his young fiancée know that he would not be able to take her to the cinema that evening, putting her in the picture of his new secret and of the goings on that evening planned by his father.

Raphaël Robert, from Boisredon, welcomed Bennie Ricci at his house. Marcel Briffaud knew that he was part of the local Résistance. From 1943, this patriot from the Charente became the chief of the 'Navarre' network in the area around Mirambeau. His clandestine activities had multiplied, welcoming young men who had refused to go to Germany as enforced labour under the Service du Travail Obligatoire (S.T.O.), distributing false identity cards to some and food ration cards to others, as well as providing financial aid to Jews in need of help. In spite of many arrests in the area he had not been discouraged and continued to work for the Résistance right up to the liberation of his area at the end of August 1944.

Raphaël Robert was a mechanic at Boisredon, his wife Laurentia had worked at a grocery shop in the town. Since her death in 1941, Raphaël lived alone with his sister Ginette, born in 1930, who has provided the following account of the welcome given to the American parachutist :
"My father had collected the aviator during the night of 31st December / 1st January. I had written the words Happy New Year in English on a card placed next to a hot cup of coffee made especially for him. This was to give him confidence and to make him feel welcome. In spite of the coffee and the card and in spite of our efforts to speak to him in English, he was frozen with fear and wouldn't or couldn't say a word. We had hidden him in a house nearby that was uninhabited. He stayed there the night. We took him a meal during the day and in the evening he joined my father and I for dinner. If anyone knocked at the door he had to quickly hide under a cover behind a partition that been put up by my father".

Bennie Ricci stayed four days with Raphaël Robert. Then it was decided to get him to an escape line. Nelson Fumeau, from Jonzac, received a call asking him "to go collect a 'parcel' at Boisredon". In the language of the Résistance, the meaning is clear. The 'parcel' is no other than the escaped parachutist that he would need to give a new hiding place. Nelson Fumeau dropped what he was doing and without any worries collected and brought back the American to Jonzac. There, he was hidden for four days and then moved again, this time to Ozillac, quite close, and hidden again for four days. (Bennie Ricci never forgot the help that Nelson Fumeau had given him. Nelson received on 31st December 1979, thirty six years later, a long letter, very detailed, telling him that the young airman at the time was now a furniture upholsterer and a had a grand-daughter. The years may have passed but the memories had remained close to Bennie's heart). Next a reunion is organised at Etauliers where Bennie met up again with three of his fellow crew members, pilot Charles Frascati, co pilot Victor Swenson and sergeant Felix Anderson. The full story of this group's evasion is given in the following paragraph.

Four American airmen reunited at Etauliers.
Several crew members of "Flak Bait" had landed around Reignac-de-Blaye, in the Gironde. One of them, pilot Charles Frascati had landed close to the cemetery. Having been shot in his thigh, he was picked up by some locals who gave him new clothes and fed him. (In the book "Chroniques de souffrance et de lumière" by Pierre Boyriez published by Burgus in 1995, the author mentions some of the people from Reignac-de-Blaye who helped Lieutenant Frascati, they were Arthémis Mazaubert, Raymond Villesot and Henri Amoux. But, above all, it says that he had been helped by Pierre Sardot and Madame Dard). Because he was being troubled by his injury, he was taken to Dr Vaux, who declared that he would be unable to extract the bullet. The airman who was in a bad way was then put in the hands of André Garbay, Dr Vaux's chauffeur, who took Frascati over to his parents at Etauliers who would look after him for the moment.

The injured American had a fever and he urgently needed help. André Garbay decided to take him over to the hospital at Saint-André at Bordeaux where a group of practitioners were working for the Résistance. The two men took a train from Le Blayais which passed by Etauliers. As a disguise, Lieutenant Frascati wore dark glasses and walked with a white cane to appear to be a blind man and would hopefully reduce the chance of being asked questions or entering into any probing conversation.

Returning from Bordeaux the same day around the 1st / 2nd January 1944, André Garbay took Frascati over to a family friend, Yvonne Miaille, who lived in an isolated house on the edge of Le Marais at Le Mazerat, a few kms from Etauliers. The lady was divorced and lived with her two daughters, Claude and Huguette. Huguette was a teacher at Pleine-Selve and at the time of the arrival of the American she was staying at her mother's house as it was during the school holidays.

Two other airmen, Lieutenant Victor Swenson and Sergeant Felix Anderson had also landed around Reignac-de-Blaye. One of them landed in the small village of Mouillots, not far from Marcel Medart's house. Avoiding being found by the Germans and having the luck of receiving immediate help, they were finally taken in by the family of André Garbay who a little later took them over to Yvonne Miaille. This courageous lady was now looking after three of the airmen and in a few days an escape line was found for them. A tricky mission that would involve her two daughters.

The three parachutists had at their disposal two bedrooms with a bed each. For food Claude Mialle had to manage to buy enough bread for six people using fake ration cards. It was necessary to avoid the attention of neighbours as there was more housework to do than normal and more daily excursions. The three men were forbidden to leave the house and they had to stay the whole day in one room a few metres square, this was sometimes a little too much to ask.

This situation probably lasted around 12 days. The time came to leave for their attempt to get to the Pyrénées and over into Spain, a voyage probably organised by some friends of André Garbay who were in the Résistance. A fourth airmen joined them. It was Bennie Ricci, recently hidden at Ozillac and then taken to Mazaret. He did not stay long at the house, Claude Miaille points out, perhaps only an hour. Next, the four Americans were taken in charge by Monsieur Macaud and Pierre Gramont from Etauliers, and driven as far as Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. From there they began their attempt to cross the Pyrénées but they were stopped by the German Police and taken prisoner. They were then made prisoners of war in Germany and would be liberated at the end of the war.


Commemorative monument at Marcillac.
Close to the crash site near the village of Bondou, a monument in memory to the ten airmen was erected by the municipality of Marcillac. The small stone monument, made by stone masons at Reignac-de-Blaye, consists of a plaque in marble with the names of the ten crew members of "Flak Bait". Its inauguration took place on 3rd March 2003 in the presence of Jean-Marie Huchet, the Mayor of Marcillac, and Nancy Cooper, U.S. Consul at Bordeaux.
After the war, Charles Frascati kept in contact for a long time with the Miaille family. The author Bernard Ballanger thanks Raymond Gay from Marcillac for the numerous pieces of information that he had been very happy to share in the writing of the book.

