I had the pleasure of spending last Saturday morning in the company of one of our neighbours.
He is 97 years old and he was a member of the local French Resistance group. I went to repair his old Renault 4L that he still drives locally. I got chatting to him about his life and the about WWII. His Father was head of the local resistance group and he was an active member. His now lives opposite the house that was the old family home. They had 7 allied airman staying there in early 1944. Canadian, US, Australian and British. he was telling me how it was dificult to get enough food sometimes and also that they had a language problem; with the exception of the Canadian who knew a few words of French. A girl from the village helped translate when she could. the airmen were transfered to Freteval forest just south of Chateaudun. The story of that camp is quite incredible; with over 150 airmen camped out in occupied France waiting for the Liberation. He also told me that he spotted someone (colabo') snooping around and they had to move boxes of explosives from the house to a cache by the river. He explained the the colaborator went back to Paris and was got by the resistance later on! Just before the liberation in late August, the German tanks were hidden nearby in the Moleans forest. Allied bombed the forest twice; but he explained that the second time all they bombed was wood! because the Germans moved them after the first attempt.
A very interesting morning and a real pleasure to have the opportunity to chat.
The Freteval Forest - WW2 Escape Lines Memorial Society
