Hi everyone! I have signed in on this forum a few months ago, and it is about time I introduce myself. My name is Franck, I live in the southern suburb of Paris. I have always been interested in WW2, and I have a special interest in everything related to Escape and Evasion. I have researched a number of individual stories for more than four years with a growing passion and the help of several experts. Michael Moores LeBlanc has mentored me for quite a while. There is a website I have been working on, which is dedicated to the "Helpers" from France. My current research project is related to the "lost airmen of Buchenwald", a group of 168 airmen who were arrested in 1944 and all sent to KLB. The subject has been discussed in this forum in the past, and I will probably create a new thread soon in order to discuss it some more. Franck
Bienvenue, welcome back again !! I too look forward to your post on your topic. Many must have passed through Paris. Gaines
Thank you guys for your replies. I will start a new topic on "Air War in Western Europe 1939 - 1945", which is probably the right place to discuss the following questions : - who betrayed these 168 men (well 169...) and how? - Why were they sent to Buchenwald and not others? - how the Germans organized the capture of airmen who were caught in civilian clothes? - how were the Germans managing the flow of airmen sent to the Fresnes prison? ... The lack of German archives (especially from the SD/Gestapo in Paris) makes it difficult to answer these questions, and I have not found definitive answers in existing books or on the web. Having done my own research, I have tried to find answers which are probably questionnable, and I would like to share what I have found with others who might have done similar research in the past. Franck
Welcome Franck . Latest news about the 168. Chad Bowen died a few days ago . May he rest in peace http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bowen-328324-airmen-one.html
Bienvenue fsignorile/Franck, very happy to have you join. What is the website you are working on? I'd like to see your work.
Otto : My website is available here : http://www.aide-aviateurs-allies-ww2.fr/ At this point, the website is only available in French, but even if you are not familiar with the language, please have a look at the map-based research tool that is available on the "Helpers" tab. Most of the hard work is here. The whole point of my website is to honor the memory of those who helped downed airmen evade from France. Many were members of organized escape lines, but the great majority was not. The current database includes about 21,000 entries, from all over France. Zoom on the map and you will see they were everywhere. With a group of experts, we are now trying to rebuild the connections between all helpers and all evaders, at the scale of the country. Pretty ambitious... Feedbacks are welcome. Franck
I had a chance to briefly look at your site. I wish I understood French, but your map is clear. I hope your quest to dig further is successful.