An airmen is welcomed by Marguerite Freuchet.
At the time, Marguerite Freuchet was 32 years old and lived in the village of Chez Faure in the commune of Courpignac. Julien, her husband, was a farmer. But to earn extra money he worked during the week at a factory that made fire bricks at Montendre.

Not far from their house a creek supplied a watermill thanks to a diversion. It is there, in a meadow surrounded by water that an unidentified parachutist landed from the Frascati crew. Locals from the village had followed by eye his descent. But only Marguerite had gone to his aid in spite of all the warnings and advice not to by her neighbours and the pleas from her two daughters, Lea, aged 11 and Huguette, aged 9 who were trying to stop her.

The airman was taken to the house and comforted. A large meal was served to him. Marguerite thought he must be given some civilian clothes. The flight suit was swapped for some of her husband's old blue work clothes. The trousers were a little short and the jacket a little tight. However, this was all they had and it would mean that if he was seen outside he would not stand out.

During the afternoon, the gendarmes at Mirambeau turned up at the village of Chez Faure to make enquiries. But Marguerite forewarned had hidden the airman safely in the hay barn. He did not need to stay there long but after the gendarmes had gone he left his hiding place without Marguerite noticing. Two farm workers working the nearby fields had seen him making his way to the river and then disappeared.

During the night, someone knocked softly on the shutters of the bedroom on the ground floor of Mr and Mrs Freuchet's house. It is not known if it was the airman, who may have stayed in the area and was asking again for shelter. Thinking of their young daughters, Marguerite did not want to take risks. She did not answer and was not able, if it was the airman, to offer shelter.

Knowing the point where the airmen had jumped, to the west of Montendre, it is certain that this parachutist on the run was part of the crew of "Flak Bait" which crashed in the woods at Lamourette, close to Marcillac. The only two airmen that successfully managed to evade capture were Gustavo Kotta and Robert Warner, one can therefore deduce that the American sheltered for that short period by Marguerite Freuchet had then soon afterwards been made prisoner. It could possibly have been one of three airmen, Richard Wilson, Edward Cannon or Louis Sortino, no information is known on how they were captured.

Memories of Sergeant Cannon.
Louis Sortino
Sergeant Cannon's children very kindly shared some memories written by their father before he died in 1990. 
After he landed, he kissed the ground and thanked God for allowing him to be safe and well. He met two Frenchmen who gave him some bread and jam, which he accepted with gratitude and thanked them. These two kind men advised him to head quickly to a wooded area. This he had hoped would be the start of a long journey across France to reach Spain and gain his freedom. However, he was picked up by the Police when he passed through a town. 
On 7th January he slept in a cell having received the assurance that, he believed, that we would be taken to a Résistance group the following day and then eventually taken over the Pyrénées. The next morning, accompanied by the Police in a small restaurant, he was handed over to the Gestapo. He was arrested and imprisoned for the night. The next day he was interrogated and the following day he was taken down to Toulouse where he was put in isolation for three weeks. 
Around 15th February, along with some other prisoners, he was transferred by train to the prison at Fresnes and put in a cell. He stayed there a month and then again transferred, this time to Wiesbaden in Germany. A few days later he was taken by truck to a temporary camp and then finally taken by truck to Stalag 17b near Krems in Austria. He would be liberated the 9th May 1945 by Russian troops.

Lieutenant Navigator Richard Wilson.
He evaded capture for a while and was hidden at the home of Roger Ladepeche at Saint-Yzan-de-Soudiac, in Gironde. He had hidden eleven American Airmen. It is not known how Lieutenant Wilson was captured and subsequently imprisoned.


Monument in memory to the ten airmen.
The monument states that the plane was known as "Devil Dream" but the authors research shows that it could have been known under the name of "Flak "Bait". However, its true name has not been confirmed. 
To the left of the monument are part of the landing gear from the B-24.


On the same mission the 446th BG lost another plane, "Buzz Buggy" flown by Lt. L.V. Allen which crashed for an unknown reason in the vicinity of Mimizan, southwest of Bordeaux, all 10 crewmen were killed. (Missing Aircraft Report #1679).



Other stories concerning mission no. 171 31st December 1943 (link)
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum and home of the 446th BG memorial at Flixton (link)
Each year on 31st December a ceremony is held in France at the monument dedicated to the crew from the 446th BG : 2012 / 2016

Further reading :
"The History of the 446th Bomb Group 1943 - 1945" compiled by Harold E. Jansen (1989)


Rue du Maquis-Foch - Confolens (Charente) - Carte postale des années 70

Vaucluse (84) - Association des Combattants Volontaires de la Résistance

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Évènement

Invitation à l'assemblée Générale 2017 de l'Association des Combattants Volontaires de la Résistance de Vaucluse à Lagnes du 8 avril prochain


Blog des CVR de Vaucluse et des Départements limitrophe (lien)

Ceux de Lanobre : 29 juin 1944 par Pierre Louty

$
0
0
Chapitre du livre Histoires Tragiques du Maquis par Pierre Louty au sujet du 29 juin 1944 à Lanobre (Cantel) 
(Article temporaire pour la famille de Michel et Victor Gatignol)


















Mémorial aux enfants de Kindertransport : gare de Liverpool street à Londres

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Lieu de mémoire

Kindertransport est une opération humanitaire menée par la Grande-Bretagne neuf mois avant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, et au cours de laquelle elle accueillit près de 10 000 enfants principalement juifs d'Allemagne, d'Autriche, de Tchécoslovaquie et de la ville de Dantzick (Pologne). Les enfants furent placés dans des familles d'accueils anglaises, des pensions et des fermes. 
La gare de Liverpool Street avait été le principal lieu d'arrivée et de point de rencontre pour les enfants et les familles anglaises.


