I am very pleased to have author Kendrick Kirk as our guest blogger today. Ken wrote the wonderful book, Messages in Handlebars, as a tribute to his very good friend Jean-Jacques Auduc and Mr. Auduc’s activities as the youngest active member of the French Resistance during the German occupation of France. Messages in Handlebars is now used as a reference book at the U.S. Military Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur-mer as well as the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum (Savannah, Georgia). The book has been translated into French and is popular overseas as well as having been endorsed by the British Ambassador to France. Mr. Auduc’s hometown and surrounding areas were a hotbed of activities for the missions of both the French resistance, the Auduc’s réseau (network), and Special Operations Executive (SOE). I know you’ll enjoy Ken’s blog as well as reading his book, Messages in Handlebars.
Let’s Meet Claire and Kendrick Kirk
Ken and his wife, Claire, divide their time between their home in Georgia and their lovely château, Château RiveSarthe, near Le Mans, France. They host various groups at their château during the year as well as organize group tours within France. They maintain a web site where anyone interested can contact them: www.rivesarthe.netRead More “Messages in Handlebars: The Youngest Resistance Fighter”
Many of our long-time readers know I enjoy highlighting women résistants in the French Resistance. Stories like Nancy Wake (read The White Mouse here), Suzanne Spaak (read Something Must Be Donehere), Marie-Madeleine Fourcade (read Noah’s Arkhere), and Hélène Berr (read The French Anne Frank here) are quite uplifting and show the superior leadership skills, moral commitment, and fortitude these women possessed.
Today, you’ll be introduced to an exceptional résistant who was the only woman to actually lead a Special Operations Executive (SOE) circuit (i.e., network) as well as being responsible for leading a large group of Maquis (French Resistance underground guerrilla fighters) before, during, and after the Allied invasion on 6 June 1944.
Pearl Witherington in uniform. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Wallace fountains in Paris are painted bright primary colors? The original paint was what we call today, “British racing green” ⏤ remember Jim Clark’s Formula One racing car from the 1960s? Yes, of course, you do (that is why I inserted a picture).
Jim Clark’s 1965 Lotus-Ford with British racing green colors. Photo by Michael Barera (2012). PD-CCA-Share Alike 4.0 International. Wikimedia Commons.
About three years ago, I wrote a blog on the Wallace fountains (read Wallace Fountainshere). Readers were introduced to Sir Richard Wallace (1818-1890), a British philanthropist who was concerned about the lack of safe drinking water in Paris. He financed the building of public drinking fountains which have become affectionately known as “Wallace Fountains.” As Ulrike explains in her article (see below), some of the fountains have been painted in bright colors. It’s easy to miss the green fountains but there is absolutely no way you can miss the bright red, yellow or purple ones!
Wallace fountain (green). Photo by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey (2018). Bonjour Paris: The Wallace Fountain in Color. Courtesy of Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey.Wallace fountain (yellow). Photo by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey (2018). Bonjour Paris: The Wallace Fountain in Color. Courtesy of Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey.Wallace fountain (blue). Photo by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey (2018). Bonjour Paris: The Wallace Fountain in Color. Courtesy of Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey.Wallace fountain (Pink). Photo by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey (2018). Bonjour Paris: The Wallace Fountain in Color. Courtesy of Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey.
Please enjoy this article written by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey: click here.
If you enjoy Paris and haven’t already done so, I recommend you subscribe to the Bonjour Paris blog. Link here.
Special Operations Executive
The SOE was officially formed on 22 July 1940 when Winston Churchill ordered Hugh Dalton to “set Europe ablaze.” Churchill loved the idea of spies, espionage, and guerilla warfare. At the time, the British military leaders were against it as it represented irregular warfare tactics, but Churchill knew that undercover covert operations within the occupied countries would be necessary to accomplish the Allied goals, including the eventual invasion of Europe. Read More “What I Did Wasn’t Civil”
This book presents three detailed walking tours and numerous metro station oriented short walks that identified significant occupation locations. Each location on the walk is fully explained. In addition, the author uses many sidebars to provide additional supporting information. The appendix provides a wealth of additional information and pictures that the novice and well read Occupation scholar will find helpful. Whether your first exposure to the Occupation or one of many books you have read, this book is a must read prior to visiting Paris. The format and size of the book make it easy to carry in your carry-on luggage. The book is the first of a three volume set. I can’t wait to see the information to be presented in Volumes 2 & 3.
Patrick from Albuquerque.
Patrick Morrissey, Amazon customer
“Stew blends the dark history of buildings in Paris that are associated with the infamous deeds of the Gestapo with contrasting insights into the bravery of the French people, who, at great risk to themselves and their families, secretly resisted the German Occupation.”
Stanley Booker, MBE, RAF (Ret.), Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur
