Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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llEKlll?lE!lllllllllllll!lllll-Ill!!! In one instance, five Maquis, dressed in French Army uniforms, stole four wagons of food and supplies which were waiting to be shipped into Ger- many. The German sentries thought the disguised Maquis were following German orders. The members of the Corps Francs or Shock Troops, an active division of the freedom-loving Maquis were equal to the British and American comman- dos in their hard, reckless courage, their stamina, and their indifference to death. The Corps made various attacks on the German positions a11d supply houses. The most important deeds of the guerrillas was to keep General Patton constantly informed of the exact position of each German column and to protect his flank, thus enabling him to make his speedy drive. Another very important contribution to final victory was the clandestine press. Sickened by the Paris and Vichy newspapers, the underground publications became honest, bold, and strong. They were banners of hope for the conquered people. All of the sixty papers in occupied territory were printed at the risk of death, distributed by stealth, and read under the threat of imprisonment. One clandestine news- paper was printed at night. During the day, the shop printed a German- approved editio11. The first leader in tl1e literature against the oppressor was Andre Simeon, who printed the ' ' Valmy. Through the help of -a distant relative who worked in an office of a building occupied by Germans, Simeon mimeo- graphed his first issue. He eventually added others to his staff of the t'Valmy,' and acquired a printing press which he l1id in a cave. The Valmy had a circulation of 500,000 a week. Considering that each copy was read by twenty persons, the paper did a great deal to stir up tl1e people against the Nazis and to encourage them to look forward to an eventual day of liberation. In spite of the closing of universities, including the University of Sorbonne, the clandestine press printed works of authors and poets in hiding. The Voice of France in chains speaks in Paul E'luard's Armes de la Douleurf' To a desolate country, this literature gave strength and courage to tl1e resistance groups. . The quotation from the New York Times Magazine, to intensify and ren- der more efficient the fight for libera- tion from the enemy and from traitors by immediate action and by preparing a national insurrection, to defend the interests of France and the Empire, and to concentrate forces of resistance with a view to the creation of a Fourth Republic and.. a just societyf' clearly explains why the people began uniting and fusing all active parts of the un- derground into a National Council of Resistance of sixteen members, which 'represented all parts of France tllld

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lllllllllli IIEIEUIKEIEIEIEBEIIII . and independent people, began to re- volt secretly to save their country from complete annhilation and humiliation, and to regain their self-respect and their pride as a nation. They risked their lives for the little liberty offered in resistance movements. The people fought against the Vichy regime, which was to them worse than that of the Nazis - French participation in Ger- man oppression of Frenchmen. In spite of German arrests, murders, spies, informers, and the control of the press, radio, and all out-going mail, the underground, which originally be- gan by acts of personal: vengeance, became united and strong. Notwithstanding great obstacles, the organizations of the resistance move- ments forged papers, helped stranded Royal Air Force men escape, got fac- tual data on all German activities, and persuaded the people to collect and give money for the cause. Resistance against oppression welded people of all creeds, of all political be- liefs, and of all types, both rich and poor, to work smoothly together for victory. In the fight for freedom, the French used sabotage, the Maquis, and news- papers to overcome the Germans and their evil deeds. All phases of the re- sistance movements were equally dan- gerous and had the same penalty - death if captured. The leaders in these fields were chosen for their ability, not for former wealth or position - ability made authority. In order to weaken the enemy and to lower his morale, the French peo- ple committed sabotage in important places during blackouts. Sabotage methods included the destruction of railroad tracks, the poisoning of Ger- man food, the cutting of vital telephone and telegraph wires, and the firing of fuel dumps. To commit these acids, the saboteurs, often women and older men, were taught by school teachers and former soldiers to be alert, wily, and to give careful attention to minute details. One of the cleverest acts of the sabo- tours was to put an abrasive on bear- ings made at one factory. When the various parts were assembled, the ma- chine would run well at first but would soon break down for some mysterious unaccountable reason. Such sabotage rattled the nerves of the Nazis and finally forced them to close many vital factories. 1 On D-Day, sabotage acts delayed German rein- forcements for twenty-four hours. Another phase of the war for inde- pendence appeared when the traitor Laval issued the order that all young men were to report for slave labor in Germany. The men took to the woods and formed the guerrilla band called the Maquis. Although the Maquis, who were led by former French Army officers, lacked arms, they did not lack faith, and in that faith performed daring deeds by means of which they stole from the Germans most of the arms they used.

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was in close contact with Allied Head- quarters. As the underground struggled on- ward, the British began dropping them guns, food, and ammunition. It even- tually became so important as a source of information about German move- ments, that a map of France was kept at Allied Headquarters in London with red dots indicating where patriots were trained, supplied, and ready for the signal of D-Day. Credit must be given to the French people who risked everything to keep their liberty. They fought for four long hard years while being hunted and living without adequate food and shelter. Their valor will always be an inspiration to freedom-loving people. Joan of Arc's answer to one of her judges as to whether or not she hated the enemy is significant of France's unconquerable spirit: I don 't know, she said, but I know they shall be turned out of France except those who shall die there. - HUMOR IN WORLD WAR II By Chester Bowen UMOR is a great thing. W'ar, the most harsh and abominable busi- ness in the world, cannot eradicate it. Although the whole world has been engaged in war, effecting great con- flagrations in some places, unprece- dented sacrifices and grief in others, and the devastation of some of man's greatest achievements, still humor has managed to survive. Perhaps it is not amiss to ask why it has been able to survive amidst all these adverse condi- tions. It may be that people deem it necessary as a means of escape in such tragic times or perhaps it is so much a part of the nature of some people that even the horrors of war are not sufficient to repress it. Although some morose cynics may think it unpatriotic to laugh while such calamity is present in the world, most people feel the same as Bennett Cerf, the nationally known humorist, who says, We will die if We must, sacrifice everything, but surely and nobody will begrudge us a hearty laugh or two in the doingfl And thanks to the fact that most people agree with him, humor has played an important part in raising morale during the war and in that way helping the war eiortg for it is a known psychological fact that people will work more willingly and accomplish more when their morale is high.