Spy, saboteur, hero

photo BernardLanglais/AFP

Robert "Bob" Maloubier who died yesterday (Tuesday 21st April) aged 92, had a life reminiscent of a real life James Bond. He left France aged 19 to join the British forces during the second was and was recruited into Churchill's "secret army" the SOE. Twice parachuted into France to lead sabotage operations and organise resistance groups, Bob received the DSO from King George VI.
After the war he helped to set up French frogman service, including designing the most successful underwater watch.
Last year, during the 70th anniversary of the liberation invasion, he was awarded an OBE by the Queen. His dapper presence became familiar in documentaries and TV programmes in recent times.
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Shy heroine honoured

93 year old British born Pippa Doyle, who now lives in New Zealand, was yesterday awarded the Legion d'Honneur by the French Ambassador. In 1944, then aged 21 and a fluent French speaker, Pippa was parachuted behind German lines in Normandy. Code named Paulette, Mrs Doyle did not reveal her courageous actions even to her 4 children, until 15 years ago.
Marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of France a campaign to recognise these heroes will mean 5 more New Zealand Legionnaires.
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At the end of the second world war Das Reich passed through Varen

Talking to a French villager yesterday in Varen he told me his mother told him often before she died of part of a Das Reich division leaving Varen and the environs.
The family have a house at the crossroads in Varen and the soldiers gathered from outposts roundabout and asked the way to Montauban. Their  division was based at Montauban. She says the young soldiers were scared as farmers round about had been finding out their hunting rifles and taking pot shots at them as they passed. His mother said she recognised the Commandant in newspapers at a later date as she had seen him around the area. These soldiers are the same who went on to hang people at Tulle and later set fire to the church at Oradour.
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70 years ago yesterday there was a victory dance at Mas del Sol

Tonight we were invited for aperos to the young  neighbours over the road. They had also invited all the French people who lived in the vicinity.
A previous owner of Mas del Sol  was there. He said he had been told by very elderly people in the  coin / corner, that on the day the Germans left the area, a  celebration dance was held in the courtyard of Mas del Sol.
 All the farmers and agriculteurs from round about came and celebrated, singing and dancing Oh! how I would have loved photos of that. I will try and delve more into this story.
Val says again I have just agreed with Malc in 10 years time we will have a victory celebration in the courtyard as a commemoration. Malc says " but I will be 80" not to worry say I, you've never been able to dance but you can sing. Book your celebration dance tickets now !!! ( joke)
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Dancing in the streets of Paris

When the French and American troops entered Paris 70 years ago this week there was a spontaneous bal in the streets of the capital. To mark the liberation a more organised dance will be held in front of the City Hall on Saturday. Many revellers may be in 1944 costume.
Prime Minister Valls delivered a fairly back-handed compliment to the Paris police force yesterday when he praised them for being the first group to rebel against the occupiers and take over their HQ, saying that they restored "republican values, which they should never have surrendered" - a reference to the close collaboration of the police with the Germans, especially in rounding up Jews for deportation.
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A ceremony this evening at Montauban

11 novembre 1942 : La Wehrmacht entre dans Montauban et occupe les points stratégiques de la ville.

6 avril 1944 : La division SS das Reich s'installe à Montauban.

24 juillet 1944 : 4 corps de résistants sont retrouvés pendus aux acacias de la place du Maréchal Pétain (future Place des Martyrs).

16 et 17 août 1944 : La milice française et la Gestapo quitte Montauban dans la précipitation.

19 août 1944 : Une colonne allemande tente de traverser Montauban pour rejoindre Toulouse, ils échouent suite aux combats du Rond.

24 août 1944 : Les forces de Libération entrent à Montauban.

3 septembre 1944 : La libération est fêtée et la nouvelle municipalité se met en place.

This day 70 years ago Montauban was liberated.  tonight there will be a commemoration meeting with 3 of the original survivors going.

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Two reasons to remember 15th August

Today is a national holiday to mark the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, ie the day that Christians believe Christ's mother ascended to Heaven, but also it marks the day that French and Allied troops landed in the south of France as part of the liberation in 1944. Some two months after the Normandy landings the beaches of the Var were pounded by bombs then followed the troops in their landing craft. The generals had reckoned that it would take about 2 months to complete the operation, but in fact only 13 days were needed to secure the ports of Marseille and Toulon. Ceremonies will be held in various cities to mark the invasion, in which some 4000 soldiers were killed.
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Pictures of the liberation sites, then and now.

The link goes to a site with pictures of the 1944 invasion of France by Allied troops, but when you click on the picture (or swipe from left to right)  it dissolves to the site as it looks today, 70 years later. The scenes are so different that it is hard to imagine the horror and heroism of those days - just here and there is there a memorial to be seen.
Thanks to John Dawson for the link

Interactive 1944 pictures
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