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| Photo de Georges prise lors des manoeuvres de 1934 |
Du 20 juin au 25 juin le 8ème Régiment marcha en direction
de Strasbourg et s’arrêta à Ebersheim où un premier camp fut improvisé durant 3
jours dans un champ.
Le 28 juin le Régiment se remit en marche et stoppa à Erstein
pour une nuit.
Le 29 juin arrivée à Strasbourg après une journée de marche et les
soldats sont internés au Frontstalag 210 à la caserne du Grand d’Esnon où ils
resteront 1 mois.
Le 30 juillet 1940 arrivé au Stalag VA de Ludwigsburg (Bade-Wurtemberg)
où mon père restera jusqu’au jeudi 22 août, sans avoir rien d’autre à faire que
de tuer le temps. En tant que sous-officier la convention de Genève lui
permettait d’être exempté de travailler. Mais quand un officier lui fit
comprendre qu’il serait alors transféré dans un Oflag en Silésie (Pologne), il accepta de travailler comme un simple soldat. Comme beaucoup il choisit de
travailler dans la culture croyant qu’il serait mieux nourri, ce qui était en
partie vrai mais ne compensait pas les heures de travail qu’il faisait
régulièrement et qui pouvait aller jusqu’à 15 heures par jour avec une
demi-journée de repos seulement.
Le 22 août 1940 il part travailler dans la culture à Bissingen
(Bade-Wurtemberg). Il sera valet de ferme chez 3 patrons différents, mais aussi
bûcheron, terrassier, et fera beaucoup de bricolages divers : horlogerie,
coiffure, peinture, etc. L’hiver 40-41 fut d’une rigueur extrême, mon père se
rappelait que de la glace formait des stalactites sous les lits et que les murs
intérieurs de la cabane, où il vivait avec ses compagnons d’infortune, étaient
recouverts de glace.
14 mois plus tard, le 25 octobre 1941, il partira pour Giengen (Bade-Wurtemberg)
où il deviendra ouvrier chez Alfred Ziegler et où il finira par faire la
réception tout seul des moto-pompes qu’il construisait, tant ses supérieurs
avaient confiance en lui. Bien que Giengen fut proche de la frontière Suisse, il ne chercha jamais à s’évader. Il disait d’ailleurs ne pas avoir cherché à
le faire car il voyait constamment des prisonniers évadés se faire reprendre (prisonniers
qui étaient alors envoyés dans des camps disciplinaires dont la plupart étaient
installés en Silésie).
5 mois plus tard, le 24 mars 1942, à la suite d’une
« crise d’appendicite » largement simulée, il reviendra à Ludwigsburg où
il restera jusqu’à sa libération, il sera ouvrier au tri des colis puis
deviendra chef du service des étiquettes.
16 mois plus tard, le 9 juillet 1943 il recevra son ordre de
libération et prendra le dernier train de la relève pour arriver en gare de Compiègne
le 13 juillet.
Mon père fut prisonnier 3 ans et 3 semaines.
Itinerary of Georges Duséhu, Staff Sergeant and radio at the 8th Battalion of Engineers in Versailles.
Taken prisoner on June 20, 1940 in Biffontaine (Vosges)
From June 20 to June 25 the 8th Regiment marched towards Strasbourg and stopped in Ebersheim where a first camp was improvised for 3 days in a field.
On June 28 the Regiment restarted and stopped at Erstein for one night.
On June 29 arrived in Strasbourg after a day's march and the soldiers were interned at Frontstalag 210 in the Grand d'Esnon barracks where they would stay for one month.
July 30, 1940 arrived at Stalag VA in Ludwigsburg (Baden-Württemberg) where my father stayed until Thursday, August 22, with nothing to do but kill time. As a non-commissioned officer, the Geneva Convention allowed him to be exempt from working. But when an officer made him understand that he would then be transferred to an Oflag in Silesia (Poland), he agreed to work as a private. Like many he chose to work in the culture believing that he would be better nourished, which was partly true but did not compensate for the hours of work he did regularly and which could go up to 15 hours a day with only half a day off.
