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“This story was submitted to the People's War website by Yvette B Mckinnel with help from Rebekkah Abraham on the behalf of London CSV. The story has been added to the site with the author's permission and she understands the site's terms and conditions."

1943

20th January - Creation of ‘La MILICE’ - Police Civile au service de Vichy; in collaboration with the Germans.

17th February - The ‘Service du Travail Obligatoire’ was instituted.

One day in the Summer, my mother was told, in secret, of two British Airmen in hiding. She went to see them on her bicycle, took them some books, went again, cooked them egg and bacon! Some time later, she was told to look out on a certain day and time. She did and saw a car drive past with these two men; they were handed from one Resistance group to another and reached the UK via Spain. One of them went to see my father, explained that he had seen my mother, although not allowed to say where or when and that we were all well. After the war, he came to see my mother here in London. He was from Catford. I now know that the man who saved them was betrayed and caught by the Gestapo in December 1943 and spent the rest of the war years in BUCHENWALD. I met him in July 1994. He was a very sick man. His heroism in saving a number of British and American airmen was recognized by King George VI and the President of the United States. I have seen the certificates.

6th September - my birthday. Whilst on the back of a bicycle going pigeon nesting with my friend, I fell off into the ditch and a passing lady put me in her horse and trap and took me to the Convent in St. Gildas to which the hospital of St. Nazaire had been evacuated. An x-ray revealed that I had a fractured skull - yet another worry for my mother.

Life became increasingly difficult for young men who were expected to do the ‘Travail Obligatoire’. This could affect John. Many hid in farms or joined the Resistance. If discovered, they would be arrested. I heard that a train load of such young men were taken at Redon.

By late July, the Allies had landed in Sicily. On 3rd September, Italy was invaded and surrendered on the 7th.

We continued sending and receiving messages to and from my father through the Red Cross (London, Geneva, Paris, St Gildas and vice versa). These took at least 3 months or over. Once we were without news for 13 months. These messages consisted of 25 words. Occasionally, one would be cut out by the Censor. Otherwise, on two occasions, a radio message from my father, on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ radio broadcasts in London, was heard by other relatives. There was a radio hidden in the convent, to which my mother would listen and pass on the news. On a few other occasions, we received a letter from my father, which had been posted to us, in France, by a secret agent, dropped from London.

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