Claude's parents
Years of war from November 42 (invasion of the free zone) to September 44 (Freedom)
Memories of Claude:
" ....And after the strange war, it was then a strange army, called armistice. It resided in a free zone - a line of demarcation indicated the German advance and divided France in the east-west direction. Bourg-en-Bresse
(Lieutenant-Colonel 1942). We stayed there from 1940 to 1945.
When the Americans landed in North Africa (7-11-42), the Armistice Army was made prisoner ready to leave on prepared trains ( 11-11-42 ). After 4 days of negotiations, Marshal Pétain obtained their release. It was then more than ever a strange army whose officers were relegated to secondary roles (social service etc.).
The Liberation did not accept those soldiers who had not been on the side of the winners. ...."
(details) July 43, Grand Father reduced by the restrictions
(details)
Grand Father and his 2 daughters, in Bourg circa 1943/44
(details) Claude
Rations tickets, they lasted until 1949 for bread
Rations tickets
Unlikely portrait of Granie
Grandma Rougier and her little daughters Fanny and Claude
(details)
Claude and his father Maurice Rougier, 1943
Winter, Grandpa and his daughters, circa 1943/44
Treffort, 5 June 44
The Guides
letters written by Claude during the guide camps:
13 August 42
1942 or 43?
31 July 1943
16 February 43
(details)
Claude and his friend from the Guides de France
Bernadette Vuillemin
Hermary family
"November 12 - Dear ladies, we are well, the children honor their mother's kitchen And fattening Claude took 1 kg, fanny more but didn't weigh himself. The last radio of Mauritius was improving, hope that he won't be forced to go to the mountain, yesterday he was seen Mr. Cervelin. The refuelling is not painful because we keep the promises, we have 2 stères of wood and peat, but the stove only heats up the kitchen.
Suzanne kisses
New open map of Granie, 26 Dec 42:
"December 26th. Dear ladies, did you receive my package sent on the 21st and to arrive on the 22nd? I regretted having mentioned the cigarettes. I had 60kg of t. stolen by the train.
You had a good Christmas despite the sadness of times. Here fog without interruption, we made a Christmas tree, we had the visit of Marguerite, she was in a state of alert! since Etienne sent us a superb mandate from you, which we thank you all very much. Fanny remains at home with a cold-bronchite and Claude has a bulb at the foot. I forgot to attach to my package the p. de t., but there was no more to take, we distributed the winter rations, are you born for vegetables? compared to last year, here it hasn't frozen, or very little. Kisses, Mr.
Happy New Year and good health for all ladies, misery or relief?
For the record, a Letter from Francis Scola to his goddaughter Claude, 16 January 43
Map of Tandree, August 43, addressed to Fanny and Claude, who are in holiday colony in Ruffey, Saône and Loire:
" 4 August 43
My dear, are you enjoying the colony? I am very happy with my mountains, because I am in a very beautiful valley with woods, meadows, flowers. I have already taken 3 great walks also today I get up at noon. It is beautiful despite some thunderstorms in the evening. I expect your news, but we become very lazy on holiday. I leave on 12th at La Bruyère. I don't have any news of your mother, I kiss you very tenderly
Tandrated
Chalet des Pins, Le Chatelard by La Garde en Oisans (Isère)
Grand Father's map to his daughters in Ruffey vacation colony, August 43
Grandpa wrote about an army rest centre, because he's in treatment for a periarthritis that made him suffer a lot.
"Ms. Rougier
Ruffey holiday settlement
Sennecy the Great
Saône and Loire
Aix les Bains, 7 August
Army Social Service Repose Centre
I'm still doing my treatment without incident - steam baths in the shoulder and massage shower - it doesn't have to get fat. Nothing yet received from you, if you wrote me Thursday I'll have this tomorrow.
Mr. Rougier
Letter from Granie to his daughters, 14 August 43
Granie is also on medical treatment for Evian.
My dear girls
I hope you've finally received my news, your letters are also very long to arrive, but I received your holiday wishes that have gone up here yesterday. I left Evian on Thursday 12 well-easy to be disembarked from my treatment, I am well here, the hotel is run by former students of Aunt Jeanne of her orphanage.