Kindertransport Mémorial par Flor Kent
Dévoilé par Sir Nicholas Winton en 2003 en dehors de la gare de Liverpool Street à Londres.
Depuis 2011 le monument se trouve près du guichet à l'intérieur de la gare.



A lire également :

Kindertransport (lien)
Sir Nicholas Winton (lien)

Allied airmen capture and evasion in South West France : August / September 1944

$
0
0
Posted by Alan in Les Alliés

I was recently sent three photographs by the author and historian Bernard Ballanger. The photos had been taken at the beginning of September 1944 in the city of Angoulême in the Charente.
One of the photos shows several Allied airmen and hospital workers standing outside of a hospital building in the heart of Angoulême, the other two photos were taken on 2nd September 1944 at the home of the Fougère family situated just over the road from the Hospital. The family had helped the airmen in the few days that they were kept in Angoulême by bringing in food and translating for them.


Photo taken in the beginning of September 1944 outside of the Hospital, rue de Beaulieu, Angoulême
The four airmen in the front row are : Bob Genno, William Gray, Fred Stearn and Sandy Sandvic

The airmen, 21 in total, had been taken prisoner in the previous two months by the Germans, who were now trying to flee the area as the Résistance were moving in on them.
On 28th August the Germans dropped off the airmen at the hospital forcing the officials there to put them in a guarded military ward. However later that day two officers from the local Résistance arrived and took charge of them.

Photo taken 2nd September 1944 in the garden of the Fougère's family home.
Allied airmen and members of the Fougère family and friends.

The 21 airmen were made up of British, American and a Canadian who had been taken prisoner after their planes had made crashed landings or after parachuting out before their planes had crashed.

Photo taken in the back garden of the Fougère's family home
Standing second to the left of the group in the dark striped suit : M. Pierre Fougère
Group kneeling or sitting : X, Bob Genno, X, X, Fred Stearn, Jimmie Sanderson, Pat Hart, X, Sandy Sandvic, X

I have been working alongside Bernard Ballanger for the past few months piecing together the stories of the 21 airmen and 20 or so others who returned to England on two US Dakota planes organised by the 492nd BG on the 3rd September 1944 as part of the Carpetbagger mission "Gunner". Nearly all of the men were downed airmen, some had been taken prisoner, some had been looked after by French families and some had joined the local Résistance and participated in liberating the local area including Angoulême.

All of their stories will be published here soon but in the meantime I would like to tell the story of 7 of the 21 men held at the hospital in Angoulême. It is the story of the crew of a Lancaster that took off on 13th August 1944 from RAF Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire, home of the 50th squadron. 

Many thanks to Rosemary Antwis, wife to one of the crew Peter Antwis, for sharing with us their story. 

The crew :

Sgt Peter Antwis - Navigator
F/Sgt W Gray (Jock) - Bombardier
Sgt J (Pat) Hart - Flight Engineer
F/Sgt Peter (Joe) Lorimer - Pilot
Sgt James (Jimmy) Sanderson - Rear Gunner
Sgt Gunnar (Sandy) Sandvik - Mid Upper Gunner (RCAF)
Sgt Fred (Freddie) Stearn - Wireless Operator

Mission : Bomb submarine docks at Bordeaux (33) 

Sunday 13th August 1944

This was the crew's first mission and expected to be quite straight forward flying as part of 20 planes with most of the flight over the sea. Peter Lorimer's Lancaster took off at 1600 hours and after an hour were at full height and at the fighter rendezvous point at the Lizard in Cornwall and on time. Peter Antwis informed the Pilot that he could not see any fighters.

The Lancaster crossed the Channel over to Brest and then out over the Atlantic sea due south heading to the mouth of the Gironde. At 19.45 they turned inland keeping a keen eye out for any Luftwaffe activity, especially as they would be flying quite close to the German held air base at Merignac. Peter Antwis stood up in the astro dome and could see the black smoke from flak bursting in a thin layer of cloud in the sky ahead. They dropped below the cloud and continued on target.

Avro Lancaster Mk.1
Suddenly they found themselves in the middle of the black balls of smoke bursting with fierce red flashes. As four shells burst just in front of them the Lancaster shook, panels in the plane began to split and the pilot's window had shattered. Jock Gray, the bomb aimer shouted "bombs gone". There followed four more explosions and the inboard engine burst into flames. The Lancaster banked away from the target. The bombs however had not been released over the target. It would mean they would have to go round again. The hurried load up of the bombs before take off had evidently caused problems.

The fire in one of the engines had fizzled out. Pat Hart, the flight engineer, was going through his emergency procedures. There was now a howling gale blowing straight through from one end of the fuselage to the other and it stank of petrol and glycol. Peter Lorimer, the pilot was struggling trying to control the Lancaster and Bill Gray, the bomb aimer came up from the nose compartment, his face covered in blood.

In the book Bomber Crew by James Taylor and Martin Davidson, where survivors of bomber command tell their own story, Fred Stearn speaks how the pilot, Peter Lorimer "Joe" wanted to take the stricken plane out over the sea to try to drop the bombs out there rather than over the French. With two engines on fire and with the controls shot away this was not possible.

He gave the order to abandon the aircraft. They were flying straight up the Gironde and now over the flak barges. One by one the crew baled out of the plane and Peter Lorimer remained struggling with the controls. Peter Antwis could see woodland below and the Lancaster twisting and turning with smoke and flames trailing behind it. He could see that the crew had all parachuted except for Peter Lorimer. About a mile away he saw the plane crash into some trees and seemed to explode. There were Germans on the ground below who started to shoot up at them. He landed in some trees away from the Germans near a beach close to the light house at La Coubre and could see the gear left by Fred Stearn. He buried this and his own in the holes of a rabbit warren and pulled off the sergeant stripes and pocket buttons off of his jacket to make it look less like a uniform.

With his compass he decided to head inland away from the open beach. His leg had been injured and he tied some field dressing over the mess and hoped for the best. He could see in the distance smoke from where the Lancaster had crashed. As he started to walk away he came across some posts with notices on them. He was horrified to read ACHTUNG MINEN above a black skull on a red background. He could see some Germans about a kilometre away, there was a lot of shouting and shooting so he laid flat and hid presuming they were after somebody else.

