War letters from Maurice Rougier
10 May to 24 June 1940
Letter of 10 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (Sedan sector) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"Wednesday, May 10, 1940
My darling
This little word in haste to tell you that I am fine. We have been on alert since this morning 7 am, I think we are in the second phase of the war, I am glad that you are no longer in Dijon where you could receive bombs. Of course it is no longer a question of internship.
Tender kisses and tomorrow
your country
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Letter of 11 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (Sedan sector) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"Saturday, May 11, 1940
My darling
I'm writing you in a hurry because I have a lot of work to do today and we're moving to the advanced PC at 9pm.
The situation is normally developing in front of us, the Boches are only about 20 km away from the border, but they start to ring our roads, bridges and cantonments. Yesterday night they machine-gunned a post near the patelin and this morning at 6 am dropped 6 bombs at 1200m.
The civilian evacuees began their exodus and the Boches had the cruelty of firing one of their sad columns on a bridge this morning.
I kiss you all.
your country
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Letter of 12 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (Sedan sector) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"Sunday, May 12
My darling
I've been thinking about you today on this holy day when the children are doing their private communion.
I hear the letters are going to be five days late.
(for security, manage the spy mail...)So I don't know when you're gonna get it.
The battle is pretty hard, I think, but we've been relatively quiet in our new corner. I think the big fight is going on, God forbid! But don't worry about my little one.
I'm kissing you all three.
your Mauritius
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Military Franchise Card of 15 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (on the Aisne, area of Rethel) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon (appointed on May 21 at 9 am - postmark...
"Wednesday, May 15
I'm fine, touching kisses Maurice"
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Letter of 17 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (on the Aisne area of Rethel) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
and one letter envelope addressed Cancon, with post office in the armies of May 19 and stamp of arrival in Cancon on May 24
"Friday, May 17, 1940
My darling
I'm getting your letters from Monday and Tuesday, maybe you haven't received many from me, but since those 8 days we don't know how we live. I also got the one from Sunday children, but that one yesterday.
We lived 4 days hard on 11, 12, 13 and 14 and anxious, asking us at times if the Boches were not going to take us into the PC. We were in any case miraculously protected from the bombings. Where we were they did not throw any bombs while the surrounding villages were smoking ruins, fortunately because the concrete shelter was not finished and we were in houses sheltered from the illuminating fuses.
After 4 days we were raised and sent back..?.. to the rear, relative, threatened by the bombs..?. to go back in line, but it's quieter and after that we re-assembled.
All the villages where we are evacuated, the civilians have fled and we live in a poppie.
The patlins where Cecile's friends are are half destroyed and in the hands of the Boches. What's tougher about it is that we don't sleep much, but this...
I kiss you all very tenderly.
your Mauritius
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Letter card of 20 May, sent from a new PC under Amiens, arrived on May 31 in Cancon,
"Monday, May 20, 1940
My darling
We left our corner that had become quiet and are now somewhere else. The situation is very serious, we can stop the Boches in their lead, hopefully we barely sleep and eat when we can preserve them but I'm fine, that's what we're paying for the mistakes of the crazy years of the popu front! Finally, trust again, my little one, and my tender kisses to you three
your country
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Letter of 23 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"May 23
No news of you for a long time.
I'm fine, the last two days have been pretty tough, since yesterday it's getting better.
I'm finishing because we're leaving in three-four minutes.
I kiss you tenderly
your country
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Letter of 25 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"25 May
My darling
I received yesterday in block 6 of your letters. I haven't written to you for a long time, but we were a few days without a vaguemestre and no connection, now it's going to go well, I wanted to buy postcards to send a word more often but I didn't find one.
We've been in a PC for two days, not too badly installed, in a hat factory, the offices are down, our rooms where we're piled up to 2 or 3 are at first, we make as much vacuum as possible outside so that the Boches don't know us, yesterday we were very up on the front line, almost at the mercy of a small raid of armored, today it's better..."
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Letter of 27 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"...Received this morning your note of 24. not much new here for two days. The big blow seems to be happening for the moment in the north. We sleep a little more than a few days ago...
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Letter of 28 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
"Tuesday, May 28
My darling
I am very grateful to you for writing me so often and for your tenderness. Yes, our destiny is at stake but we must hope to get out of it. Today we have learned the surrender of the Belgian king who will put our forces in a bad position in Flanders. Here we work hard to stop them if they want to leave and our sector is relatively calm.
