Maquis of Courtemiche

House located on the edge of the Multonne forest in Champfrémont. Set up towards the end of 1943, it was staffed by 10 Resistance fighters 

A tribute to two young men who sacrificed their lives for freedom in 1944. A brief history of this memorial site:

During the Second World War, resistance movements against the German occupation were organized in the Orne département. Among them was the Groupe Vil of Saint Denis sur Sarthon, attached to the Secret Army of Alençon.

André et Maurice Mallet,
Jacques Hochin,
Bernard Dufrou
Pierre Dambry
Bernard Fresnay
Raymond Justice
André et René Sylvestre
Roger Piard

These young men refused the Nazi occupation and were refractory members of the Obligatory Labor Service. Group VII took part in the "Tortue" Plan (aid provided by the French Resistance to the Allies at the time of the Liberation). For greater safety, they withdrew to this isolated house, forming the Maquis de Courtemiche, and prepared their harassment actions against the enemy: felling trees to set up roadblocks, cutting off telephone networks, and storing weapons recovered from Allied parachute drops in natural hiding places in the forest, ready to take part in the liberation of the region.

With them were Samba Konaté and Jean Azema, two French-African soldiers who had been taken prisoner by the Nazis and left on French soil.

But since the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the Germans had systematically launched sweeping operations against the small maquis that had sprung up in the Orne département.

On the morning of July 24, 1944, Mr. Bouilhac, head of the Alençon Resistance, was arrested at his home by the Gestapo.

Accompanied by a German officer and two other Frenchmen in fancy dress, Bernard Jardin, head of the French Gestapo in Orne, led the expedition. All arrived in the afternoon at Saint Denis sur Mallet, who was brutally arrested at his mother's home. Sarthon, where Jacques Hochin stands guard next to a machine-gun. Under duress, the two young resistance fighters have to show where the other weapons are hidden and carry them to the Citroën Traction left in the courtyard of the Sourdière mill a little further down the road. Finally, the Gestapo attempt to burn down the house.

Bernard Dufrou, who had arrived on the scene to warn of Maurice's arrest, was also taken prisoner.

The sad procession makes its way back down to the Sourdière mill. The three young men are placed in execution stance in the courtyard. The Nazi officer delegates the grim task and goes off to play with the mill's little dog. Under machine-gun fire from the three French Guestapists, the young Resistance fighters kneel and ask to recite their prayers. Jardin brutally orders them to stand up. Cries of "Vive la France" erupted before Jardin shot Maurice and then Jacques in the back of the head. Taking advantage of the moment when Jardin reloaded his weapon and the lack of reaction from the other two, Bernard Dufrou fled, managing to protect himself by getting behind the car being fired at, but managed to get into the woods thanks to the darkness that settled in, and to remain hidden despite his serious wounds.

 It is thanks to his testimony that we know the circumstances of the heroic death of the two young boys.

Contribution and photo credit Le Bourvellec Eric

House located on the edge of the Multonne forest in Champfrémont. Set up towards the end of 1943, it was staffed by 10 Resistance fighters A tribute to two young men who sacrificed their lives for freedom in 1944. A brief history of this memorial site:During the Second World War, resistance movements against the German occupation were organized in the Orne département. Among them was the Groupe Vil of Saint Denis sur Sarthon, attached to the Secret Army of Alençon.André et Maurice Mallet,Jacques Hochin,Bernard DufrouPierre DambryBernard FresnayRaymond JusticeAndré et René SylvestreRoger PiardThese young men refused the Nazi occupation and were refractory members of the Obligatory Labor Service. Group VII took part in the Tortue Plan (aid provided by the French Resistance to the Allies at the time of the Liberation). For greater safety, they withdrew to this isolated house, forming the Maquis de Courtemiche, and prepared their harassment actions against the enemy: felling trees to set up roadblocks, cutting off telephone networks, and storing weapons recovered from Allied parachute drops in natural hiding places in the forest, ready to take part in the liberation of the region.With them were Samba Konaté and Jean Azema, two French-African soldiers who had been taken prisoner by the Nazis and left on French soil.But since the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the Germans had systematically launched sweeping operations against the small maquis that had sprung up in the Orne département.On the morning of July 24, 1944, Mr. Bouilhac, head of the Alençon Resistance, was arrested at his home by the Gestapo.Accompanied by a German officer and two other Frenchmen in fancy dress, Bernard Jardin, head of the French Gestapo in Orne, led the expedition. All arrived in the afternoon at Saint Denis sur Mallet, who was brutally arrested at his mother's home. Sarthon, where Jacques Hochin stands guard next to a machine-gun. Under duress, the two young resistance fighters have to show where the other weapons are hidden and carry them to the Citroën Traction left in the courtyard of the Sourdière mill a little further down the road. Finally, the Gestapo attempt to burn down the house.Bernard Dufrou, who had arrived on the scene to warn of Maurice's arrest, was also taken prisoner.The sad procession makes its way back down to the Sourdière mill. The three young men are placed in execution stance in the courtyard. The Nazi officer delegates the grim task and goes off to play with the mill's little dog. Under machine-gun fire from the three French Guestapists, the young Resistance fighters kneel and ask to recite their prayers. Jardin brutally orders them to stand up. Cries of Vive la France erupted before Jardin shot Maurice and then Jacques in the back of the head. Taking advantage of the moment when Jardin reloaded his weapon and the lack of reaction from the other two, Bernard Dufrou fled, managing to protect himself by getting behind the car being fired at, but managed to get into the woods thanks to the darkness that settled in, and to remain hidden despite his serious wounds. It is thanks to his testimony that we know the circumstances of the heroic death of the two young boys.Contribution and photo credit Le Bourvellec Eric