I wrote this “haiku” a couple of years ago:
Two Yank commandos
Machined gunned from a sidecar
‘Mort pour Liberté’
Robert Spaur and Bernard Gautier were members of a fifteen-strong American commando unit parachuted into the south Tarn on the night of the 6th of August 1944, as part of an allied plan to disrupt supply lines in southern France prior to D-Day in the South–scheduled for the 15th August.
On patrol, a couple of days after the drop, the group spotted a Nazi motorbike unit heading up from Mazamet towards the small village of Le Rialet to investigate an attack by local maquis–that had succeeded in killing a cow and injuring a German soldier.
The commandos decided to ambush the unit on its way down.
The plan went awry and in the skirmish two Americans, the oldest (Gautier 33) and youngest (Spaur 19), were shot and killed.
The story of the ambush on the back of the memorial at the spot where it happened
“Can you imagine the disbelief of a Nazi patrol driving up the narrow road from Mazamet towards Le Rialet in August 1944 when they see young men in American uniforms come out of the woods to attack them,” Meredith said, as we headed up the road to the annual commemoration ceremony on Saturday.
“D-Day had happened on June 6th in Normandy and the allies were still stuck there. The Germans must have thought–‘what on earth are American soldiers doing–so far south?’.”
The element of surprise might have given the OSS commandos (Office of Strategic Services–forerunner of the CIA) an added advantage as they attacked the German column–that split-second that counts.
Meredith was scheduled to carry the Stars and Stripes at the ceremony to mark the 74th anniversary.
She is the flag carrier (Porte Drapeau) at annual commemoration ceremonies in Castres and a few years ago was asked to attend this event in Le Rialet.
We learned the remarkable story of the commando unit’s existence from Gilbert Brial–whom we met at one of the commemorations.
Gilbert Brial with Thierry Pauthe–in the uniform of a GI.
Gilbert was 18 in August 1944 and a member of Corps Franc du Sidobre–one of several Maquis groups operating in this mountainous region of the Tarn.
The number of surviving ancien combatants has dwindled over the years Meredith has been attending the ceremonies.
Gilbert is 92 now and ailing, but has been an active campaigner to keep the story alive.
The French expression le devoir de mémoire–the duty to remember–perfectly describes Gilbert’s attitude.
Meredith had assumed the story was well known and that Gilbert must have told it to the media many times.
“Jamais!” [Never!] Gilbert said.
Intrigued and moved, she pursued the story and with the help of the American consul at the time, obtained a Fulbright grant, enabling her to record a series of on camera interviews with most of the surviving members of the Maquis–French rural Resistance fighters.
She was hoping to make a documentary of the story.
Sadly none of the American OSS commandos were still alive, though she made contact with some of their families and several have visited the Tarn.
The OSS team’s code name was PAT.
Read her full account of the remarkable Fourteen days in August 1944, when the surviving members of the commando unit succeeded in preventing local occupation forces from rushing troops and guns to Provence, where the southern D-Day was launched on a beach near St. Tropez.
They also helped liberate our local town, Castres, from Nazi occupation.
Next year is the 75th anniversary and Meredith is hoping for a large turn-out.
At the war memorial, Monsieur Yvan Cros, one of the few maquisards still alive, laid a wreath in memory of his comrades.
M.Cros with La Porte Drapeau Americaine
As the names on the memorial are read out, each is remembered with the spoken words–Mort pour la France for the French and Mort pour La Liberté for Robert Spaur and Bernard Gautier.
It touches the heart.