I was sleeping in a room with a manganese window under the roof. I was awakened by 200 greaves, big as nuts, which were protruding into my room and rolling on the floor with a few buckets of water, the window was just a fire-fighting fire. I thought that the roof was being torn off by the wind. I thought that lightning had fallen on the roof or in my room and that I was going to die in this catastrophe. You think as I was surprised when I found these 200 Gregorians in every corner, when I dared to get out of my bed the tumult was getting so much more than I had been afraid that I had hidden my head under my sheet, fortunately my bed was in a corner and I did not receive any projectiles, but, although in the third, the wind had led to grass and branches. I never saw such thunderstorms, last year's one at Mrs. Dupont was nothing at all. I'm fine, I'd like to fatten, it's very copious, I leave good roasted potatoes with butter that I would like to put aside for you, I'm both fond of you.
Your mommy
"Ms Fanny and Claude Rougier
Ruffey holiday colony
Sennecy the Great (Saône and Loire)
August 17, I get Fanny's letter from the 13th, it takes four days to reach us.
It's fine, always very good weather, I write you from a meadow that is seen on my map, I couldn't go climbing on these rocks, it's too bad, we have to see Mt Blanc and Switzerland!
The next time you write me, then, the name of the maid who is on the image of ..
I'm a little bored being alone, too, Dad. The hazelnuts are starting to be good, there are a few raspberries. See you soon I'll kiss you tenderly
your mother"
Map of Granie, August 1943, who wrote to his daughters in the colony in Ruffey
Letter from Claude to Bonne-Maman and Tandree (who are at Seals), of Bourg, September 43
"My dearest Mother and my dear Tandrea
I don't know if I'm happy with this great news. I'm going back in third grade this year, I think we're going to have to work seriously. Fanny's coming back in fourth grade. We've been thinking about what language she'd study. Dad and Mom have seen the Director decide that she'd do German.
Thursday we will resume our meetings guides. We will go on Sunday with the chefs and the leaders of Equipes in the heart spoke very well to the theater I believe. It is a story that happens in the Middle Ages "The Complaint of Cornouailler".
On Thursday, Mom received the women of Dad's comrades. We served the tea, we got away very well. Dad was driving Mémé to Toulouse, because Aunt Lucie found a family pension for her.
I hope you're all right.
Good kisses of Claude
PS I wear glasses because I'm myopic, fortunately it doesn't look too bad and I don't wear them all the time.
Letter from Granie to the ladies of Seals, November 1943
"Saturday, 27 November (43)
Dear ladies
Poor Francis died on Thursday, we expected this outcome because he seemed sick of complications of all kinds and especially a leg wound that required amputation. Louise had not written to us since the bombing of Cannes, she sent a telegram to Mauritius to arrive immediately what is not easy in these troubled times, the line between Marseille and Cannes is damaged, the viaduct no longer works, we must make transhipments.
Louise was already in the 3rd floor, and here's her budget cut by half!
Despite these sad events, I took the children to the cinema to see "The visitors of one night". I promised them, Maurice and I had been happy last week with Mr des Lourdines.
As for the noise you're talking about, the poor man has only had difficulties with his hosts. Since I see everyone being so afraid, I think that this is the beginning of wisdom to avoid snuggling in communism. Apart from the fat reduced cavalierly to 100g this month, the supply does not work too badly, at this moment it has not frozen, only a cold and tenacious fog.
Kisses Suzanne
Note also a letter from Louise ScolaShe was widowed for 2 months, from Cannes to her brother Maurice, and had financial difficulties.
Excerpt from a letter by Madeleine Rougier (widow of Fredy Rougier) to her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Maurice and Suzanne, winter 44? (or 43?) Madeleine Rougier was in Nice. To compare with the one enveloped in 1941, in Chapter 40-42
.....then here, the situation is getting very serious, we're missing everything, and for 15 days we have only eaten some topinambours and raves. There's been a lot of noise everywhere and it's hard to reason with people who are hungry. The Prefecture decided today to give a 100g supplement of pasta and rice per person, it won't go far! It's lamentable to see that they're tailing to have 100g of frozen carrots or waiting 1h 45 as I did on Wednesday for 6 eggs! I think in your area we're a little bit better at getting rid of it, and I hope you, Suzanne and the kids don't get too much.
