Seine-et-Marne: 80 years ago, the Allies bombed the Vaires-sur-Marne marshalling yard

80 years ago, World War II was still raging. The long awaited Release was approaching, but was not yet there, and the French still lived under the yoke of the occupier German.

In Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), the last months of this occupation were marked by numerous bombings, which targeted the marshalling yard. THE first took place just over 80 years ago, March 29, 1944.

Five German trains hit

Five trains, blocked in the Vaires marshalling yard. Three are carrying troops and material, another of gasoline, the last, of the powder. This is the message that the local Resistance will succeed in obtaining. How ? We don’t really know. No doubt that the strong presence of PCF from railway workers helped leak the information. The fact remains that the word reaches the ears of the leaders of the local resistance networks.

The message is quickly transmitted to London, certainly passing through Paris. ” We know that around 1 p.m., London is aware. At 9:40 p.m., the bombing took place. Everything is done in a very short period of time for the time,” says Sylvain Desharbesfrom the Vaires History Club.

The planes of the Royal Air Force, which only suffered one loss, a plane shot down by the DCA on the Channel coasts, dropped bombs of 100 and 500 kilograms on the area marked out a few minutes earlier by planes coming to scout. “We will raise 310 impacts. However, this does not mean that only 310 bombs were dropped, some did not explode,” continues Jean-François Baillodalso a member of the club.

The damage is colossal, and 3 500m² buildings are destroyed, as well as 13 kilometers of tracks. “It’s an operation very accurate for the time. The explosions will be heard as far away as Paris according to some sources, many windows are blown out, and the sky was reddened because of the flames,” continue the two men, who are history buffs.

There are 250 wagons destroyed, as well as 60 locomotives. The violence is such that trench 250 meters long, 30 meters wide and 6 meters deep is dug. Despite everything, the tracks were re-established very quickly, on April 2, 1944.

Fortunately, the nearest civilians had been evacuated a few days earlier.

Nevertheless, difficult to know precisely the exact number of victims on the German side. “Rumours speak of more than 2,700 victims, others even of a pit in the middle of the rail yard with 1,400 dead buried. These figures seem enormous, and improbable. There are perhaps around 200 people, soldiers and railway workers combined,” they estimate.

A raid and other bombings

If we do not know precisely whether it is due to this bombing, it is difficult not to make a connection. THE April 12, 1944, a raid took place in Vaires-sur-Marne. “Until then, there had been nothing against the Jewish community of Vaires-sur-Marne. That day, twelve people were taken away. Only one will come back alive,” continues Sylvain Desharbes.

A few months later, while the Landings took place in Normandy, other bombings took place at the marshalling yard. Thus, on June 28, in the middle of the night, shells were dropped, but missed their target. They explode in Brou-sur-Chantereine. Finally, these are 272 households that will be affected in the town, as well as in Vaires-sur-Marne.

Others take place on July 8, 12 and 18. All this will not be without consequences for the inhabitants of the area. In Brou-sur-Chantereine, many public buildings were damaged. “In Vaires-sur-Marne, barracks were quickly built along current avenue Henri Barbusse to shelter residents who no longer had a home. They will remain until the 1960s,” recall the two history enthusiasts.

In memory of these events, the two municipalities were awarded, in 1948, the Military Cross.

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