Gilbert Bostsarron

Auguste Philippe Gilbert Bostsarron (born August 21, 1903 in Saint-Galmier ; died February 20, 1944 in Bondues ) was a French resistance fighter during the German occupation of France in World War II . Bostsarron's cover name was Claude.

His parents were the school principal Gilbert Auguste Bostarron and the teacher Rose Joséphine Richard. He spent his youth in Montluçon , in 1926 he left the École de la Métallurgie et des Mines in Nancy as an engineer . After a year of military service in Prague , he was assigned to the 2 ^e Bureau français there as first lieutenant and interpreter of the reserve. On December 1, 1927, he took a position at the rail vehicle manufacturer Société Franco-Belge de Matériel de Chemins de Fer in Raismes in northern France . Until 1934 it was used in the workshops and then in vehicle assembly. At the end of November 1934, Bostsarron became the company's general secretary and on July 6, 1938, its second director. Before the German occupation of France in World War II , the director of Société Franco-Belge fled to Canada , which is why Bostsarron took his place on August 16, 1940.

On May 11, 1931, he married Claire Renée Marie Hingre in Paris , with whom he had two children. He was seen as open to social problems and received the trade unionists politely. In 1936 he is said to have played an important role in drawing up the collective agreements. When members of the company became prisoners of war in Germany at the beginning of World War II , he supported their families. He developed workers' gardens and organized collective farming and livestock farming. In Berlin he tried to check whether the contractual provisions of the workers posted to Germany in the course of the Relève (10% of his workforce) were being observed.

In the factory he cut back production and carefully agreed to the sabotage of accessories intended for the Germans - e.g. B. partially perforated steam boilers were delivered. He compared his approach to that of the Spartan princess Penelope , who repeatedly tore open at night what she had woven during the day.

Place of remembrance Cour sacrée in Fort de Bondues , where Gilbert Bostsarron was shot by the Wehrmacht

In 1941, Bostarron co-founded a resistance group that, in conjunction with Liberation-Nord and Voix du Nord, collected news and organized escapes . As Agent T20 of the Réseau Alliance , he also took part in acts of sabotage and clandestine propaganda campaigns and supported the arrival of agents by parachuting . At the end of 1941 he became a member of the Cohors Asturies , whose task u. a. consisted in reporting on German troop movements on the French railway network. The ports, locks and airfields were also monitored by the Cohors Asturies and the knowledge gained was transmitted to London . In 1943, Jean Cavaillès , the founder of the Cohors-Asturies, was arrested. Investigations by Group 3 of the Secret Field Police (GFP) led to Société Franco-Belge, where Armand Mottet was arrested on November 1, 1943 . Bostarron's arrest took place on November 14th at his home; he was initially imprisoned in Valenciennes and transferred to Loos-lès-Lille on January 16, 1944 . There his activity was classified as espionage and he was passed on to the Arras Abwehrstelle . On January 20, he was secretly sentenced to death by a special court of the 65th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and executed by shooting on the same day in Fort de Bondues .

His family was not notified of his death; eight months later, his body was discovered along with 72 other victims. 4000 mourners were present at his solemn burial. In Aubry-du-Hainaut a street was named after Gilbert Bostsarron, and the Raismes stadium also bears his name.

Web links

• Bostsarron Gilbert, Auguste, Philippe at fusilles-40-44.maitron.fr