Hi to everybody on the forum!
Nothing to show you,but just a few souvenir coming from my Great-mother.Born in 1914 in Caudebec en caux,Seine inferieure,she loose her father when she was 4.He falled in April 1918,near the Mont Kemmel ,at this time ,he was Sergeant in the infantry and we still don't know where is buried(I keep on searching)She worked in the Latecoere plant,as secretary,and in 1939(...)she get married.My great-father had 15 days for the honeymoon,and left her to go for fighting.He managed to escape after being prisoner,and came back to Caudebec.
Some times after ,they bought a grocery in Totes,20 km from Dieppe.She describes life with Germans as something strange but,as many French,she dealed with them,selling everything the Germans needed.She calls them "les boches""les teutons""les doryphores"(a little beetle that eats potatoes)
In Totes was a Kommandantur,and,one day,my father (3 years aged) had his celluloid baby toy(baigneur in French) stolen by a German soldier.My great father,5 feet tall...,went directly to the Kommandantur,arguing scandal and didn't left the place without the puppet...She told me ,he had to be crazy to act like that because Germans were sometimes very violent,but,this time the soldier had big troubles...
In august 42,noises of battle were heard,and during the 19th,it was quite dangerous to have a walk in the fields,Hurricanes and spitfire shooting everything mooving.
The next day,she was forced to take a basket and went to pick up the cases laying on the ground.She told me hoping for a liberation due to the landing in Dieppe.Disapointement....
In 1944,new terror,with the V1 having troubles and exploding close to the village(She calls them "robots")Many farmers were killed at this time by the blast.
Liberation came with the Canadians(I have to verify if they were not English) and so came problems for my great-father too.
One night, drunk soldiers broke the grocery's door in order to find wine and liquors.Raymond,my 5 feet great father wanted to stop them....Stupidity.....As you can easyly imagine,soldiers won !
Many hospital days....
He died in 1977,my father,in 1998,my mother in 2006,with just a brother living in London,Emilienne,my great-mother,sometimes feel really alone(as I...)
Life runs fast,but considering her age,I think that ,for her,life goes slowly and with too much things to bare.
By the way,if you have stories of that kind,please share them with me,because "Great history"is made by these people.
Have a good day.From Rouen,Normandy with kisses.
