7225
Jean Cordelle in Paris, to Jean Hausermann in Rosario, draft letter, sent via ? has she arrived ?
3 December 1943
My dear Jean,
We were very happy to receive your letter from the end of September. (1943, arrival how ?? and with photos) For we had been without direct news of you for a year; the photos were looked at a lot, especially John Paul is completely transformed. Of course we passed all this on to the Saillard family. (there is no more demarcation line, the Germans have been everywhere in France since November 42, and therefore the mail flows)J-a also did what was necessary to pay Marcelle 15000F; she is no longer here, she settled in Mayenne, in the country of one of her cousins. Good news of Germaine's family, except for the death of Madame Noble a few weeks ago in her small property in Ste Anne.
I'm now reviewing the family; the 4 parents are not rejuvenating, of course, but they claim to keep themselves still.
(they are around 45 – 49 years old)Yves is now 13 1⁄2, 1m70 in size, he is second this year and continues his studies without history. François left Polytechnic School in August, is now an engineer of the PTT; he is engaged with Nicole Le Mée, daughter-in-law of Dessus. Michel has left the Higher School of Electricity and is happy to have been recalled more or less to his first occupations (Where is he? I don't remember exactly, I appeal to the memories of François, Michel who should be able to give details)He is also engaged to a young girl whom we have recently met. Philippe was completely handed over from his pleurisy and returned to Paris at the end of 1942 and works with our country neighbour who has a large feeding house; he is engaged to a young girl from Caen, cousin of Brunville. Jean-Pierre has been married since June with Thérèse Poivre (I also appeal to the memories of Jean-Pierre and Philippe, they could tell us a lot of things about this complicated and difficult time) He has just left Central and works with his father-in-law; a baby is expected for next spring. We spent the summer in the old house, so far in order although we are having some difficulties there at the moment;
The castle still housed one or two junior officers, including Lieutenant De Vries, a Latin professor in Rhineland (? ), married to a Swiss woman, with 2 young children; my parents and Aunt Suzon had forged some friendships with this German officer who was not militarist or Nazi and who made no illusions about the end of Germany and his own death in combat – he was killed in Arromanches on 6 June 1944 – buried in St-Come de Fresné.
I remember this summer, the first time we spent I think I could not go to the beach, forbidden to civilians,
Although I remember walking through the chicane of the anti-tank wall, there was no blockhouse yet; perhaps it was at Easter 43)
The system of identity cards issued in Vierville was on the road, in fact I don't remember German control, even at Bayeux station when the train descended from Paris. In Vierville, the Germans were quite debunk, happy not to be on the eastern front where the survival rate was low.
Martha (Tatou) was permanently in Vierville. I don't remember the guards, if it was only one day they set fire to their fireplace. The local firefighters were powerless, he was a German soldier who mounted on the roof edge, sat on horseback on the ridge and poured buckets of water (which he was raised) through the top hole of the chimney.
I also remember that, weaned from beach and sea, we were (some big, which ones?, and me) by the fields of the cliff see, in hiding, the sea closer, beyond the house Gambier.
We (Philippe, Jean-Pierre, François , Michel , Brigitte, me) often saw the children of Brunville, Olivier and Isabelle, while completely ignoring their clandestine activities (the Brunville family had helped an English commando officer escaped from the British hand of 12 September 42 in St-Laurent, 11 men landed, 3 killed, 9 taken by the Germans and 1 collected by the Brunvilles.
We go there from time to time (by train from Paris, then bus from Bayeux, sometimes by bike from Bayeux) . Mom is fine. Aunt, always at her retirement home in Auteuil. I forgot to tell you about Brigitte, a 17-year-old girl who is preparing her bacchot.
We'd be happy to know you received that letter. (?)
And here we all gather to kiss you all 4 very affectionately
Jean Cordelle
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