Passionate about genealogy and the history of Montferrand, Annie Frier works so that forgotten victims of history can obtain the mention “Death for France”
Born in a Michelin town in Montferrand, employed throughout her professional career at Bib as a secretary then management assistant, Annie Frier is today passionate about genealogy and local history, more particularly that of Montferrand*. While doing her research, with a focus on the two world conflicts, she realized that the mention Death for France had not been attributed to certain people, in particular victims of the bombings of the Michelin factory in Cataroux on March 16, 1944 and that of Aulnat, targeting the Aeronautics Industrial Workshops (AIA) and the aerodrome, then in the hands of the Germans, on April 30, 1944. These two bombings were part of the numerous “Allied bombings”, war events over which society quickly put a veil, although having caused thousands of civilian casualties and considerable damage.
13 victims not honored by the mention Death for France
Carried by the law of July 2, 1915, the mention Death for France allows us to honor the memory of combatants and civilian victims whose deaths are attributable to acts of war. It is now extended to all conflicts where French people and foreigners, military or civilian, can die in the service of the country. But in often chaotic periods, it happens that this mention is not attributed to victims. Annie Frier identified 6 women and 3 men who were not entitled to mention, out of the 21 victims of the Cataroux bombing. The same goes for 4 women out of the 9 victims of the Aulnat bombing.
Annie Frier's approaches to ONAC and town halls
Based on her conclusions, Annie Frier took steps to ensure that the names of these “forgotten” people appear on the official registers. The files were processed in Caen in Calvados, where the ONAC service, Office National des Anciens Combattants, is located, which manages this type of request with a view to awarding the mention. Thanks to his work, the 13 people who disappeared during these two dramatic episodes were officially recognized Death for France, by ONAC. 80 years after the events, this recognition is naturally a satisfaction for the history enthusiast who does not consider her action finished. If it is quite easy for her to update the registers of the MemorialGenWeb portal of which she is a contributor, she also had to take steps with town halls so that the names of those recognized are also registered on the war memorials and possibly cited in official speeches. The last ceremony which took place in the Plaine district took place in front of a monument on which missing names were added by the Clermont municipality. Annie Frier is working today so that a memorial monument can be created in tribute to the victims of Cataroux. The latter could be installed at Place de la Rodade, but its location would undoubtedly be more judicious near the reconstructed factory while the work to requalify the site is in full swing.
*Annie Frier, member of the association Friends of Old Clermont, also published a work entitled Focus on 3 Montferrand events in the 19th and 20th centuries in which she returns to the bombing of Cataroux but also to the Debay-Facy legacy and the Fête de la Rosière and to the Herbet American Cemetery. Book available from the association or via 7 Jours à Clermont which will transmit it.