As soon as he stood back up he was spotted by the Germans who pointed their rifles at him and started shouting to come towards them. He was in the middle of a mine field and they weren't prepared to come in to get him. He stayed where he was until one of the Germans shot his pistol in his direction and realised if he didn't move towards them he would be shot. Each time he hesitated the German shot near him again.

As Fred Antwis came within reach of the German he was hit on the side of the head with his fist and with the butt of his pistol. The other Germans joined in and he was kicked and shoved along a track to a small shed. He was thrown inside and until dark could hear a lot of activity outside. He fell asleep and awoke at dawn kicking the door trying to gain some attention. A German soldier opened the door and armed with a rifle guarded him for the next few days.

All the crew that had parachuted out were picked up by the Germans that first day. Peter Lorimer had stayed at the controls of the plane and miraculously survived the crash landing into trees at La Coubre 20 kms north along the coast from Royan. Dazed and having trouble standing Peter Lorimer quickly composed himself and left the crash site. He knew the Germans were nearby as he had seen them as the plane came down but he did not know that he was in a mine field. He headed north east trying to keep under the cover of trees and scrub and heading away from the German patrol. After half an hour he came to a barbed wire fence and once over noticed the white painted sign displaying a skull in red and achtung above the skull and minen below.

He had not been seriously injured during the crash. He had a gash on his knee, a sore chest and a large amount of skin was off his right temple. He rested for a while and decided to press on north east once it was dark. The night sky was clear and he made his way through a forest and came across the labyrinth of waterways just after La Tremblade. He waded through and swam where necessary to cross hoping that if any Germans were following him with dogs this would put them off his scent. On the other side he continued along some small lanes trying to avoid passing any houses. As dawn approached he began to feel exposed so when he came across a haystack in a field he decided to crawl in making sure he was covered and fell asleep from exhaustion.

Day two : August 14th


He woke about mid morning, it was very hot and he had a raging thirst and a screaming headache. He made his way to the nearest wood, headed to its densest part and laid low for the day.

Peter Antwis, who had been taken prisoner the previous day was washing at an outside tap in the compound he was being held in when one of his crew Fred Stearn was brought in. They ignored each other and sat on the ground to eat breakfast - two slices of bread, a spoonful of cherry jam and a mug of brown liquid, supposedly coffee. Jock Gray, Pat Hart, Jimmy Sanderson and Gunnar Sandvic were then brought in. They all looked very much the worse for wear. They huddled together like a council of war trying to decide what to do next and wondering what had happened to the "skipper" Peter Lorimer. No one had seen him parachute out so he was presumed dead. The Germans were not happy as the Lancaster and  the seven tons of bombs jammed on board had demolished most of their anti aircraft site.

At midday the captured crew were loaded onto a truck and driven out of the camp. After a journey of a couple of hours they drove into the town of Cognac, herded into the town jail which resembled a fortress, taken up some stairs and into a huge empty dormitory. The Germans locked them in and it appeared they then left to go into town. The crew spent an uncomfortable night sharing two mattresses, no blankets and a sink with two taps but no running water. To add to their woes the resident rat population scurried around them all night.

Day three : August 15th

Peter Lorimer was still on the run. That night he came across a small village which set off a chorus of barking dogs. He tried to pass through without being noticed but was beginning to lose his sense of direction and didn't want to end up back at the water he'd crossed earlier. As dawn approached he came across a farm with a tank of water and on finding the hay shed full of hay decided to to hide there for a while ignoring the risks.

He woke in the afternoon to the sound of the farmer raking out some hay from the shed. When he was sure he was alone he climbed out of the hay to the surprise of the middle aged farmer. He explained in the little French he knew that he was an RAF pilot and the farmer indicated that he should stay in the shed. The farmer went into the house and returned with his wife with a parcel of food, some bread and some hard boiled eggs. They then indicated that he leave immediately obviously nervous and pointed in the direction to a line of trees leading to a wood. He reached the wood and sheltered until dark eating the food they had given him.

That same morning the crew being held at the jail in Cognac awoke and were given bread, cherry jam and a bucket of "coffee". From the windows they could see people in the street below. During the day they were allowed to exercise in the jail courtyard and given some potato soup and bread for an evening meal then locked up for the rest of the night.

Day four : August 16th


The following morning they were given no breakfast and were packed on to a lorry and spent the next few hours on busy roads and narrow country lanes. The lorry was a gazogene and had to stop frequently to have its gas boiler stoked up. On one of the roads they came under attack by a British fighter plane and they all had to dive into a ditch for cover. They were heading mainly south and certainly not east to Germany. All the crew were worried that having had no contact with the Red Cross to register themselves as prisoners of war the Germans could have 'disposed' of them if it became too risky to hang on to them.

Late in the afternoon they crossed a river several times over well guarded bridges and entered into a built up area with bomb damage everywhere. It was Bordeaux and they were taken to a large prison in the city. Driven through the gate, they were dumped in the courtyard and then some prison guards threw them into two cells and left for the night.

Peter Lorimer had tried to continue south east and sheltered in the day due to rain. He could see in the distance a large town which he later found out to be the heavily defended Royan. That evening was darker than previous nights due to cloud cover and thirst and hunger were beginning to affect him. As dusk fell he was walking along a road when he noticed two girls ahead. He approached them and explained in what French he could that he was an allied airman and hungry. The girls did not want to help him and moved off quickly. Worried that they may report him he turned north quickly and kept going until it was too dark to see.

Day five : August 17th

At dawn Peter Lorimer set off again and made progress by walking along the side of a road and hiding quickly if he saw or heard anyone coming. At one point he realised that he had walked into a village. Even though it was not quite light he saw in the distance two men standing by the road and he could not be sure that they had not seen him so did not want to take the risk of running off in case they were the enemy. He continued walking hoping that there might be a lane he could turn off. Fortunately there was but it didn't lead anywhere so he had to climb a wall at the back of a house, pass a few more houses and then into a field and over a creek and walked quickly away north east.

