Description
Object description
French civilian member of French Resistance aiding evading airmen in France, 1942-1944; worked for UNRRA in Germany and Lebanon, 1945-1951
Content description
REEL 1 Background in France, 1922-1939: family; father's military service in First World War, employment; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Recollections of period as civilian working with refugee children in France, 1939-1942: work with refugees in Preventorium in Normandy, 1939-1940; evacuation children to Hendaye; initial impressions of Germans; return to Paris; stopping of mother's English pension; working for doctor; conditions in girls' pension and finding better lodgings. Recollections of period as member of French Resistance aiding evading Allied airmen in France, 1942-1944: invitation with Georges Broussine to join Resistance; role finding places to lodge evading Allied airmen; variety of hosts including a Policeman; number of lodgings used and importance of hosts not knowing each other; providing cigarettes, money and clothing; problems of providing shoes; impatient nature of some airmen; delays in movement.
REEL 2 Continues: hosts taking airmen for evening exercise; incident at Metro station whilst escorting airmen; danger of evading airmen speaking French; security procedure on Metro; role conveying evaders into Paris; method of receiving instructions; evaders referred as packages; evading visit by policemen; use of boys to convey airmen to Pyrenees; effect of arrest of members of evasion line; age of members of evasion line; fate of arrested family aiding evaders; route of escape line; reasons for not leaving for GB, 1944; liberation of Paris, 8/1944; role during liberation of Paris.
REEL 3 Continues: motives for resisting and opinion of Georges Broussine. Aspects of period as aid worker with UNRRA in Germany and Lebanon from 1945-1951: role dealing with distribution of petrol; taking revenge on sexual collaborator; conditions in Germany; dealing with Palestinian refugees in camps in Beirut; contrast in demeanour of Lebanese and Syrians; memories of later visit to Middle East.