Hello Val,
Here is a little stringer item about the Maquis d’Ornano commemoration that took place today.
‘George’, the code name for the last surviving member of the German attack on the 21st March 1944, is seen in the middle of the group of three in one of the photos: he is now 92 years old, and comes down from Paris every year to take part.
This year, the president of the association paid particular tribute to the RAF crews who flew supplies to the area, and parachuted them down to the waiting maquis: words very much appreciated.
Regards,
Ross JENKINS
This morning in bitter rain, wind and hail about 100 of us gathered high on the causse between Penne and Cazal to remember the 70thanniversary of the massacre of six of the Maquis d’Ornano by a German detachment based at Gaillac on 21 March 1944. They were attacked as they spirited away a parachute drop from two Halifax planes from RAF Tempsford. Now there are now only two survivors of the actual attack and only one, aged 92, was able to attend this year as his comrade had recently broken his toe.
The commemoration was very moving with a Mass presided over by a priest who seems to be almost as old as the survivor, followed by the ceremony of commemoration for those who had been killed. Wreaths were laid, a young man shouted out the name of each of the killed while another responded ‘Mort pour la France’ and the flags of about 12 of the local groups of anciens combatants were solemnly lowered to the ground and raised again.
We had voted before we went there and I found myself thinking of the phrase found in many war cemeteries around the world ‘They died that we might be free’
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| The oldest survivor of the Maquis d'Ornano (centre) remembers his comrades |