It was getting light and full daylight be time he could find cover, rest for the day and drink a little of the water he had obtained from the creek.

Meanwhile back at the prison in Bordeaux the crew had found themselves in a pretty desperate place. All meals were bread, margarine substitute and jam and coffee. In with them were some German Navy prisoners. Peter Antwis asked for medical treatment which was refused. He was given some cigarettes and a German Bible instead. Some American airmen were brought in who had been caught at a railway station. 

Some of the men started playing cards which interested the German guards. While they weren't looking Peter went walkabout and climbed over a wall and found himself in an exercise yard. Not being able to get over the perimeter wall he made his way back to where the rest of the crew were. The guards were looking for him and on finding him shouted and pushed him. He demanded that he and the others saw a doctor to look at their wounds but it fell on deaf ears and they were all shoved into the cells and the doors slammed behind them. The lights were switched off and the rats and cockroaches returned.

Day 6 : August 18th


The Allied prisoners were woken at dawn hearing shouts of RAUS...RAUS...RAUS... (GET OUT !). Six German Navy personnel who were also locked up in cells were taken out, their wrists and ankles in chains and led down to the courtyard that Peter Antwis had come across the day before. Shots were heard, then silence. The Germans seamen were not seen again.

The prisoners were given breakfast and an issue of cigarettes. Locked up for the day until roll call where again they asked to see a doctor. No result.

Peter Lorimer, still on the run, had decided that it was time to try to approach some French civilians to get help and food. He decided to follow what he had been taught in evasion training and try to find a church and contact the priest or parson.

As he moved off from where he'd been resting he was approached by a young man and his girlfriend named Paul and Paulette. They did not seem too surprised to come across him and he found out that he had been spotted the evening before. The couple took him to a house in a small town he had passed before and was at last having his first proper meal in a long time.

Peter tried to converse in French, a language he thought he had learnt at school, but no one understood him. In the end they were able to communicate by writing things down. They showed him how to leave the area if the Germans turned up at the door and then he was taken to another house where he would sleep.

Day 7 : August 19th


In the morning he was given a new suit. He later found out that it was Paul's suit and the one in which he was to be married. Peter Lorimer was then introduced to M. Gildas Gueran, who had with him two bicycles. He told Peter to follow him but to keep well behind in case he was pulled over by Germans. If this happened, he was to say that he had stolen the bike and the clothes and knew no one in the area. Peter followed him down the road and all was going well until the chain came off and was caught in the back wheel. Two Germans further down the road had seen this and laughed. M. Gueran had no choice but to continue walking, Peter meanwhile thought that his time was up and he would be soon on the way to a German prisoner of war camp.

He kept is cool, messed around with the chain a bit and got it back on the sprockets. The Germans walked passed on the other side of the road and made a few jokey remarks but continued to walk by. Peter got the bike going again and carried on until he found Mr Gueran in a side lane further up. Peter followed him and then saw him leave his bike outside a house and go in. Peter followed.

This was M. and Mme. Gueran's home and they had two daughters Gilda and Hélène. The house was in a terrace with a sitting room at the front and a bedroom downstairs which Peter was given. The family slept upstairs. Peter would stay at this house for a few weeks.

Back at the jail in Bordeaux the airmen were told to pack up as they were going to be moved. The men kicked up a fuss as they hadn't been given any breakfast. While the commotion was ensuing Peter Antwis dived into an office in search of the things the guard had stripped from them. In a large old wooden desk he found his watch and ring and many other things belonging to the others. They were loaded into a prison bus. There were 14 of them now.

Day 8 : August 20th

Their bus took a fairly short journey from Bordeaux to the Luftwaffe base at Merignac where they were handed over to a sergeant in the Medical Centre. They were given showers and food, the same as before but more of it and better cooked. They were then taken into the Luftwaffe Mess where they were told to fill out some forms for the Red Cross. There were dozens of questions but they just filled out their Number, Rank and names. They were then taken to a large dormitory for the rest of the night.

Day 9 : August 21st


In the morning they were called out on parade as the Luftwaffe Medical Officer was back on duty. All the men were checked over but the Officer would not touch any of the wounds or burns. Everything he said was in German and he would not speak English or French so no one could understand what he was saying.

The men just hung around all day doing nothing. They were able to see some very large planes and it looked as though some of the Germans were being shipped out.

Day 9, 10 and the following few days : August 22nd to 25th


The men remained at the prison for a few days and Peter Antwis and Freddie Stearn were determined to try to escape somehow. Then, they were loaded on to trucks accompanied by a large escort of Luftwaffe personnel and left Merignac. There were several lorries in the convoy and they seemed to be heading roughly north east, possibly for Germany but making slow progress. The size of the convoy was catching the attention of the Résistance who occasionally attacked them. During each of the attacks the men were kept in the lorries and guarded at all time. One evening they camped in a forest near Châteauneuf and after supper the German guards had a bit of a sing song. One of their favourites seemed to be a sad song about Lili Marlene. The scene was quite bizarre with Germans soldiers and a motley crew of evaders of many nationalities around a camp fire. One of the guards confided with Peter Antwis that he had worked in a hotel in Brighton before the war and went on to say he would be happy to help him and Freddie escape.

Peter wrote in the guard's pay book that he should be treated well if he was captured as he had helped them escape. Once everyone was asleep Peter Antwis and Freddie Stearn sneaked past this guard and made a run for it into the vineyards. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning, pitch dark and they ran away from the lorries, through the vines and out onto a road.

They rested for a while to get their bearings and then there was suddenly the sound of shots, whistles blowing and dogs barking. Peter lost touch with Freddie and walked straight into two gendarmes. Within minutes he was wearing handcuffs, roughed up a bit and shoved back in one of the lorries. Freddie was soon captured too.

Day 13 : August 26th


That day the German convoy with the prisoners, now 21 in number, tried to make headway but were continually harassed by the Résistance and occasionally shot at by RAF fighters from the air. It seemed as if they were to meet their end at the hands of the Allies ! The Germans requisitioned a farm house surrounded by vineyards. As there was no food the prisoners picked and ate some of the small green but sweet grapes. Peter Antwis had his handcuffs taken off and all the prisoners were locked in a barn. They were plagued throughout the night by rats.