We all kiss you affectionately.
Madeleine
I'm sending you the tyranny of Fanny and Claude.
letter from Granie to the 2 ladies of Seals, April 44
This is the time of the numerous bombings on bridges and railways, to prepare the Disembarkation
" 14 April
Dear ladies
I think I've written to you a long time ago, I'm tired enough at the moment, Mauritius gives me 7 days off which I have to take to Treffort at the Hotel de la Gare from 21 to 28, it's a shame I didn't find anything during the holidays and take the children. But it is necessary to be introduced and recommended in the slightest bistro and it's a whole business. So it's 13km along the Jura, I haven't found anything closer, there's a bus. There's no way to count on trains, on small lines they are often blocked and the boarding school can't get back to high school for the moment. Maurice left for Vichy this morning, we can figure out the trips, he organizes them by day.
You will receive a visit from a gendarmerie officer who leaves Bourg for Seals! and whose children know the girl and Maurice the gendarme naturally!
And these bombardments, poor Lille! it is good to be installed in a quiet area and in a solid house! It is very painful. Here we were warned that we were in the area of the patelin which must beIf we hear the siren plane we made our plans and we run to ??, but until we hear the first bomb we stay very quiet....
The supply is not too difficult, long ago we weighed the children. Claude measures 1m60, Fanny 1m55, size to which I am reduced, the age having made me lose 1cm 1/2! but the fat is still rare and we are hardly round.
Paulette is recovering from her diapers, fortunately she is pampered and pampered in her beautiful family, her poor husband prolongs as much as he can, he is tired by his hard life. Lucie does not bile herself, she has conveniently settled in the apartment my mother-in-law paid for the move and the installation and finds pretexts to reverse her arrival, it is certain that the latter is often painful.
For people who love exciting times, like Mr. Rougé 25 years ago, there's something to be distracted about: the games that are so stupid, the game is tight, there'll be more to be surprised and surprised at, our neighbors seem in a bad position..
I have a maid but she doesn't visit me often, her former boss warned me "that she was getting upset by her irregularities", so I didn't wonder when she got here one or two hours late, now she doesn't appear much more than once a week, neither on time, nor at the said day. Fortunately she has the quality of being working and living!"
Letter from Good Mother who left Seals to settle in Cancon at the Marcels, where Cécile had to be operated and where food is easier to find than at Seals.
(July 44, landing took place, there is little movement in France)
" 6 July 44
My dear children,
My dear little girls,
Your letters of the 27 come to me and despite the delay I find it acceptable since the shipments were stopped to Lyon. (that means that large cities are no longer being supplied, the food remains in the countryside and their prices are falling) This is also what happened here where we sent lots of packages and here the eggs were 24 francs when they were still paying them 40 last week. Obviously in Paris it's not the same thing, and Andrée has no excess table. I regret to be able to help her despite what she tells you about it, because now I could leave Cécile who is going very well and taking back her household as you saw. It's just been a month since she was operated on and it's only extended in the afternoon, but travel is hardly possible, and I'm stuck for an indefinite time.
It's very good if these ladies help their mom. It's fun to see Colette peeling green beans and even washing the dishes with a large apron. She's up, I assure you. The class is less well, but the holidays are only 31 and it occupies her since she's alone. The little refugee who was nice misses her.
Good news of La Bruyère where the children live in the trees, but Etienne is still circulating and it's difficult.
Here, even bicycles have been defended since yesterday, and there is no longer a question of calling for a long time - we still hear the TSF when there is current - and the letters are welcome.
I'm thinking about you and the year we spent together. What does Mauritius do with its destroyed castle?
I kiss you all, my dear children for all here and very tenderly
Mr Maillet
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