Help given to Allied airmen

in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (Oise)

  during the Second World War

                                                                                                                En français 

By Jean Philippe Matthieu

During the Second World War, inhabitants of Saint-Leu-d’Esserent brought help to American airmen at the risk of their lives. This help could be "organized" such as that which benefited :
- S/Sgt. Clifford G. Golke and Sgt. Cletus S. Hard, crew members of the Flying Fortress "Lucky Strike", 95^th Bomb Group, 334^th Bomb Squadron, shot down on 10^th April 1944 near Ercuis (Oise).

- 1^st Lt. Rex P. Hjelm, pilot of a P-38 "Lightning", 55^th Fighter Group, 343^rd Fighter Squadron, shot down on 11^th June 1944 near Bailleul-le-Soc (Oise).

- 2^nd Lt. Edward I. Peterson (co-pilot of the Flying Fortress "Ensign Mary", 379^th Bomb Group, 526^th Bomb Squadron, shot down on 16^th June 1944 near Pontpoint (Oise), who was taken out of Senlis by René Charpentier.

Sgt. Cletus S. HARD                                                                       1^st Lt. Rex P. HJELM and 2^nd Lt. Edward I. PETERSON

He stayed in Saint-Leu-d’Esserent in the company

         of S/Sgt. Clifford G.GOLKE in May 1944.

The assistance was based on Mr. André Cochet who was responsible for transport and who brought back real false identity cards from the Prefecture of Beauvais. These were filled in at Saint-Leu-d'Esserent by Mr Lucien Baudoin, secretary of the town hall. Supplies were provided by Mrs. Marcelle Cochet and Mrs. Charlotte Bachimont (after the Liberation, she was the first woman counsellor of Saint-Leu and then mayor in May 1946). Accommodation was provided by Alice and Marcelle Barbier, who were sisters.

   

From left to right : Marcelle BARBIER, Rex P. HJELM, André COCHET, Edward I. PETERSON and Alice BARBIER.

           Rex P. HJELM, Andre COCHET and Edward I. PETERSON.
Photo taken with the family “Kodak” camera, by Mrs. Marcelle COCHET.

Sheer luck allowed other inhabitants of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent to bring "spontaneous" help to Allied airmen as was the case for Mr. and Mrs. Henri Lefebvre. Whilst looking for morelle mushrooms they found a parachutist in the woods, hid his parachute (which was later recovered and used to make clothes) and then contacted the priest Chretien who took this unknown airman in charge. Madame Jacqueline Simon, their daughter, a seamstress, re-worked a suit belonging to her husband in order to offer this airman a civilian attire.

These facts are not exhaustive. During this period, other similar cases certainly took place without it being known.

 

Pair of sub-gloves offered by an unknown American airman to Mr. and Mrs. Henri LEFEBVRE to thank them for their help.

Testimony of Mrs Marcelle Cochet received by Mrs Paulette Formaux in May 1986 :

"Mr. Cochet held an ‘Ausweis’ which allowed him to circulate for supplies, Marcel Coene and Mr Boulanger, two Resistance officials, came to ask him to take two American airmen to Neuilly-en-Thelle¹. The hosts had been denounced². They were taken to a quarry at Maysel and then taken back to Melle Barbier in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent.

Mr. and Mrs. Cochet, just as Mrs. Bachimont provided food.

The sister of ‘Pierro’³ (Roland Jacques of Saint Vaast-les-Mello) took the Americans to the ‘Terrain des Aigles’in Chantilly. Then the departure continued by the train to Spain.

Mr. Picot, Controller of the Direct Contributions of Chantilly, arranged the departures.

Mr. Cochet brought back identification cards from the Prefecture and Mr. Baudoin, Secretary of the Town Hall, filled them in.

On one of his trips to Beauvais, he was given the task of warning the notary of Auneuil (Gilbert Thibault), who was threatened by a denunciation. M. Thibault was brought back to Beauvais between two piles of wood in Mr. Cochet's van.

Mr Cochet refused to go out at night. It was during a transport of two Americans that Doctor Andrieu was taken prisoner on the plateau of Cramoisy. 'André, of Ercuis, and another resistant managed to escape. Doctor Andrieu* was deported to Dachau and did not return.... ".

* Dr. Charles Andrieu was arrested on 8^th July 1944. On 18^th August 1944, he was deported from Compiegne to the Buchenwald concentration camp and then to Neu-Stassfurt. He died on 21^st March 1945.

Documents of the HJELM family, USA