What is the link between Saint-Saëns and Pierre Brossolette?

See my news
Follow Le Réveil de Neufchâtel

A street, as well as a stele, erected in 1975 bear the name of Pierre Brossolette in Saint-Saëns (Seine-Maritime).

But why the memory of this journalist and politician considered one of the main actors in the unification of the French resistance, is it so present in the commune?

A clandestine escape

Thanks to Claude Fournier, the former editor-in-chief of Le Réveil, and the various books he devoted to Saint-Saëns, we know the link between the resistance fighter and the commune of Seine-Maritime.

We learn in volume 1 of his book The Pivotal Years, that Pierre Brossolette was clandestinely exfiltrated from Saint-Saënswith Jacques Robert, during an operation called “Operation Bridge”.

First of all hosted in Marcel Legardien's café, rue du Général de Gaullehe embarked on the night of April 27 to 28, 1942, aboard a Royal Air Force aircraft at a place called La Haye, on the Maucomble plateau, to leave France clandestinely and reach London where he is expected by the leaders of Free France.

Captured and tortured

In 1944, Pierre Brossolette, after having escaped several arreststries to return to London by boat with Emile Bollaert, the new general delegate of the French Committee of National Liberation to the National Council of the Resistance.

After the boat sank, they will be denounced and taken to Rennes prisonbefore being transferred on March 19, 1944 to the Gestapo headquarters in Paris.

The two men were tortured for several days.

Preferring to die than to speak, Pierre Brossolette threw himself through the skylight of the 5th floor of the building where he was held prisoner on March 22, 1944.

He succumbed to his injuries at the Salpêtrière hospital in the evening and was cremated at the Père Lachaise cemetery on March 24.

An entry to the Pantheon

On May 27, 2015, François Hollande, then President of the Republic, paid tribute to four resistance fighters including Pierre Brossolette.

From this day on, the former resistance fighter enters the Pantheona monument dedicated to the memory of illustrious men and women.

“Revenge on destiny”declared his daughter Anne Brossolette-Branco.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.