On August 22, 1940 he left to work in culture in Bissingen (Baden-Württemberg). He will be a farm hand at 3 different bosses, but also a lumberjack, terrassier, and will do a lot of various DIY work: watchmaking, hairdressing, painting, etc. The winter of 40-41 was extremely harsh, my father remembered that ice formed stalactites under the beds and that the inside walls of the cabin, where he lived with his misfortune companions, were covered with ice.
14 months later, on October 25, 1941, he left for Giengen (Baden-Württemberg) where he became a worker at Alfred Ziegler's and where he ended up taking delivery of the motor-pumps he was building on his own, so much did his superiors trust him. Although Giengen was close to the Swiss border, he never tried to escape. He also said that he had not sought to do so because he constantly saw escaped prisoners being taken back (prisoners who were then sent to disciplinary camps, most of which were located in Silesia).
5 months later, on March 24, 1942, following a largely simulated "appendicitis crisis", he returned to Ludwigsburg where he remained until his release, working as a parcel sorting worker and then becoming head of the label department.
16 months later, on July 9, 1943, he received his liberation order and took the last train of the relief to arrive at Compiègne station on July 13.
My father was a POW for 3 years and 3 weeks.
Taken prisoner on June 20, 1940 in Biffontaine (Vosges)
From June 20 to June 25 the 8th Regiment marched towards Strasbourg and stopped in Ebersheim where a first camp was improvised for 3 days in a field.
On June 28 the Regiment restarted and stopped at Erstein for one night.
On June 29 arrived in Strasbourg after a day's march and the soldiers were interned at Frontstalag 210 in the Grand d'Esnon barracks where they would stay for one month.
July 30, 1940 arrived at Stalag VA in Ludwigsburg (Baden-Württemberg) where my father stayed until Thursday, August 22, with nothing to do but kill time. As a non-commissioned officer, the Geneva Convention allowed him to be exempt from working. But when an officer made him understand that he would then be transferred to an Oflag in Silesia (Poland), he agreed to work as a private. Like many he chose to work in the culture believing that he would be better nourished, which was partly true but did not compensate for the hours of work he did regularly and which could go up to 15 hours a day with only half a day off.
On August 22, 1940 he left to work in culture in Bissingen (Baden-Württemberg). He will be a farm hand at 3 different bosses, but also a lumberjack, terrassier, and will do a lot of various DIY work: watchmaking, hairdressing, painting, etc. The winter of 40-41 was extremely harsh, my father remembered that ice formed stalactites under the beds and that the inside walls of the cabin, where he lived with his misfortune companions, were covered with ice.
14 months later, on October 25, 1941, he left for Giengen (Baden-Württemberg) where he became a worker at Alfred Ziegler's and where he ended up taking delivery of the motor-pumps he was building on his own, so much did his superiors trust him. Although Giengen was close to the Swiss border, he never tried to escape. He also said that he had not sought to do so because he constantly saw escaped prisoners being taken back (prisoners who were then sent to disciplinary camps, most of which were located in Silesia).
5 months later, on March 24, 1942, following a largely simulated "appendicitis crisis", he returned to Ludwigsburg where he remained until his release, working as a parcel sorting worker and then becoming head of the label department.
16 months later, on July 9, 1943, he received his liberation order and took the last train of the relief to arrive at Compiègne station on July 13.
My father was a POW for 3 years and 3 weeks.
Bonjour,
RépondreSupprimerJe suis heureux que suis intéressé par cette histoire que me mon pere a vécu. Heureusement nous conservons soigneusement le livre de Charpentier, a la maison.
Para un hasard je vais aller en Allemagne, pas loin de Ludwigsburg, et je me demandais si je ne devais pas vers un détour pour visiter cette ville. Etes vous alle? Y-a t´il un musée ou une plaque faisant reference au Stalag VA. Au plaisir d´avoir de vos nouvelles.
Le Lorier mon père en parlait souvent
RépondreSupprimer