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It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany and in Charente. My grandfather on my mother side was actual bourgeoisie (parents
by orwin 4y ago
It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany and in Charente. My grandfather on my mother side was actual bourgeoisie (parents owned a castle and multiple wineyards and shops), and was temporarily hiding Jews or UK pilots at his home from 1941 to 1944 since their castle was between the 'zone libre' and the coast where allied submarines often waited for pilots. He had no love for communists, but he knew most of the passeurs were young communists (one of which he hired, and i think his son still worked for my uncle 15 years ago).
On my father side, in Brittany, even the wermacht garrison in St clette (totalling 5 men on 2 villages, and no road large enough to let any truck send reinforcements, which were hours, even days away if the road was blocked, which happened often), knew who was making the signal and distributing weapons to surrounding group, but couldn't really do anything about it. My grandma had good stories about how poor the area was, as their lack of electricity made them lit bonfire to signal allied planes, bonfire which were very visible for anyone who would look. While they weren't really communists, the ones in Brest sending plans, radio frequencies and taking weapons were.
- JPLeRouzic 4y ago> "It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany" Not what I was told (I am born just after the WWII) and not what history seems to tell: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne > "St clette" You probably mean "Saint Clet" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany Yes lighted road were rare on countryside, it only arrived in 1956 in the street were my parents built their home.
- orwin 4y agoYes! Saint clet, exactly. I've researched, and you're right about Brittany, it was MI9 led. But according to this: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouvements_de_la_R%C3%A9sistance_int%C3%A9rieure_fran%C3%A7aise https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouv... Most movements were on the left, and it seems that the saboteurs and maquisards were communists led. I'm pretty sure my grandmother told me about the Brest communists though, maybe it was just her impression.
- JPLeRouzic 4y agoThanks for the info about MI9, I didn't know!
- mc32 4y agoA side note, I think the last village electrified in France happened sometime in the ‘70s!?