Gaston Wurtz

by , BOUDOT Philippe

Gaston WurtzAt dawn on this Sunday, September 17, 1944, a thick fog blankets the Haute Planche sector.At 9:30 am, positioned on the outskirts of the Haute Planche summit, the 3rd Company of the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur groupement of the Territoire de Belfort is attacked by the Germans.Fire is coming from all directions, with the rifles and machine pistols of the Résistants spitting out heavy fire. The echo of detonations and the clatter of bullets resound throughout the massif. Has the dreaded German offensive against the Maquis begun?From Giromagny, the Germans are outnumbered, trying to tear through the defensive lines, concentrating their efforts on the outposts. A German grenade explodes, killing one person:Gaston WURTZ, from Sermamagny. After half an hour of bitter fighting, the situation turned to the Resistance's advantage, aided by the fog. The Germans fell back, counting several casualties among their ranks. The tension died down, and silence reigned once again.Placed as a lookout near an advanced machine-gun post, was attacked by a numerically superior enemy and killed by the flash of a grenade to the head. Gaston WURTZ holds the Military Medal and the Croix de Guerre 39-45 avec Palme.Source Panel textContribution and photo credit Philippe Boudot