Tuesday, August 15, 1944 - Friday, August 15, 2014, it has been 70 years since the town of Brive-la-Gaillarde was released on her own (Resistance) of the German occupiers.
Today, like every year, I go to the commemoration of the liberation of Brive located on the Square August 15, 1944, with veterans, firefighters, military, police and several personalities of the city.

Brive hosts the 126th Infantry Regiment Regiment (Bison) since 1907, it was dissolved in 1940 after the German occupation in 1944 and reformed from the thicket of Correze and Périgord.
World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and then through the Ardennes attack France on 12 May 1940 On 20 May the German Panzer divisions reached the Atlantic coast and on June 14, Paris is declared an open city. On June 17, Marshal Petain requested an armistice (it shook signed June 22) while at Brive, Edmont Michelet distributing leaflets calling for resistance. General De Gaulle, exiled in London, launches, too, his call to continue the fight (the famous call of June 18).
Resistance is organized in various networks and scrub, 4 AS (Home Army), the United Resistance Movements, FTP, the FFI. Since the announcement of the Normandy landings, the action of the various resistance groups is intensifying in the area around Brive. Before the success of the guerrillas, the 500 men of the German garrison of Brive (95th regiment of the Wehrmacht security, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Böhmer feel besieged, not daring to compete in the region with resistance fighters, they only leave the school soon Cabanis.

Started a few days earlier, negotiations are conducted by the sub-prefect Pierre Chaussade between lemaquis and the German garrison. On the morning of June 15, however, the German weapons back to windows and negotiations broke down. The reason: a sense of humiliation felt by German troops following the refusal of Colonel Metz, Chief of Staff of the maquis Corrèze, to shake hands with Lieutenant Colonel Böhmer. A few hours later, however, the unconditional surrender of the German forces was signed with the German side, Lieutenant Colonel Böhmer (which was, it should be noted, involved in the attack against Hitler on 20 July 1944) and the side of the bush and colonels Vaujour GUEDIN and Jacques Poirier ('captain Jack' or 'Jack the English', which played an important role in the surrender: Böhmer refusing to submit to guerrillas he wanted an officer of the British army). It is the evening of August 15, 1944 that the German garrison surrendered unconditionally. Brive, war gives way to liberation and joy. Yet; it remains the deportees, many will never return to concentration camps, and the maquis continue to attack the occupation forces in large quantities by joining the ranks of the French army (2nd DB Leclerc or 1st army Delattre Tassigny), some solvents to return to civilian life, the life that they were forced to forget to save their family and friends.

During this part of the celebrations (after Mass), homage is paid to the guerrillas fallen veterans still alive, those who are no longer in those deportees, shot, and citation of the city:


CITATION

The Minister of National Defence cites about the Army: Brive (CORRÈZE)

City << particularly affected by war and occupation. Underwent 10
<< Aerial bombardment, took 161 prisoners, 35 shot, 13 killed in fighting
A << played an important part in the struggle for liberation, embarrassing walking
<< Division 'Das Reich' on their way to Normandy on June 8 fighting
<< August 15, 1944.
Door << honor of being the first city in France released by his own means.
This quote << shall be assigned to the CROSS OF WAR WITH FINS >>.

Done at Paris November 11, 1948.
The Minister of National Defence
Signed: RAMADIER

Then those present (the representatives of the state, the various agencies, and the oldtimers 'civilians') are invited to the town hall to a small buffet / cocktail.
For my part, I will, along with Nicolas and auntie to see the exhibition of liberation through the poster (and more generally, the Second World War the French side). Is mounted in front of a camp with GI's participation Jeep Club Terrasson.

Truck, Jeep Willys, Half Track, Side Car, motorcycle foldable ...

Opposite the entrance is deployed anti-aircraft Bofors 40mm. This gun was sending prunes (shell) of 890gr 40mm. The complete round weighed 2.12kg and was charged with four blades projectiles. The slide could take two blades together and drawn in 4 seconds (120 rounds per minute), I can not imagine the arms and fatigue of the person assigned to loading the slide! The pointer, it was a bit quieter physically ... here besides organs of sight:

We then move into the big tent set up in the middle of the street, inside, several tables describe various everyday objects GIs and objects locals (and some Russian and German parts). Created in 1934 by an engineer of the Springfield plant named John C. Garand, it is produced more than 5.5 million. Weighing just under 5kg, it can fire ammunition of 30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) to 853 m / s with acceptable accuracy, the maximum distance up to 1'600m (practice distance is 400m), the rifle will be available in three versions in the end: the base version of M1 and two versions for snipers (snipers) M1C and M1D.

A case of Cola and food (chocolate, K rations, canned water ...)

A corner dedicated to resistance:

And seating for the Rangers:

In front of the museum Michelet (National Museum of Resistance and Deportation), a fortified position was raised by the GI's camp with the help of guerrillas. There is a ''12.7'': a heavy machine gun Browning M2 .50 caliber (12.7 x 99mm famous). Created at the end of the First World War by the American Society Browning, it is still used today as an anti-aircraft gun mounted on vehicles. With a rate of 500 rounds per minute, a velocity of 930m / s and a working distance of 1.8km (7.4km distance max), do not expect that this monster is light: 38.1kg unloaded and unsupported weight 'ready to shoot' rises to 72.6kg!

Bren MK I is battery boxes of ammunition and sandbags:

STEN mk II in bulk (machine pistol of sheet metal ...)

We then enter the center Edmond Michelet, the museum. Admission to the museum is free all the time, do not hesitate to visit when you're interested and you go through here. The current exhibition showed us several posters (some famous) propaganda (some little propagandists, other more virulent) from beginning to end the conflict. Site also includes various documents resistant (of songbooks, notes, lists, ...) and the quote from Brive to have it been the first city to have released on her own.

In the top floor of the museum (something I forgot to say: the museum is actually the house where lived Edmond Michelet), the atmosphere is a little different, this floor is dedicated solely to the concentration camps and especially to that of Dachau, with a model and various items belonging to the deportees. There are also several drawings and paintings (some of Anna-Mayade Garcin, a painter who has not killed remote camps):

The day ends at noon ...! Or so the story ends here, an upcoming report will again this theme of resistance and the second world war in the region.