During this week Peter Lorimer had been looked after by the Gueran family at their house in
Saujon. Since the crash Peter had had a pretty rough headache and was beginning to notice a persistent whistling in his left ear, something he would have to live with for the rest of his life. As a precaution he was shown a back route from the house along to the cemetery with the idea of moving a slab to hide in a grave if necessary. Fortunately this was not needed. That week the local parson came to the house to meet Peter and although a little hard to follow at times he spoke in English to him. He was told that the Germans were all around and had one of their headquarters in a building across the road. He was warned not to leave the house unless in an emergency and out through the back and down to the cemetery.

Peter did venture out one evening and was taken several blocks away to meet the headmaster of a local school who spoke pretty good English. He had been involved in helping evaders to get down to the Pyrenees and over into Spain but it had become nigh on impossible since D day he said. His advice was to sit it out and move out once the Germans had left the area. Peter Lorimer was pleased that he didn't take his advice as the area to the south and south west of Saujon remained occupied by the Germans until May 1945.

Paul and Paulette called in a number of times and many evenings were spent enjoying a drink in the front room which was only 30 metres from the Germans over the road. Paul had been in the French Navy and had been forced to work at the German submarine base at La Rochelle. He and several others had escaped and managed to walk to Saujon. Peter realised that the Germans would have been more interested in finding him than himself.

One afternoon someone arrived at the house to warn them that the Germans were conducting searches in the town. Peter legged it out the back down to the cemetery and hid amongst some debris and discarded boxes outside of the cemetery walls. Once the light faded he was retrieved by the Guerans.

Day 14 : August 27th

The prisoners being held by the Germans at the requisitioned farmhouse were given no breakfast. Peter Antwis and Freddie Stearn asked if they could go out for a pee. While they were outside they picked a handful of nettles and rubbed them over their bodies to get a serious nettle rash. Their bodies came out in great white and red blotches almost immediately. They hammered on the door for the guard and made him look at their angry looking blotches making as much fuss as possible. The German officer was quite baffled when Peter shouted "Rubelle" at him. He did not know the German for it but it was the correct French. Some of the other prisoners caught on to the idea and surreptitiously gave themselves the treatment. The longer the Germans did nothing the more the spots appeared. The men hoped that they would become a hindrance to the plan to head back to Germany. Peter nodded to Freddie to start having a funny turn. He staggered about and fainted a couple of times. The Americans then joined in, "It's the pox" they told the nervous looking guards.

Within minutes the Germans were shouting Raus, Raus, Raus ! and the prisoners were loaded onto the lorries which drove off into Angoulême thirty minutes away. The Germans took them to a hospital in the centre of town, rue de Beaulieu. There followed a furious row in the entrance of the hospital. The officials of the hospital did not want to take any more patients, especially ones as infectious as the prisoners were supposed to be. The German Officer would not take no for an answer, he unclipped his revolver and shouted to the prisoners to get off the lorries and into the hospital. The hospital chief came out of his office and the German Officer wielding his pistol persuaded him to sign a receipt for the 21 prisoners. The German lorries drove off and the prisoners had become military patients.




Day 15 : August 28th


They were booked into the military wards and allocated beds but later in the day were moved through a long dark corridor and into a large, dark and dingy ward reserved for infectious isolation cases. A German Medical Officer came by later but was told that the men had all left on a later convoy. Two Maquis officers then took charge of them. Peter Antwis asked them to report their presence to London as they would still be listed as missing, he asked too that all the other Allied prisoners that had joined them at Merginac were reported too.

The men stayed at the hospital and had several visitors included three students from the Lycée who had been given the task of supervising their movements and act as couriers for them. Peter's was a young lady called Christianne Perrier who's father was moved into the ward with them. He was a train driver who had been badly wounded in a battle between the Germans and Maquis saboteurs.

Peter, Freddie and Jimmy Sanderson were sent out with the three courriers to various houses in the town with instructions to bring into the hospital any other British and American evaders.

Day 16 : August 29th


Peter's courrier Christianne turned up with news that she had to escort him on a special journey to collect some badly needed money to help pay for the 21 Allied prisoners to get back to England. Special arrangements had been made with London to make some money available but it had to be collected in Paris. Some of the guys had some escape money left but no where near enough for a van or lorry and the petrol for the journey.

Day 17 : August 30th

At 6am Peter and Christianne mingled with the early morning workers at Angoulême railway station and bought tickets for Paris. They had 'introduction cards' to deliver to the 'safe house' located at 16, rue Belhomme in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, specially written postcards. Peter also had an identity card saying that we was a railway inspector and had used his special photo from his escape kit. Christianne was posing as his assistant. During the uneventful but nerve racking journey their documents were inspected and stamped several times. They arrived at Paris and alighted into the crowds of the recently liberated city.

That evening they called at the 'safe house' which was situated at the bottom of the steps leading up to Sacré Coeur. They delivered the cards and collected a small leather handbag stuffed with bank notes. Christianne collected some letters and cards to take back to her family. That night they stayed in rooms above a café called 'le chapeau Rouge'.

Day 18 : August 31st


Up early and boarding an early morning train for the return to Angoulême, Peter and Christianne were among German soldiers also on the train probably trying to get back to Germany ahead of the advancing Allied troops.
They arrived back at Angoulême where most of the Germans had left but fighting continued in the town between the Résistance (Brigade Rac and other local groups) and the remaining German troops until late in the evening when the town was liberated. Peter and Christianne got back to the hospital and were met by the others, relieved and happy to see them back safely along with the money needed.

Day 19 : September 1st


With the town now liberated a local Maquis Commander called a meeting to make arrangements for the liberated prisoner's departure. They were told to get ready and move when called. The men took part in celebrations in the town and paraded outside the hospital at noon. The Allied airmen paraded up to the Town Hall and were invited to a Liberation lunch. 

