By Editorial La Presse de la Manche
Published on
7 May 24 at 9:14
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Como Hérout, former mayor of Auvers (Manche), was 6 years old when the Germans arrived in the town, in 1942.
” Only son, I lived with my mother on the family farm located in the village of Buson the edge of the marshes, my father being a prisoner in Germany at the time,” remembers the former councilor.
He continues: “The command of the tank regiment was installed at the castle (Hinard stables) while at home, a company had taken place in the fields, behind the farm where they had built, at the foot of the hedges, four or five semi-buried barracks, in a firing position towards the marsh with a breathtaking view of Mont Castre. »
Refugees from Cherbourg
“ There were many in the community, scattered throughout the various farms and homes in the town. The troop based on our farm was commanded by a not very friendly lieutenant. On the other hand, there was a chief adjutant, a little older, who, every day, trimmed his beard in the farmyard. He was about the same age as my father. and had more or less sympathized with my father who returned from Germany. »
Côme Hérout recounts: “He had left wife and children behind and we reminded him a little of this family atmosphere. A soldier came to collect the milk every day and that’s where I learned my first words of German using a French-German dictionary.
He remembers having plays, with the village children, playing football with soldiers from different countries: Germany, Luxembourg, Austria but also Alsace.
The commune was liberated in 3 days
Côme Hérout remembers that the surrounding marshes were flooded from 1943. “So I was 10 years old when the Allies landed. Previously, the English regularly bombed the railway line and the bridge linking Auvers to Baupte, creating “collateral” damage to the homes of the two communes, in particular to the Baupte station which was razed. The young people had been requisitioned to plant Rommel’s “asparagus” in order to prevent any landing.
On the night of June 6, numerous airdrops took place. It was impressive all these planes in the sky which produced a hell of a noise. We took refuge in the cellar with family and neighbors. We even had a German who accompanied a Cherbourg woman whom he most certainly protected. » The next day “at one of my uncles’ house, we ate our first “American” chocolates that the paratroopers had left behind”. The liberation of the commune took place over three days, June 12, 13 and 14.
Many refugees coming from Cherbourg
“I went to a boys’ school, with Mrs. Quoniam, where we were 55 children including many refugees from Cherbourg (Manche) that the town had welcomed, the Germans having requisitioned the other class.“
The former mayor remembers: “When they requisitioned the second class, we found ourselves at the girls’ public schoolat Route du Rivage with Ms. Lozouet. I remember that they had parked Renault tanks under the courtyard near the current town hall.”
In everyday life ” I don’t remember that it changed our habits in the farm work and people helped each other. On the other hand, we had a bull to the third that the Germans regularly titillated. We were afraid that one day, he would manage to break away and I can’t imagine what would have happened. Also, our saddler neighbor had a workshop which served as a canteen for the Germans while the cooking was done at the farm located on the left on the road going towards Baupte. »
From our correspondent Véronique COUILLARD
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