Monument aux morts à Siorac de Ribérac

Rédigé par Alain dans la rubrique Lieu de mémoire 

Driving from Périgueux to Aubeterre recently I passed through the beautiful hameau of Siorac-de-Ribérac (map) and came across this imposing monument aux morts. Impressive!! Couldn’t resist showing a photo of the village too. Is France the most beautiful country in the world? Goes without saying!!


Carte de France occupée de 1943

Rédigé par Alain dans la rubrique Le coin du collectionneur

Map of France, no date or origin on it but probably printed in 1943 with zones libres and occupées now referred to as zone Nord and Sud after the German invasion of the whole of France on the 11th November 1942.

De Gaulle à Cognac et Saintes

Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade Rac

On the 18th of september 1944 de Gaulle arrived by plane at Cognac. The purpose was to visit the F.F.S.O. (Forces françaises du Sud-Ouest).


Le “RAC” déchaîné


Rédigé par Alan dans la rubrique Brigade Rac

During the winter of 1944-1945 there appeared an internal newspaper for la Brigade RAC called ‘Le RAC déchaîné’.
It was a more light hearted publication than the brigades factful paper ‘Forces Françaises’ which appeared from August 1944 and was on sale to the general public.

Mussidan le 11 juin 1944

Rédigé par Alain dans la rubrique Combat, Lieu de mémoire

Version française : Lien

At 10h on the 11th of june 1944 around 150 maquisards FTP from La Double entered Mussidan, a peaceful town on the edge of the river Isle in the Dordogne. In the process of setting up barracades with help from civilians an armoured train carrying germans from Perigueux to Montpon pulls in at the station. 

Le parc automobile de la brigade Rac

Rédigé par Alain dans la rubrique Brigade Rac

Faisant suite à la première série de photographies (lien), la brigade Rac fut constituée à la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale d'un parc automobile de six cent véhicules, dont quelques uns vous sont présentés dans cette série de photographies provenant de la collection privée de la famille de René de la Tousche.

Nancy Wake - La souris blanche

Rédigé par Alain dans la rubrique Opération spéciale, Portrait

I have just heard on the radio the sad news that one of the great ladies of the Resistance Nancy Wake has died.
Her story was an incredible one, she took every risk under the sun but was never caught. In april 1944 she parachuted into the Auvergne with a million francs in her handbag and fought alongside more then 7000 maquisards. She was nicknamed 'the white mouse' and soon there was a 5 million franc price on her head.