Young, Brave and Beautiful Page 15
Lise updated Denise with what Lucien had told her of the Sueurs. Before Denise could comment, she insisted they move into the kitchen, where they could discuss things while Denise put the final touches to the meal. The two women clearly had a good relationship – socially and commercially.
Since their beloved Normandy had been occupied by the enemy, through the Sueurs’ Micheline fashion store, Lise and Denise, along with Jean and Florentine, had been serving the German military male and female staff, wives, fiancées and mistresses at highly inflated prices while serving the Allied cause through their clandestine activities. The occupiers’ edict was that German marks must be accepted, which was not popular with French businesses, but it was very easy to inflate the prices by two or three times when the enemy wanted nothing more than to impress the woman beside him.
‘I’m sure you would like to share a bottle of a very special wine I’ve been keeping for the right occasion. I can’t think of a better moment, can you?’ Receiving affirmative smiles, Denise asked Lise if she would open it. ‘We should be eating in the dining room. I don’t know what the world’s coming too,’ she laughed as she took the bottle and poured deep red burgundy into lead-crystal glasses.
‘Charles proved to be an exceptionally careful man and set up excellent networks before the terrible events of November of last year. He’s had great success but now all that has changed – very much for the worse, I’m afraid. Of the hundred or so members in the Rouen group alone, only a handful remain,’ explained Lise.
Violette said, ‘I do hope Lucien can provide me with a bicycle as I need to get around much more quickly to meet your Résistants.’ Laughingly, she explained: ‘I’m already suffering from blisters from all the walking I’ve done in the last few days over cobblestones. I don’t want to use the tramways too much nor taxis, of course, but walking everywhere on foot is so slow and I think I’d be much less noticeable with a bike, don’t you?’
The two women nodded.
Violette continued, ‘It’s important I meet a few people in this zone, discover more precisely what’s happened and who’s been arrested, who’s still free and willing to continue. And there was a garagiste …’
‘That cannot be so easily arranged,’ remarked Lise drily. ‘You see, he has been shot, as has his friend, our other garage owner, Chevallier.’
‘Yes, I do know that,’ interjected Violette. ‘But the remaining stores and plans …?’
‘Perhaps it would be useful if you accompany me to the garage that Georges Philippon owned in rue des Abattoirs. It’s unbelievable that he’s been executed.’ Tears welled unbidden. Lise blew her nose and continued, ‘It’s also a huge blow, as Jo was not only the main dump for weapons in Rouen but also the leader of one of the principal reception committees.’
Lise and Denise went on to explain what they understood to have happened. They were a little unsure here and there of exact names or field names, but generally they went back over the ground Violette had already covered over the last two days and gave her as much detail as she could possibly absorb in one sitting. She was now forming a much clearer picture of the events over the last six months.
‘So there must have been a serious betrayal, don’t you think?’ interrupted Violette. The two women looked at one another, embarrassed. But Violette continued, ‘I believe this is linked to other groups that have been blown in the south and further to the north. My feeling is that it started much further up the chain of command. But I can’t imagine where. What do you think?’
‘It’s certainly possible,’ remarked Denise, relieved that she wasn’t being targeted.
‘Well, you’ve undoubtedly understood the situation quickly. I’ve heard some things, but first we’ll fill you in on our specific network, Charles’s Salesman circuit,’ cut in Lise. She gave a quick review of the situation, with Denise filling in where she was able.
It turned out that Georges Philippon (Jo) had been another external and much valued member of the very successful Maquis group that had worked so hard behind the scenes for Philippe. For security reasons, Philippe did not wish to know personally too many of the Maquisards who undertook some of the activities he had planned with Bob Maloubier (Robert Mortier). Bob was involved in training members of the Maquis, some of whom passed the training on to other members and groups.
Without the work of these two SOE agents, the Diables Noirs, a highly effective Maquis group, and affiliated groups would not have received nearly as much material or medical supplies. The Maquis were now hidden in a huge manmade cave and many of them would have died of starvation and illness – especially when there had been a deadly outbreak of diphtheria in the huge underground cave. So, in return for the help and very quietly, through intermediaries and cutouts, they had helped carry out most of Philippe’s sabotage activities in Rouen and Le Havre as well as collecting much military intelligence and items such as coupons, identity papers and zone interdite passes. Without the work of the Diables Noirs and affiliated groups, SOE and Philippe would not have had the success they had.
‘I was pretty sure,’ interjected Violette, although no direct mention had been made of the Diables Noirs, ‘there were more involved than those within the confines of Charles’s Salesman circuit. Monsieur Philippon had a large cache of arms, mostly dropped from American and British aircraft over the last few months, but I do realise some members of the Maquis are complaining that they’ve had no supplies for some considerable—’
‘Quite,’ cut in Lise sharply. ‘The problem is keeping the weapons out of the hands of young chaps who start running amok, thinking they’re winning the war all by themselves. Georges kept a tight hold on his depot of weapons and other supplies. He had been waiting for directions from London via agents like you.’
