THE HOME FRONT
Partisans Français
Partisans Français
The French Resistance
Le Maquis
 Homepage |
Thrilling 30's |
Partisans Français |
Home Guard Association |
Advisors |
Our Guestbook |
 Okay for Sound |
Links |
 The CC41 Shop |
About Us |
The Liberation Of
Europe Has Begun... |
|
In France, the local resistance fighters have been aware for 36 hours that 'their time had come'. A coded BBC broadcast put into action a plan developed with the partisans by Colette, an SOE agent. Contact is established with the American Airborne troops using the codename
Operation Moulin. Le Maquis target supply lines and facilities known
to be of strategic importance to the occupying forces. Local people known
to be collaborating with the Nazis are arrested and placed in the hands
of the American military police. It is an early morning in June 1944.
The group have been living in a densely wooded area, close to the main
Nazi reinforcement route north to the beach head area. |
 |
| Attacks on vehicle convoys and supply routes have been constant
since the 6th June 1944 when this main grouping of partisans became active
following initial instructions from London. Local villagers have fled the
retribution attacks by the Nazi units and have joined the group for safety. |
|
| Photographs taken at Twinwoods Campaign July 2004 by Nigel
Bewley and Bryan Webb (Partisans Francais - Hoc Baldock, Nigel Bewley, Lesley Bowden, Mark Ewing, Chris Reynolds, Louise Webb, Bryan Webb with Mollie & Alex) |
|
 |
Eve, the young courier arrives with a message for the group
and awaits a return response.
|
|
|
| Following reports of German activity in the woods, young Algie reports a forward communication base has been established. The boy from the village acts as a useful scout moving easily past German patrols in the densely wooded area. |  |
||
 |
The drop container is full of Sten guns, Sten magazines, loading
tools and spares. The group unload the container and bury
both it and the parachute. |
|
|
| The partisans launch a surprise attack on a small group of Fallschirmjager who have a radio transmission base in the woods. |  |
||
 |
Passing through villages and farmland, Le Maquis leave their mark.
This caricature was a familiar piece of graffiti in 1943/44. |
|
|
| German prisoners captured by the partisans are brought to the American front lines and handed over for questioning |  |
||
|
|
Le Maquis establish contact with the liberating army and discuss
tactics. |
||
| Working directly with forward units of US Airborne forces, the partisans highlight local objectives and enemy defensive positions are identified for possible air attack. |  |
||
 |
It is Winter 1943 and the partisans attack a railway marshaling
yard near Calais. The Nazi sentry is one of three guarding
the small access road. |
||
| It is late afternoon, with an ammunition train due from Paris. The partisans work quickly to place the TNT to cause maximum effect. Nine other active resistance fighters lay in wait at the yard entrance to raise the alarm whilst the group working on the line check for any traffic movements. |  |
||
 |
Final checks on the wiring and charges are made with minutes
to spare before the arrival of the train. Heavy rope is carried
to allow some of the group escape access to the main road from
a small railway bridge - the group will not re-form until some
hours later at an agreed rendevous point. |
||
| A small disused industrial building is a temporary home to the maquis. A radio transmission to London gives the repeated code "bleu pomme... bleu pomme" to confirm success. The explosion from the ammunition train destroyed the railway yard and blocked a small cutting with debris - it will be weeks before the yard is operational again. |  |
||
Homepage | Thrilling 30's | Partisans Français | Home Guard Association | Advisors | Our Guestbook | Okay for Sound | Links | The CC41 Shop | About Us
© Content Copyright - CC41.net 2000 - 2008
Site built and maintained by Wizard Solutions (Europe) Ltd