In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

80 years ago, the Liberation signaled the end of the fighting in the Second World War: the resistance fighters of the Bir Hakeim maquis suffered heavy human losses. Tribute was paid to them.

One day, little Paul, 9 years old, noticed the name that appears under the statue that dominates the Place de Canet. “He's called the same as me!” “No, it's you who's called the same as him!”. Hélène Demarne, the granddaughter of Commander Paul Demarne, known as Max, and the grandmother of little Paul, was quite moved this Saturday morning in Canet. Hélène never knew her grandfather, he died on August 4, 1944 in Gignac under German bullets. Paul Demarne took command of the survivors of the Bir Hakeim maquis, after the attack on the Parade in Lozère (which killed 38 maquisards), before falling in turn. “I was raised in his memory, in the importance of his commitment and his sacrifice”, admits Hélène Demarne in front of the imposing bronze man installed there since 1947.

In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

Hélène Demarne and her grandsons, in front of the statue and portrait of her grandfather, Commander Paul Demarne, who was leader of the maquis.

“This statue was an initiative of the commune at the time, not of the family”. Commander Demarne has been there for almost 80 years, and through him, it is the commitment of an entire youth of the country that is being honored.

“He was a career soldier, who had served in Algeria, but he was also a winegrower in Canet, a member of the PRG, a man of great physical endurance and leadership qualities…” recalled Claude Revel, the mayor of Canet in his speech. On the square, residents held portraits of some of the resistance fighters, most of whom had extremely young faces. Do we become resistant by chance or do we carry within ourselves the genes of commitment?? A vast question to which the sub-prefect of Lodève, Eric Suzanne, as well as all the interlocutors of this commemorative day started in Clermont l'Hérault and at the Mourèze memorial, tried to answer.

In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

In Canet, under the statue of Commander Paul Demarne, the moving commemorative ceremony.

For the State representative, it is also appropriate to mention, among these resistance fighters, women, often forgotten by history. Likewise, those foreigners who also joined the Bir Hakeim maquis. The presence of the legionnaires of the 13th DBLE of Larzac at the commemorative ceremonies recalls the role of these “Frenchmen of spilled blood” as General Hugues de Roquemaurel emphasized.

In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

With General de Roquemaurel, the grandson of the maquisard Pierre Damiani who keeps an authentic maquis pennant.

Son of Christian de Roquemaurel, and nephew of Marcel, two of the founders of the maquis, the general is today the president of the Amicale des Amis de Bir Hakeim. “We are doing historical work, to maintain knowledge of what happened here.”The association works in schools and has designed an exhibition that will be seen by classes and accessible to the public again during the heritage days (1).

In Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Canet, homage to the resistance fighters of Bir Hakeim

At the Mourèze memorial, the long list of names of those who died for France was read aloud.

The words written by Christian de Roquemaurel himself, evoking the baptism of fire of the young resistance fighters, will touch today's visitors. “On September 10, 1943, this group of young people was born into adulthood […] These young people had never killed, had never seen their brother's blood, had never physically felt this psychological mutation triggered by the noise of combat. In place of vaguely defined devotions, a reality was imposed that would not leave them for a long time, that of death that enters brutally without striking. That day, we became soldiers engaged in a war that we will discover."

Death of Camille Verdeil, the last Héraultais of Bir Hakeim

He was the last of the Hérault resistance fighters from Bir Hakeim. At the age of 99, the Clermont native passed away a few days ago and was buried on Wednesday in Salasc. Camille Verdeil was a draft resister for the STO and joined the resistance at only 17 years old. His clandestine name was then Baillard. The apprentice baker suddenly changed his life and discovered combat. He took part in the Liberation of Montpellier, and recounted these memories in the magazine published by Midi Libre 80 years of the Liberation of Languedoc. He describes the hunger and deprivation, the fear, his extreme youth and his budding love for Maria who will become his wife. Midi Libre sends its sincere condolences to the latter and to the relatives of Camille Verdeil, who was for a long time at all the commemorations at the Mourèze memorial.

(1) Exhibition at the multipurpose hall in Canet, route du Pont. I subscribe to read the rest

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