Loyat Maquis

Monument in memory of the maquisards who passed through here in 1944.

Loyat was a target for the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. Three Free French parachutists (Henry Corta from the Vendée, André Bernard from Paris and Francis Folin from the Landes) parachuted near Loyat with the mission of sabotaging the area. In particular, they were to constantly neutralize the single railroad line in the village of Trégadoret, where the river (l'Yvel) lay 30 m below the line - an ideal place for sabotage, to delay the dispatch of German reinforcements from Brittany to the Normandy front.

Welcomed by the Loyatais from the villages of Kersamson and Kerbois, they settled in the area, were joined by other parachutists (Michel Lakermance, Fernand Bègue, etc.) and organized a maquis near Kerbois. The arrival of these Frenchmen from England raised hopes. They were introduced to Mayor Henri Patier and a number of Resistance fighters. They were even visited by the commander of the ) 12th F.F.I. (French Interior Force) battalion in Morbihan, General Armand Desprez de la Morlais. They radioed England to request a parachute drop of weapons, which took place on the night of July 8-9, 1944, at a site known as La Mare aux Oies. Two Royal Air Force planes parachuted eight tons of weapons and military equipment into the local maquis. This was the fifth parachute drop. Lieutenant Corta and the paratroop commander, Pierre Bourgoin (1907-1970), narrowly escaped capture near the Guillac lock on July 11, 1944 (Source Wikipedia).

Contribution and photo credit Le Bourvellec Eric

Monument in memory of the maquisards who passed through here in 1944.Loyat was a target for the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. Three Free French parachutists (Henry Corta from the Vendée, André Bernard from Paris and Francis Folin from the Landes) parachuted near Loyat with the mission of sabotaging the area. In particular, they were to constantly neutralize the single railroad line in the village of Trégadoret, where the river (l'Yvel) lay 30 m below the line - an ideal place for sabotage, to delay the dispatch of German reinforcements from Brittany to the Normandy front.Welcomed by the Loyatais from the villages of Kersamson and Kerbois, they settled in the area, were joined by other parachutists (Michel Lakermance, Fernand Bègue, etc.) and organized a maquis near Kerbois. The arrival of these Frenchmen from England raised hopes. They were introduced to Mayor Henri Patier and a number of Resistance fighters. They were even visited by the commander of the ) 12th F.F.I. (French Interior Force) battalion in Morbihan, General Armand Desprez de la Morlais. They radioed England to request a parachute drop of weapons, which took place on the night of July 8-9, 1944, at a site known as La Mare aux Oies. Two Royal Air Force planes parachuted eight tons of weapons and military equipment into the local maquis. This was the fifth parachute drop. Lieutenant Corta and the paratroop commander, Pierre Bourgoin (1907-1970), narrowly escaped capture near the Guillac lock on July 11, 1944 (Source Wikipedia).Contribution and photo credit Le Bourvellec Eric