I don't think it's time to think about the holidays because all the inside must be invaded by those poor refugees who have fled. I am happy to know you so far and safe...
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Letter of 30 May 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
".....fortunately that this good Andrée is not in Belgium, because it must not be cheerful. I saw today 2 officers returning from there, it seems that they bomb Dunkirk day and night and that these are ruins, Malo les Bains was also completely demolished, I am afraid for Uncle André's house. Finally everyone was able to leave in time. Here always relative calm......
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Letter of 2 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
....I received yesterday your good letter and Fannette's as well as Mother's little word, thank you all. We are moving tomorrow to only go a few km away, the moves are not difficult, there is only your small suitcase that follows me at the PC, the canteens stay behind. Chapelle is still there, General G. (Big) Also...
....The area is still quite quiet, I have a lot of work to do in the 2nd office to know the strength of the Boche in front of us...
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Letter of 4 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to his 2 daughters in Cancon
......"We are installed in a felt hat factory, there are all kinds of them... .....of course everything is empty everyone has gone, there are huge bundles of rabbit skins that are worth, it seems very expensive, 75000F, because it is with the rabbit hairs that we make the felts. I sleep all dressed on a bed and a comrade has a mattress in the same room. Nothing to say about food, for the moment we live in the country, people have left their cows, chickens and rabbits and we are exploiting all this, there is also a good cellar and we drink a good bottle from time to time. I don't need a sleeping bag at the moment, tell mom...
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Letter of 7 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (under Amiens) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
.....we've been in the bath for two days again. Emotions are not lacking but hope that we will end up using them and the assets, God help us. We're outclassed by their weapons (their tanks and their aviation in particular) and that's what makes our lives so hard. We've moved three times since the day before yesterday. Today bombs and shells near us, but it's nothing next to the comrades who are ahead. I'm fine and that's already it. ...
...Don't bile, little one, I'm relatively safe and I have a relatively comfortable life.....
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Letter of 9 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (on the Oise in Beaumont) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
...what a misery we are going through. There are 4 moves in 2 days that we make to give up every time about ten km. Yesterday we just left when the car-owners threatened us ...
?... What a sadness to give in to this kind of land and if you see these roads full of refugees in disarray. Finally, today we are more calm, and say that we are here because of these pacifists to all the crumbling and years of demagogy and laziness where we did not want to do the weapons that could have allowed us to defend ourselves. We are in the situation of the gladiator delivered to the fawns, fortunately that sometimes he emerged victorious from this unequal fight, hope that it will be the same for us. But what a journey has been made since 1 month! we believe rever.
Finally, I am well with the comrades, but we are concerned about the fate of my Lieutenant observer who did not return from an affair yesterday, we still hope that in disorder he simply lost himself.
How glad I'm to know you're far away and safe anyway...
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Letter of 13 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (retired from the Seine to Poissy towards the Loire) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
.... I receive your letter today from 11. It was very quickly in the time running. We have come a long way since my last letter and the situation has only worsened but hope still in the miracle that will save us. I am always well despite all this. S..., my officer that we believed disappeared came back after 2 days of absence, he had been cut off from us in the battle. I am very glad to know you so far...
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Letter of 15 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (retired towards the Loire) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
... I'm still on a busy journey. I haven't heard from you in a few days, no wonder ...?... What sad events, let's hope we can save ourselves....
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Letter of 17 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (close to the Loire) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
17 June
My darling
You know what I'm saying about the press releases, and since last night they've been in Dijon and I've had a few fears about our furniture, but it wouldn't be much of a problem with us. (on the Towers side) If the Boches were to arrive until you run, stay in the house where you are. The fate of the refugees on the roads is too hard. I kiss you and the children very tenderly
your country
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Maurice Rougier is on the Loire on June 18 and 19, on the Cher on June 20, on the Indre on June 21, on the Creuse on June 22
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Letter of 24 June 1940 addressed by Maurice Rougier (southeast of Angoulême) to Suzanne Rougier in Cancon
Monday, 24 June
My darling
I entrust this word to an army officer whose PC is not far from us. I am fine, we continue our retreat by keeping the advance Boche as well as wrong. Maybe I will be closer to you tomorrow or after tomorrow and make a leap to you. Today we are at the SE of Angoulême. I kiss you tenderly and my coconuts
Your Mauritius
