7 March 2026
Ceremony in honour of Christiane Cauvel
Le Mesnil-Saint-Firmin (Oise)
Copyright © 2026 - Association des Sauveteurs d'Aviateurs Alliés- All rights reserved -
En français 
On the initiative of Mr. Philippe Gheeraert, mayor of Le Mesnil-Saint-Firmin, a tribute was paid to honour the memory of Mrs. Christiane Cauvel.
Christiane Cauvel, born in November 1910 in Cauvigny (Oise), was a teacher at the village’s local school from 1933 to 1967.
Over the course of those years, she taught two successive generations of young children from Le Mesnil to read, write and count.
Unmarried and having subsequently settled in the Var, she passed away in February 2004 in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer at the age of 93.
Her actions during the war
During the Second World War, in collaboration with a few members of the Resistance, she agreed to shelter three Allied airmen in July 1944, despite the risks involved.
- 2nd Lt. Warren A. Thompson, an American pilot of a Douglas A-20 ‘Havoc’, who was shot down on 27 May 1944 at Caix (Somme) following a bombing mission on the railway facilities at Amiens.
- W/O Michael A. Bzowy, a Canadian gunner aboard a Halifax shot down during the night of 12–13 June 1944 over Pas-de-Calais during a mission targeting the railway facilities at Cambrai (Nord).
- Sgt. William S. Sharratt, British, bomb aimer aboard a Halifax shot down during the night of 22–23 June 1944 over the village of Quinquempoix during a mission targeting the railway site at Laon (Aisne).
2nd Lt. Warren Tompson Sgt. William Sharratt
These three airmen were taken in by various resistance groups. After a journey lasting several weeks that took them from village to village, all three were eventually brought together at La Borde castle, with the De Baynast family, and then entrusted to Christiane Cauvel, with whom they stayed for about a week.
On 15 July 1944, following a denunciation, the Germans raided the school and captured 2nd Lt. Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Sharratt. According to Christiane Cauvel’s written testimony, dated April 1946 and forwarded to the American authorities, W/O Michael Bzowy was no longer at her home that day.
‘Two were arrested at my home by the Germans on 15 July 1944 and deported to Germany. One, an American, returned home. I do not know what became of the other, an Englishman.’
The schoolteacher narrowly escaped arrest. At that moment, she had gone out to fetch supplies. Warned by the baker that the Germans were at her house, she managed to flee across the fields and hid in a shed on the plain.
On the day of the round-up, the young Joseph Gheeraert (father of the current mayor), who witnessed the events, alerted Edmond Geffroy, a member of the Resistance living in Chepoix. Edmond Geffroy came to the aid of Christiane Cauvel, who remained in hiding until the Liberation in early September.
2nd Lt. Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Sharratt were later transferred to Fresnes prison, in the Paris region. On 15 August 1944, along with more than 2,000 other prisoners, they were deported from Pantin to the Buchenwald concentration camp. They were among the 168 Allied airmen held in this camp until mid-October 1944. Following the intervention of Luftwaffe officers, the airmen were transferred to Stalag Luft III in Żagań, in eastern Germany (now in Poland). Faced with the advance of Soviet troops, the camp was evacuated at the end of January 1945. The prisoners were then sent to various other camps before finally being liberated by the US Army in May 1945.
Edmond Geffroy, arrested on 2 August 1944, was deported to Buchenwald camp on 17 August from Compiègne. In March 1946, he gave evidence in a letter addressed to the American authorities.
(Excerpt): ‘I feel it is my duty to draw your attention to the admirable and discreet conduct of Miss Christiane Cauvel, a schoolteacher in Le Mesnil-Saint-Firmin, Oise, during the German occupation. Having been denounced, she was forced to abandon everything and was severely robbed. On the day of the round-up, she had gone out to fetch supplies for her airmen. Two were arrested and sent to Buchenwald camp, where I saw them. I would be delighted if she were commended for her patriotism, her courage and her modesty.”
We do not know the circumstances of W/O Michael Bzowy’s capture, knowing only that he was sent to Stalag Luft VII in Silesia, then to Stalag IIIA in Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, until his release.
------------------------------------------
The ceremony on 7 March took place in front of the village hall, where a plaque was to be unveiled.
In front of a large audience, including Ms Nicole Cordier, a member of the Oise Departmental Council, mayors from neighbouring villages and former pupils, Mr Philippe Gheeraert recounted the life story of this courageous woman, who was also his schoolteacher after the war, sharing his memories of his school days.
Excerpt: “Why did we wait 81 and a half years to pay her the tribute she deserved?
Perhaps so that one of her pupils might become mayor of the village.
As a little boy, I was five years old; I was starting school for the first time. This remarkable woman had set her mind on teaching us to read, write and count. But what for?
I didn’t know she was such a great lady. I only found out at the end of my last year of elementary school when she retired. But today, on this special day, thanks to her, I have been able to write, read this speech and count… on your presence.
Speech by Mr Philippe Gheeraert
There are a few of his former pupils among us who will long remember those school years just a stone’s throw from here.
In the middle of the classroom stood a coal-burning stove, which bore the same name as the mayor and the roadmender: Godin. There was also a large blackboard with chalk, and a smaller one to the side ; that’s where we wre put on the naughty step.
Porcelain inkwells filled with purple ink.
There was no school on Thursday, and on Saturday afternoon, the older pupils had to clean the classroom.
And for left-handers, we had to write with our ‘good’ hand. ‘Miss, I hope to get a good mark today.’
But if we are gathered here this morning, it is for her acts of bravery during the Second World War.
Christiane Cauvel worked in conjunction with the Resistance. For several months, she had been hiding Allied airmen whose planes had been shot down in the region.
They came from the Château de La Borde and stayed for only a few days before being moved on to another location, and so on.
On 15 July 1944, as on other days, Christiane went to fetch supplies from the bakery. The Germans passed along Rue d’En-haut (a stroke of luck for her) and stopped in front of the school to arrest the three airmen present that day; one of them managed to escape.
Alfred, the baker, came out of his bakery to advise her against going back to school and to run away instead.
She made her way across fields and meadows, crawling as best she could, climbing over hedges and fences to hide in a shed on Chepoix Road, where she concealed herself and spent the night in a haystack.
The next morning, Joseph Gheeraert, as was his custom, went to feed the animals in that shed. The young lady emerged from her hiding place and asked him to inform Mr Geffroy, who lived in Chepoix, to come to her aid by fetching her discreetly; which he did immediately.
She had been denounced by a villager whose name I shall not mention.
For the record, Mademoiselle was 33 years old at the time of the events. On the same day, Mr Lucien Godin, the mayor, and his daughter Denise were taken to Amiens for questioning and then released the same day.
Mr Geffroy was arrested two weeks later and deported to Buchenwald.
In these difficult times, it is right to remind younger generations that there were people who, without bearing arms, helped to liberate France and its people from the yoke of the oppressor.”
Unveiling of the plaque by former pupils
Former pupils gathered in front of the plaque
Speech by a former pupil
Ms Nicole Cordier
The ASAA-Oise spoke of the fate that befell the airmen after their capture and also recalled the moving visits to the village by 2nd L. Warren Thompson and his family in November 2012 and by the descendants of Sgt. William Sharratt in June 2025.
To conclude the ceremony, a villager, accompanied by his guitar, performed “Love Is the Way.”
This tribute in memory of Christiane Cauvel concluded in the village hall with a drinks reception. An exhibition featuring old school photos and various documents relating to the rescue of the airmen was on display.
