A path in the name of the great resistance fighter Pierre Samin, inaugurated in Vimoutiers, in Orne

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It is on this day of commemoration of the Armistice of November 11, 1918 in Vimoutiers (Orne), Monday November 11, 2024also year of the 80^e anniversary of the Landing, which the municipality chose to pay homage to the memory of Pierre Samin (1921-2017), by inaugurating in his name, a path located on the heights of the town, towards Orbec.

This inauguration took place in the presence of his children, Monique Laigre, Chantal Rébulard et Pierre-Etienne Samin but also his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and cousins. Guy Romainthe mayor, declared how “it is a privilege to honor his memory this morning, that of a local man who fought for our freedom”.

Multiple decorations

Pierre Samin was resistant within the group The Dorze (named after its leader, Joseph Le Dorzedirector of the Notre-Dame school), OCM network (Civil and military organization). He had also been a liaison officer for the DMR (regional military delegate) Birien.

His involvement and his facts résistance had earned him multiple decorations and not the least. He held the War Cross with palm, the military medal as a Resistant, the Cross of the volunteer resistance fighterthe Medal for Volunteers 39-45before being made knight of the Legion of Honor. Nevertheless, the man has always been characterized by his humility and discretion.

A discreet hero

Born November 21, 1921, in Guerquesalles, Pierre Samin settled with his parents on a farm at a place called Le-Tuffey, in Camembert. It was there that he met Genevieve whose parents had a neighboring farm. They were married in 1941. Four children were born to their union.

A jack of all trades, ingenious, an outstanding handyman, he practiced several professions: farmer, lumberjack, mechanic, blacksmith. If he is appreciated for his many talents, Pierre Samin is also and above all a hero. A discreet hero who never put himself forward

The mayor adds that “if he kept silent about his Resistance activities, on the other hand, he was full of praise for his youngest”.

Thank you Mr Samin

Pierre Samin shared his passion for motorcycles and motor sports with his youngest son, Pierre-Etienne Saminwith whom he experienced his coronations, Pierre-Etienne having been winner of the Bol d’Or in 1980 then the 24 hours of Le Mans motorcycle in 1982. “Pierre Samin left us in January 2017, as discreetly as he had lived. So this morning, we in turn have the immense honor of paying tribute to him. Tribute to his courage, his bravery, his self-sacrifice. He fought in the shadows for our freedom.”

Ce path well symbolizes the man he was, “a man of the shadows, without pretension, ensuring the connection between two paths”. And which indicates a direction to take, that of preserving this freedom dearly acquired during the Second World War by these men and women. “Thank you Mr Samin” concludes the mayor, facing very moved children and family.

In action

Stéphane Robinea historian by training, specializing in the Resistance in Normandy, had traced the essential facts of the resistance of Pierre Samin. In 1940, then a mechanic at the company Rebulard in Vimoutiers, Pierre Samin enrolls in the school for aviation mechanic students which he must join on 1^is July 1940. But due to events, the school was evacuated towards the United Kingdom and although located in Rochefort, Pierre Samin fails to board.

Returned to his parents' farm Camembert, he resumes his work, determined to do something against the German occupier, sabotage of vehicles, “V” campaign for victory, colors raised at the war memorial, distribution of the underground press, resistance to the STO (Compulsory Labor Service), etc.

It integrates the OCM

It was in September 1943 that he joined theCivil and military organization (OCM) within the group The Dorze of Vimoutiers composed of the teacher, Joseph Le Dorzehead of sector Vimoutiers-Le Sapthe policeman Pierre Annicresponsible for the action group, the mechanic, Pierre Samin, from the baker, Joseph Rotrou, of the lumberjack, Henry Bunel and later, from a former member of the armistice army, Henri Mallet.

On June 6, 1944, Pierre Samin takes action under the orders of the gendarme Annic. All signage and signposts in the area are removed. On the night of June 7 to 8, with three comrades, he destroyed the German underground cable connecting Bernay has Cliff. On the night of the 10th to the 11th, he took part in the destruction of the SNCF line Le Mesnil-Mauger-Sainte-Gauburge, then on the night of the 13th to the 14th, mining the SNCF bridge on the road Vimoutiers-Gacé.

Liaison Officer

Buried under the rubble of the gendarmerie during the bombing of the city on June 14, 1944, he lost the man he considered “my second father”, Pierre Annic. From June 9, he became liaison officer with the various heads of staff of region M and subdivisions M1 and M4, leading him to increase the number of trips to Calvados, Orne, Sarthe and THE Maine-et-Loire.

Back to Vimoutiers on August 8, he resumed the armed struggle with his group and on the morning of August 22, with his comrades, Pierre Samin hands over three prisoners to Canadiens whom he will guide in their progress towards the north. Back to Vimoutiershe participated in the cleaning of the sector and the capture of isolated Germans before contracting, on October 2, 1944, a commitment to the Sarthe marching regiment.

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