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Haut Valromey

Plaque commémorative

Commemorative plaque in memory of 17 Resistance fighters who died on the Retord plateau, in the Haut-Bugey area in the south of Nantua, during the Treffenfold operation in july 1944.

On july 11, 1944, the Treffenfeld operation was launched by the German against the maquis of the Ain and of the Haut-Jura. This was the largest operation conducted against these maquis. In total, 88 FFI (Force Française de l'intérieur - "French Forces of the Interior" - French Resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II) soldiers were killed. Due to the violence of the German offensive, colonel Romans-Petit, leader of the Ain maquis, adopted a strategy of successive... Read more

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Address : La Vezeronce , 01260 Haut Valromey
GPS Coordinates : 46.09323 , 5.7069
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Themes
  • Commemorative plaque
  • Maquis
  • Fighting
  • Repression
  • Liberation
  • Ain
  • Armed Resistance
Complete description of site

Commemorative plaque in memory of 17 Resistance fighters who died on the Retord plateau, in the Haut-Bugey area in the south of Nantua, during the Treffenfold operation in july 1944.

On july 11, 1944, the Treffenfeld operation was launched by the German against the maquis of the Ain and of the Haut-Jura. This was the largest operation conducted against these maquis. In total, 88 FFI (Force Française de l'intérieur - "French Forces of the Interior" - French Resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II) soldiers were killed. Due to the violence of the German offensive, colonel Romans-Petit, leader of the Ain maquis, adopted a strategy of successive retreats, while slowing down the advance of the Wehrmacht.

On july 12 1944, the german troops took possession of several strategic positions, including the Richemond Pass. The Richemond compagny fought from 5 A.M to mid-day. Until its commander, Maurice Morrier "Plutarque", ordered the retreat. However, German forces had already infiltrated the region deeply, and a battalion had been placed on the line from Bellegarde to Saint-Germain-de-Joux to prevent the Maquis from retreating further north. Raymond Chollier, Roger Doussot, Maurice Durand, Charles Novel, Emile Revillard and Jean Vinet, members of the Richemond compagny, were captured without weapons during the dispersal of their unit. They were executed on july 13, in the hamlet of Tès-Mas-Curty, north of Hotonnes.

Louis Burnard and Marcel Gallet, also members of the Richemond company, were both killed at a place called "Le Thumey" in the commune of Billiat as they were retreating to the Cuvéry pass.

Bruno Bambozzi, Jean Benoit, Luien Bouvrat, Georges Pillard, Louis Tocco et Emile Vorlet were young Resistant fighters from the training school of Saint-Martin-du-Fresne. On july 13, the school was closed and an order of dispersion was given. The young Resistance fighters were caught and killed by german soldiers at the Combe Ramboz, in the commune of Petit-Abergement while trying to cross the Retord plateau.

Benoit Martin, from the Danton company, some of whose members had been assigned to the defense of the Retord plateau, was killed on july 14 in the hamlet of Vézeronce, in the commune of Grand-Abergement.

The plateau of the Ain had been invaded and the Grand-Abergement village occupied for several days par German troops. On july 13, David georges, an FFI soldier who was trying to join his family, was killed at the edge of the woods by a  german soldier ambushed in front of a farm in a place known as "La Manche" in the commune of Grand-Abergement. Georges Evieux, another FFI, was killed near the same farm on july 14 at 3 p.m.

Inscription: "Benoit Jean, Tocco Louis, Vorlet Émile, Bouvrat Lucien, Bambozzi Bruno, Pillard Georges, Vinay Jean, Novel Charles, Doussot Roger, Durand Maurice, Revillard Émile, Cholliet Raymond, David Georges, Évieux Georges, Martin Benoit, Burnard Louis, Gallet Marcel - July 13, 1944 - To those who fell on our peaks."

 Sources :

- Le Maitron, Le petit-Abergement (Ain) 13 juillet 1944. https://maitron.fr/spip.php?article229858

- Le Maitron, Hotonnes (Ain) 13 juillet 1944. https://fusilles-40-44.maitron.fr/?article229918

- Le Maitron, Notice David Georges, par Jean-Louis Ponnavoy. https://maitron.fr/spip.php?article214952

- Le Maitron, Notice Evieux Georges, par Jean-Louis Ponnavoy. https://maitron.fr/spip.php?article221512

- Le Maitron, Notice Burnard Louis, Jean-Louis Ponnavoy. https://maitron.fr/spip.php?article215648

- Canalblog,  Résistants de Bourbon - Lancy : Martin Benoit André. http://morts3945bl.canalblog.com/archives/2019/11/18/37798985.html

- Le Maitron, Notice Gallet Marcel, par Jean-Louis Ponnavoy. https://maitron.fr/spip.php?article215649

- Site Web de l'association des Amis du Musée de la Résistance de Nantua, Opération Treffenfeld dans l'Ain. https://www.resistance-ain-jura.com/operation-treffenfeld-dans-l-ain.htm

- Site Web de l'association des Amis du Musée de la Résistance de Nantua, La compagnie Richemond. https://www.resistance-ain-jura.com/42-non-categorise/366-la-compagnie-richemond.html

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