Resistance and beer barrels

Dear all,

I recently discovered while doing my genealogy that my great grand-parents, Marcel ROUSSEAUX and his wife Gabrielle (born DECROIX), where active resistant during WWII. Marcel and Gabrielle owned a brewery in Burbure (Pas-de-Calais, France). During the WWII, part of the brewery was occupied by the Nazis, while my great grand-parents hide british paratroopers in the other part. I managed to gather few names: James NOWAK, Fremick ROWE and H.E. SIMMONS. An other story concerning Marcel ROUSSEAUX says that he helped local head of resistance branch Fernand SELINGUE driving almost 200 british soldiers in empty beer barrels from Burbure/Lillers to La Madeleine.

Unfortunately, I have great difficulties to find these soldiers. I have no first hand testimony to confirm (or invalidate) these incredible stories. It would be amazing if someone heard these stories, and I would be grateful if you could share it with me and on this forum. I would love to make known my great grand-parents for their acts and the british soldiers they saved.

Thank you very much
Charles R.

 

Have you tried this one? It is focussed on airmen, but they may have helped paratroopers too.

http://www.cometeline.org/

 

You might also consider posting threads for each of them in the Information Request or Service Record subforums. There are several very knowledgeable people here (in particular in regards to WW!! British service). You might also want to check out our sister forum WWIItalk as it tends to focus more on Commonwealth participation.

 

Thank you both for your quick answers, your suggestions are a good lead for my research. I haven't came across the comet line website yet, it looks very interesting. I will happily share the results of my research on this forum.

Charles R.

 

You are welcome. I also know a gentleman who has published a list of rescuers . I will check for the names you mentioned and if I have a match I will let you know.

 

Thank you very much for that, fingers-crossed!!