Day 20 and 21 : September 2nd and 3rd


The Fougère family who lived over the road from the hospital and had brought in food and translated for them threw a party to say goodbye to the British, American and Canadian airmen who had been kept at the hospital. After the war the family would remain in contact with some of the men. Peter Antwis and Freddie Stearn returned to Angoulême to visit them and say thanks in 1995 accompanied by their families and Peter Lorimer, the Australian pilot who at this point was still trapped in occupied France and being looked after by the Gueran family in Saujon.

Christianne took her father home from hospital and Peter Antwis went along to help meeting the rest of their family. He then walked back to the hospital to collect his few belongings and with all the other guys boarded a truck to leave Angoulême for a small aerodrome at Feytiat 13 km south east from Limoges. A Red Cross worker called Daniel, who had looked after the men, went along with them as far as Rochechouart where he lived.

That evening the men arrived at the aerodrome which was controlled now by the Resistance. They were divided into small groups and joined twenty or so other Allied airmen, some who had been hiding in France for more than nine months. After midnight smoke markers and torches were set up for the landing strip. At 1am a twin engine plane could be heard and the landing lights were lit to aid the plane land, a USAAF Dakota, Carpetbagger mission "Gunner". The plane landed and dropped of some agents and supplies then prepared for take off. Some, but not all of the men boarded the plane.

At 2am sounds of a second plane could be heard. This time Peter Antwis and his group were told to get ready. As soon as the Dakota landed the men crowded to get aboard but first helped unload dozen of boxes of ammunition, medical supplies, radio kits, three bicycles and half a dozen suitcases. There were 24 in Peter's group who were each given a bottle of Bordeaux wine as they boarded the plane.

It was nearly three weeks since Peter and his crew had left their RAF base at Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire. All the crew were there bar the pilot Peter Lorimer, at this point the men did not know whether or not he had survived the crash landing at La Coubre. Flying at 8000 feet Peter Antwis recalls that it was bitterly cold and in complete darkness. They landed at 0620 at Harrington USAAF air base, they were given breakfast in the Officer's mess, "Yankee style" he describes it - Ice cream, fresh oranges, bacon, eggs, sausages and coffee which bared no resemblance to what they had drunk while captured in France.

That evening they were taken to the Interrogation unit in London, kept in seperate cells and not offered clean clothes, baths or medical attention.

September 4th


Interrogation continued and they were given forms to sign to say that would speak to no one about their experiences. They were issued with a rail warrant, emergency ration cards and five shillings. They were told to report to the nearest Rail Transportation Officer and go home.

September 5th


Peter Antwis returned home and was met by his father at Johnston railway station in Pembrokeshire. It was to be 49 years before Peter would be in contact again with the pilot Peter Lorimer and hear the story of how he survived the crash at La Coubre.

September 13th


Peter Lorimer and the Gueran family learnt that the town of Saujon had been liberated by the Brigade Rac, Maquis from the Dordogne-Nord and now part of the F.F.I. (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur) and that the Germans had left the town. Celebrations were short lived as they then learnt that the Germans were trying to take back the town. They returned, ransacked part of the town and then left to their stronghold around Royan. Before the Germans returned, Peter Lorimer and the Gueran family fearing reprisals joined a small group of people who left Saujon to get to a liberated area. The next morning they came into contact with the F.F.I. and Peter and the Gueran family parted company.


La Brigade Rac on the outskirts of Saujon - mid September 1944

Peter went with the F.F.I. in the direction of Cognac and stayed with them at a large farmhouse. In the morning they drove on to a village where a black Citroën then took Peter into Cognac, liberated by the Brigade Rac on 1st September. He was interviewed by a local F.F.I. Commander, answering lots of questions on his mission, the crash and where and with whom he had been looked after. He was then issued with a pass and handed over to Robert Martell and taken to his house in Cognac.

Peter was shown round the distillery and told how the dates had been swapped over on old and new casks so when the Germans arrived none of the old cognac was taken. Peter would then spend two days with another family, M. and Mme d'Angeac vineyard owners just outside of Cognac.

September 22nd


Peter Lorimer was picked up again by the F.F.I. in the same black Citroën as before and taken into Angoulême where he stayed at the Hotel de Bordeaux, 236 - 238 Rue de Bordeaux and awaited transport either to Limoges or north. 

Peter spent several days in Angoulême awaiting news of his transportation. One evening in a local bar he had heard a supposed member of the F.T.P., a predominately communist group of the Résistance, say that after they had finished with the Germans they would then start on the British. Peter decided that it was time to leave, so the next morning he settled his hotel bill and left.

As he made his way out of Angoulême he noticed a van with its engine running and the driver no where to be seen so he jumped in and headed out of the city north. He did not get far as at the first major road intersection he was stopped by American soldiers. He explained his story and showed them his pass obtained at Cognac and answered lots of questions regarding German positions near Royan. He was offered a lift up to Paris and arrived there a few days later.

He contacted an R.A.F. reception there but they did not offer too much help, just an address for a hotel and a token for a taxi. The next morning he was picked up by a Jeep and taken to the nearest R.A.F. HQ for de-briefing. They were keen to hear what had happened to the Lancaster and if there were any problems with the controls that he could report.

He was given a pass and the address of a Hostel and with help from the Salvation Army acquired some pyjamas, a razor, some soap and a comb. He was still dressed in the same clothes he had been given back in Saujon.

The next morning he reported to Kodak House, the HQ of the R.A.A.F. (Royal Australian Air Force) where he was issued with a new uniform and given some money so he was able to send telegrams back to Australia telling his family that he was okay.

After a medical Peter Lorimer returned to England where he was told that he could not fly operations again with his crew as they had been captured and if captured again would be shot as spies. As it turned out he was not able to fly operations again due to the damage to his ear that he received during the crash landing. He was then posted back to Australia. He arrived there in early January 1945 and resumed flying later on in June. Unfortunately it was not long before he realised the whistling in his ear made it impossible to hear the Radio Operator and he was finally discharged in October 1945.