‘It will be vital,’ Violette explained, ‘to find two more secure dumps because, as the invasion is imminent, the British are impatient to send over much larger supplies of weapons so the Résistance movement is well armed and can prepare the ground by disrupting the enemy in every possible way. There’re viaducts, railway lines, telegraph and telephone lines to be destroyed as well as enemy fuel dumps, food supplies – all possible lines of communication.’
‘Let’s eat!’ declared Denise, amazed that things might start moving fast indeed and trying to lighten the mood a little. As they settled down to the meal, she told them with rare gaiety that as the meat ration was so small, everyone said it could easily be wrapped in a Métro ticket! However, from the farms around Ry she had found some black market sausage and put some sliced saucisses into the pie to give it more flavour. She explained to Violette that Ry is about thirty kilometres from Rouen, on the way to Amiens.
Lise thought the meal was superb and did not know how Denise could manage so well on the rations saying that she must be one of the best débrouillardes around. She said she had heard that the greatest victory the Germans had achieved so far is getting the French to eat swede. But they were a good substitute for potatoes if needs must. Denise smilingly exclaimed that, awful as they were, they might even get a taste for them as they all laughed.
They chatted more generally over lunch. Denise shared some of the tips women used to create meals in these hard times of short rations. Although farming country with plentiful produce, Normandy had most of its output requisitioned by the Germans to feed the local troops or to send by rail and truck to Germany. Bien entendu, the best went to Hitler, Himmler and the rest of the Nazi Party elite.
Violette half-listened while considering all she had heard: places, names and activities. She could write down some of what she was hearing on rice paper to be sewn into one of her garments. She did not want to make notes in front of these two women as it would affect her own competence in their eyes. She needed to remember it all as accurately as possible, perhaps just write down a few words using her own code to refresh her memory. In debriefings in London they could extract significant yet small and forgotten details by having agents recounting their activities ad
nauseam, writing it all down, going over it again and gently – or sometimes not quite so gently – teasing out little details that could have large import.
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As the afternoon drew on, Violette produced her promised gift to Denise of a bag of coffee beans. The aroma as Denise used the coffee grinder brought sighs and smiles.
Lise groaned at the wonderful aroma and asked where on earth did it come from to which Violette quipped, laughing lightly at their evident pleasure, that it was not exactly the back of a lorry, but a hole in something a little higher in the air. She added she had a bag for Lise, too.
They all enjoyed the coffee while they relaxed and chatted about the general state of affairs, their views on the Allies, and the occupation itself.
As it approached four o’clock, Violette decided to take her leave first. The conversations over lunch and coffee – although not always directly connected to her mission – had given her much on which to reflect. She now had confirmation of the arrest of a few others, but still no names of those at liberty. Did they distrust her? Or, more probably, they were preventing her betraying anyone if she was caught. A sobering thought.
Violette thanked Denise for the lovely meal and afternoon which had been informative and relaxing. She turned to Lise saying she was looking forward to the visit to the garage asking when and where they should meet and if there was anything specific that she should do.
Lise replied that she would meet Violette at the station, Gare de Saint-Sever, the next morning at eleven o’clock. She wanted to drop into the store first thing to make sure everything was fine and complete a design for an evening dress. She mentioned that there would be an arrival of a train full of permissionnaires, soldiers returning from leave in Paris. Even if the train were late the platform would be crowded. There would be other soldiers on leave or secondment for Le Havre as well as the usual business and commercial travellers. A relatively safe place to meet. To which Violette agreed.
Turning to Denise and then to Lise, Violette said with great formality and a broad smile thanking them both most sincerely for everything that they were doing and that their courage was an inspiration to her. Denise smiled back saying it was a pleasure and that Violette should not hesitate to visit here if she needed anything at all. She smiled kindly and opened the door, quickly glancing along the hall to check everything was safe for Violette to leave.
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Violette left and Lise turned to Denise expressing how impressed she was by Corinne. She was well informed, modest and intent on ensuring the orders she had been entrusted with were passed on and acted upon. She was also fun to be with.
Denise was of the same opinion saying that she had courage, too, and sang froid in abundance judging from what she had told her so far. Level headed, cautious and able to think through a problem and make good suggestions, added Denise who then said how she had refused her offer to stay at her house and that her reasoning was faultless, which was that Denise had already had Pierre with her who had now been arrested and deported. Denise said that Violette considered that if she, Denise, had another person staying so soon afterwards it would be looked upon with considerable curiosity. Denise was delighted by her but also afraid for her.
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56 Gros Horloge is the Rouennais for referring to their town clock. In French it would normally be grosse horloge, in the feminine.
57 A cutout is someone who acts temporarily as a courier or delivers messages or other items.
58 À tout à l’heure = ‘see you soon’. The phrase was picked up by soldiers, including my grandfather, Violette’s father, in the First World War trenches, to be corrupted by many to ‘toodleloo’.
12
Back to the Hotel, Arrest,
Palais de Justice
Around four o’clock, Wednesday 12 April 1944
Violette had some time to spare before the curfew at sunset. She needed to be off the streets and back in the hotel no later than seven thirty at night. Back in London, Buckmaster had handed her maps of Rouen and Le Havre, saying that bomb damage might make recognition of the streets difficult. Now, as she walked down to the quay, she could lay her mental image of the maps over the destroyed areas she saw before her. Some of the medieval winding streets had disappeared. She had also memorised geographical and topographical features in Normandy, Rouen to Le Havre and from Paris to the Belgian border, recalling her annual journeys to and from Tante Marguerite, criss-crossing Pas-de-Calais, Picardy and Nord, as well as her school days at Noyelles-sur-Mer.
