Stay with Jean-Pierre, François and Michel
in the Pyrenees in summer 19407211
The German invasion occurred brutally in the spring of 1940 and surprised everyone. On 17 June, the cars and tanks of the 7th Panzer Division of Rommel crossed Coutances from the South, chasing the English who were driving a few hours earlier, at all speed to get back to Cherbourg. There was no more French army. De Gaulle went rather unnoticed at first. Pétain's armistice was a little desperate relief. Everything had been prepared, luggage, cars to flee on the morning of 18 June. But the 18th was too late and worried, the three great boys walked away to escape the Germans and try to find a boarding for England.
Memories of François:
"At the end of May 1940, in the middle of a breakup, Mother accompanied us, Jean-Pierre and I, to Le Mans, by car, to pass the writing of Centrale; the oral was removed, and we were both received.
When the Germans passed to Coutances in the direction of Cherbourg, this put an end to the planned southward departure project and the cars already loaded for the next day. However, that very night, Jean-Pierre, Michel and I were leaving with a bag on their backs, trying to escape from the Germans, towards the south. We went almost 50 km. in the night, as discreetly as possible, to learn in Avranches that the Germans were already well beyond. So we came back, and we settled, with Michel Vincent, in Agon, in the house of the Dupuis.
When we learned, at the beginning of July, that the X's oral was taking place in Toulouse as the candidates arrived, we left, Jean-Pierre, Michel and I, and were greeted by the Matuszek, comrade of Papa from the Henri IV high school, after a trip of three days and three nights (with stop every night for fear of bombing, in the yards !!). (Inter-areas not yet occupied were not in place, it was enough to take the train, but the day of arrival was unknown)
Then, not knowing where, when, or how the high schools were going to take over, Matuszek sent us all three, plus his eldest son Jean, to one of his projects (he was the boss of the Pyrenean Society of Electrical Energy); that's how we made topography during the month of August in Monlédier, near Mazamet, with as boss Mr. Arnoulin who taught us the profession ... and that I received my first salary.
Since things were not clarified for the start of the season, Matuszek sent us to the dam of Naguilles (central of Orlu, near Ax-les Thermes), where we discovered, with the barrage guard (called "Cacahouète") the Pyrenees at the borders of France, Spain and Andorra, trout fishing in the dam, the pursuit of the isards, the Daniel peak, the Lake of the Bouillous, and a very beautiful region.
Finally, at the end of September, the students' repatriation to Paris was "organized", and we returned (note that this return by train, in cattle wagons, led us, from the Matabiau station, in two hours to another railway station in Toulouse, that we had the surprise to see the sea on the right (we arrived in Sète), then, after two days and two nights, we arrived in Paris by the Gare du Nord !!); for a school year beginning in October.
Here is a series of photos taken by François and Michel in the Pyrenees:
A question or a correction? Write to Yohann or Christophe
Each document is part of our history.Continue exploration