Résistance-Fer
Encyclopedia
Résistance-Fer was a French
Resistance
group against the German
occupation of France during the Second World War.
This specific movement was essentially composed of French railway workers from the SNCF
and played an active role in the French Resistance.
The Résistance-Fer concentrated its activities on:
The group was created in 1943 by Jean-Guy Bernard, Louis Armand
and Jean Marthelot with the help of the director of the SNCF Albert Guerville and the Cohors-Asturies and Emilie Plouviez groups. Résistance-Fer is considered part of the network of Forces Française Combattantes which was part of the Délégation Générale. After the arrest of Jean-Guy Bernard in January 1944, Armand took charge of the group under the control of Jacques Chaban-Delmas
. Philippe Leroy
was named head of the movement in northern France while Louis Lavignon, part of Combat (French Resistance)
, led the group in the southeastern Rhone-Alpes region in 1944. He was arrested on May 17th 1944 and died in the deportation camp of Neuengamme.
On 17th May 1945, General Charles de Gaulle
praised the group: "The railway men and women of the Résistance-Fer have fought, regardless of the risks, during the entire occupation with persistence, courage and discipline for France and freedom".
Their activities were depicted in Rene Clement's film "La Bataille du Rail" which opened the first post-war Cannes film festival, a film which is credited as being produced by them, with permission of the Centre Nationale de la Resistance, (CNR).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
group against the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupation of France during the Second World War.
This specific movement was essentially composed of French railway workers from the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
and played an active role in the French Resistance.
The Résistance-Fer concentrated its activities on:
- Reporting the movement of German troops to the Allied forces
- The sabotageSabotageSabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
of railway infrastructure and rolling stock
The group was created in 1943 by Jean-Guy Bernard, Louis Armand
Louis Armand
For the writer and critical theorist, see Louis Armand Louis Armand was a French engineer who managed several public companies and had a significant role during World War II as an officer in the Resistance...
and Jean Marthelot with the help of the director of the SNCF Albert Guerville and the Cohors-Asturies and Emilie Plouviez groups. Résistance-Fer is considered part of the network of Forces Française Combattantes which was part of the Délégation Générale. After the arrest of Jean-Guy Bernard in January 1944, Armand took charge of the group under the control of Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....
. Philippe Leroy
Philippe Leroy
Philippe Leroy may refer to:*Philippe Leroy *Philippe Leroy...
was named head of the movement in northern France while Louis Lavignon, part of Combat (French Resistance)
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
, led the group in the southeastern Rhone-Alpes region in 1944. He was arrested on May 17th 1944 and died in the deportation camp of Neuengamme.
On 17th May 1945, General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
praised the group: "The railway men and women of the Résistance-Fer have fought, regardless of the risks, during the entire occupation with persistence, courage and discipline for France and freedom".
Their activities were depicted in Rene Clement's film "La Bataille du Rail" which opened the first post-war Cannes film festival, a film which is credited as being produced by them, with permission of the Centre Nationale de la Resistance, (CNR).