She strolled down to the Quai de Corneille to examine the temporary bridges spanning the river and the various boats and barges moored along the banks. She counted the German patrol boats, barges carrying all manner of industrial equipment and how many bargemen she could see. Violette also tried to assess the weaponry on the patrol boats and other vessels commandeered by the enemy. Her SOE training in Paul Emile’s classes included recognition of German uniforms, stripes, insignia, medals and weaponry. Among the activity on the river, she attempted to differentiate military from civilian.
As she ambled along, she noticed a group of German soldiers on bicycle patrol lounging about along the wall of the quai, their bikes lying against it or propped at the kerb with packs strapped on the back, helmets slung from the handlebars. The soldiers wore peaked cloth caps and satchels. Peaceful, thought Violette, mostly young and enjoying a break in the late afternoon sunshine. Civilians passed by, ignoring the soldiers. One or two greeted them, then she saw a couple of young urchins running by, spitting in the soldiers’ direction, shouting obscenities, laughing wildly at the Germans and quickly skipping across the road to disappear into the labyrinth of lanes; an indication to Violette that the people of Rouen were fiercely resentful of the enemy occupier.
The rural people had all along been vehemently opposed to the occupation of their territory. Townspeople are always more inscrutable, but as Violette had been discovering, the people of Rouen bitterly hated the restrictions on their freedoms, the hunger and other privations, the bombings and the resultant loss of life, dreadful injuries, loss of home and possessions. The STO added to this resentment. She should pass on to London the citizens’ present mood as well as her other intelligence. She would try to get a message back to London within the next twenty-four hours. If that proved impossible, it would have to wait until her return to England, but that was not for another couple of weeks. She still had so much to do.
Violette decided not to tempt fate by walking past the patrol. She crossed the avenue to go towards the cathedral instead. On reaching Place de la Cathédrale, she was blocked from crossing the square by a soldier. He was not interested in her papers or herself. His task was to stop people entering the square. She wondered why but did not mind the forced pause. It gave her a chance to rest her aching feet and quietly look around on the pretext of admiring the cathedral. As she looked up at the spire, she heard, then saw, singing German soldiers marching onto the square from the rue des Carmes on the other side. Though these soldiers were the enemy, the richness of their singing was moving.
As they reached the square, and on a single note, the soldiers stopped their chant, halted. Their officer saluted the cathedral. The soldiers marched on. As the last soldier marched from the square, their song soared through the streets once again. How curious – moving, yet comical. Violette heard a giggle from a second-floor window of the corner house. She saw a bemused child burst into laughter over the serious antics of the cathedral-saluting officer and his singing soldiers.
She walked on, a smile lingering. There were German signs, sometimes all haphazardly collected on a single post. As she passed, intent on working out their meaning, a French Milicien tapped her on the shoulder and asked to see her papers.
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Rigid with surprise, she handed over her fake identity papers. The Milicien slowly looked them over. Although forged, the papers had come straight from the Le Havre printers who printed local Le Havre
and Rouen identity papers, ration cards (cartes d’alimentation) and accompanying coloured stamps (tickets59), passes (Ausweise, or in French, laissez passer) that were strictly allocated by the German authorities. She knew they were perfect. Résistance or Maquis groups would regularly steal wads of them from various printers scattered along the French Atlantic Wall. That’s where she remembered the name Wolf from! Wolf Printers had supplied many of the documents. A large batch had been secreted out by Lysander in early March. They had been stolen by a Le Havrais friend of one of the local Résistants in the Diables Noirs. They were therefore up to date, including minor modifications in German and French and also bore current stamps. These small differences were implemented by the Germans to ensure rigorous security. In England, zone interdite identity cards and passes were filled in by hand with the agents’ cover names by French or German-speaking people from Alsace with distinctive French or German handwriting.
Papers had to be carried at all times. An inquisitive Milicien gendarme or civil servant (fonctionnaire) could demand their production on the spot.
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The Milice, always extreme right, and the Maquis, often extreme left, were closely entwined in the fight for France in a series of harsh encounters that continued up to and well after D-Day. The Milice, cruel, collaborating and uncompromising, envied the local support the Maquis had. Furthermore, the Milice were poorly equipped even to the point of being ordered by the German authorities to stuff their pistol holsters with paper; this applied even to inner-circle salaried Miliciens due to a German natural reluctance to arm any Frenchman.
The Maquis also had to exist from 1941 to early 1944 with little or no armaments and poor or limited training. But this changed from March 1944 through to the end of the war when the Allies began supplying the Résistance, and thus the Maquis, in earnest. This included huge quantities of weaponry, money and other supplies as well as agents, wireless operators and liaison officers like Violette and Isidore Newman, in addition to sabotage, reception committee and weaponry instructors like Bob Maloubier.