Description
Physical description
1
finger ring in gold (2.5cm diameter, D 1cm) embellished with one red, one blue and five clear jewel stones.
Label
Engagement ring given to Evelyn Pearl by Yves Jaulmes in German-occupied France during October 1943. The gold ring embellished with jewels in red, white and blue (the colours of the French Tricolour) was made by a jeweller in Paris who refused to put a hallmark on it so as not to be identified as its maker.
Yves Jaulmes served with French forces during the Second World War. He saw action in an anti-tank unit in Tunisia in 1943 and was taken prisoner at Faid Pass. Later, along with other French prisoners of war in occupied France he was demobilized in June 1943. The decision to 'demobilize' rather than incarcerate French POWs was perceived by some as an act of German positive propaganda, and allowed Yves the opportunity to meet up with Evelyn Pearl. Like Yves, Evelyn was a dual citizen born of British parents in France. Her father escaped to England in June 1940 and joined the British forces. Her mother, as a British citizen, was interned, but Evelyn herself escaped that fate. Living at Bellevue-Meudon (between Paris and Versailles) she worked with the Resistance. She intervened successfully when the German forced labour recruiting offices attempted to draft workers out of the technical leather school in Paris where she was secretary and also assisted Allied aircrew shot down over France in evading capture by German forces. She and Yves worked together for three months, visiting an 'evading' American pilot until he was able to escape to the UK, and then the United States. Later, Yves tried to escape to England, but was caught near the Pyrenees and sent back to Paris.
History note
Engagement ring given to Evelyn Pearl by Yves Jaulmes in October 1943. The gold and patriotic jewels (red, white and blue) were provided by Evelyn's mother, the ring made by a jeweler in Paris who refused to put a hallmark on it so as not to be identified as its maker.
Yves Jaulmes served with French forces during the Second World War. He saw action in Tunisia in 1943, in an anti-tank unit during Operation Torch. He was taken prisoner at Faid Pass, but was demobilized in June 1943 when back in occupied France, along with other French prisoners of war. Belief in France at the time was that the move to demobilize rather than incarcerate French POWs was a bid for positive propaganda, but either way, he was able to meet up with Evelyn Pearl.
Evelyn was a dual citizen just like Yves, born of British parents in France. Her father escaped to England in June 1940 and joined the British forces. Her mother, as a British citizen, was interned, but Evelyn herself escaped that fate. Living at Bellevue-Meudon (between Paris and Versailles) she worked with the Resistance. She was able to intervene successfully when the German forced labour recruiting offices attempted to recruit out of the technical leather school in Paris where she was secretary. She also assisted aircrew shot down over France in evading capture by German forces.
She and Yves worked together for three months, visiting an evading American pilot until he was able to escape to the UK, and then the United States.
Later, Yves tried to escape to England, but was caught near the Pyrenees and sent back to Paris.
Evelyn and Yves were engaged in October 1943 and after moving to the UK, were married in 1946.