Photo taken in April 1995 in the garden of the Fougère home.
From left to right : Bill Gray's daughter Anne and her husband, Peter Antwis and his daughter Laura, Fred Stearn

In April 1995 Peter Antwis, Fred Stearn and Peter Lorimer were invited over to France to take part in many ceremonies celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Royan. They came over with their families and visited the Fougère family at Angoulême, the museum of La Poche de Royan and the town of Saujon where they were each given the Medal of the Town, presented by the Mayor. After their visit to the museum they were part of a banquet attended by 120 people. The ceremonies were organised by Phillipe Lelaurain and Bernard Ballanger. M. Ballanger has kindly sent the colour photos below taken during the Allied airmen's visit.

Photo taken on April 15th 1995
M. Georges-Henri Dubois, the Mayor of Saujon presenting the Medal of the Town to Fred Stearn

The Mayor of Saujon presenting the Medal of the Town to Peter Antwis

The Mayor of Saujon presenting the Medal of the Town to Peter Lorimer

Photo taken on April 15th 1995 at the lunch organised by Philippe Lelaurain and Bernard Ballanger.
From left to right :
Peter Antwis, Fred Stearn and Peter Lorimer

Photo taken on 18th April 1995 at the château Otard de Cognac, from left to right :
Philippe Lelaurain, Francis Anderson "Andy", Robert Wilcox "Peck", Peter Lorimer, Fred Stearn and Bernard Ballanger
Photo taken on April 18th 1995 at Cognac Air Base with three pilots from the acrobatic team "Les Cartouches Dorées"
Allied airmen from left to right : Sergeant Francis Anderson "Andy", Lt Robert Wilcox "Peck", Peter Antwis, Peter Lorimer and Fred Stearn
I am very grateful to Rosemary Antwis, Bernard Ballanger and Phillipe Fougère, Pierre Fougère's grandson for all their help with this article. 




Bordeaux le 13 avril 2017 : Soirée Résistance à la Villa 88

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Section Spéciale de SabotageÉvènement

Soirée Résistance à la Villa 88 à Bordeaux

"Villa 88" en partenariat avec "l'Association Nationale des Amis de Jean Moulin", vous convie à participer à une soirée thématique : "Résistance et Engagement d'hier et d'aujourd'hui" le jeudi 13 avril à 19 heures, 88 rue Saint Genès à Bordeaux.

Marie Nancy, scénariste-réalisatrice TV, vous propose de découvrir son film " Les Saboteurs de l'Ombre et de La Lumière" produit par Grand-Angle et France 3, sur l'engagement de son oncle, grand résistant : le Capitaine Jacques Nancy. La projection sera suivie d'un moment d'échange et de convivialité autour d'un verre accompagné de saveurs.

Pour des raisons d'organisation, nous vous demandons de réserver très rapidement votre (vos) place(s) en envoyant un mail à elisabeth.vigne@villa88.fr.

Le nombre de places est limité à 80. L'accès à cette soirée ne sera pas possible sans réservation ou inscription au préalable. Pensez y !



Application mobile - "Lieux de memoire 1940-1945"

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Recherche

Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer la mise en service de l'application mobile "Lieux de mémoire 1940-1945" réalisée et gérée par le département AERI de la Fondation de la Résistance, 16-18 place Dupleix, 75015 Paris.


Grâce à cette application mobile, chacun peut :

- Géolocaliser les lieux de mémoire se situant à proximité́ et découvrir les événements associés,

- Rechercher des lieux de mémoire dans d’autres secteurs géographiques,

- Photographier et envoyer à l’équipe du Département AERI les lieux manquants, contribuant ainsi à l’enrichissement de l’application.

Disponible sur App Store et Google Play.




                                                          fbourree@aeri-resistance.com


TELECHARGER LE MODE D'EMPLOI     

Musée de la Résistance en ligne (lien)

Musée de la Résistance en ligne - Facebook (lien)


Libération de Royan - Lundi 17 avril 2017

$
0
0
Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique ÉvènementLieu de mémoireBrigade Rac



LIBÉRATION DE ROYAN - LUNDI 17 AVRIL 2017

DÉROULEMENT

Les cérémonies commémoratives de 72ème Anniversaire de la Libération de Royan se dérouleront le LUNDI 17 AVRIL 2017, selon le programme suivant :

10h00 : Inauguration de l'Esplanade du 5ème Bataillon de Marche Antillais et Guyanais - Rassemblement à la pointe du Chay
  • Allocution de Monsieur Didier QUENTIN, Député-Maire
  • Dévoilement de la plaque
  • Garde à vous
  • Dépôt de gerbes
  • Sonneries aux Morts
  • Minute de silence
  • La Marseillaise (refrain)
  • Salut aux porte-drapeaux
10h30 : Rassemblement à la stèle de la 2ème D.B. (square du 8 mai 1945)
  • Garde à vous
  • Dépôt de gerbes
  • Sonnerie "Aux Morts"
  • Moment de silence
  • Hymne National (La Marseillaise) (1 couplet - 1 refrain)
  • La Marche de la 2ème D.B.
11h00 : Rassemblement à la stèle de la Brigade RAC (square brigade RAC)
  • Garde à vous 
  • Dépôt de gerbes 
  • Sonneries "Aux Morts"
  • Moment de silence
  • Hymne national (La Marseillaise) (1 couplet - 1 refrain)
  • Allocution de Madame CEZARD (fille du colonel RAC) - amicale de la brigade RAC 
  • Remise de la médaille de la Ville par Monsieur Didier QUENTIN, député-maire, à M. Marcel BELLY (ancien de la Brigade RAC) 
  • Chant de la Brigade RAC
11h30 : Rassemblement au Monument aux Morts (Place Foch)
  • Garde à vous
  • Lever des Couleurs
  • Hymne National (La Marseillaise) (1 couplet - 1 refrain)
  • Allocution de Monsieur Didier QUENTIN, Député-Maire
  • Dépôt de gerbes
  • Sonnerie "Aux Morts"
  • Moment de silence
  • Hymne national (La Marseillaise) (1 couplet - 1 refrain)
  • Salut aux porte-drapeaux
12h00 : Vin d'honneur sous le préau de la "Villa Marine"

Viewing all 631 articles
Browse latest View live