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5043385 Francois Dumont C de G.Free French Air Force 37th Squadron from:Toulouse Francois Dumont joined up as a volunteer in 1936, he was posted to the 37th flying regiment in Casablanca(Morocco), then to the 37th, 4th squadron at Meknes(Morocco). From November, 1936, to the declaration of war, he travelled between Meknes and Casablanca, where he trained for anti-aircraft operations. During this period too, he was moved around ceaselessly for operations [anti-aircraft and bomb loader in Tiznit(Morocco), Colomb-Bechar(Algeria), Tindouf(Algeria) etc.]. When war was declared, 8th September 1939, he was trapped in Sfax(Tunisia).
Diary
20th September 1939: Depart from Sfax for Blida(Algeria) in order to rejoin the squadron.
5th January 1940: Depart from Meknes for Casablanca to assemble “Glenn Martin”s (aircraft).
23rd May 1940: Embarking in a convoy on the “Commandant Teste”.
26th May 1940: Arrived at our base of operations at Evreux(Normandy).
8th June 1940: There is a strategic withdrawal from Evreux to Chateauroux, the Germans are all ready. One of their comrades, who went back to recover his bags with his papers, didn’t come back, he was made a prisoner at Evreux on the day of their departure.
12th June 1940: Retreat again to Segonzac near to Bordeaux.
18th June 1940: Re-embarkation of the convoy, equipment on the “Anadyr”, and personnel to the “Delesalle”. The “Anadyr” left port but the “Delesalle” returned to the quay; all the personnel got off so that they could make ship for Asia. The Sergeants: Eloi, Joubert; Corporal Schmitt and Privates: Berger, Plant, Lefevre, Massouty, Lassauniere, Levrier and Dumont refused to embark, they learnt that a General in London had sent out a call to them.
19th June 1940: These 10 men made their way to Bayonne in the hope of finding a boat for England. There they found the “P40”, “President Houduce”, but the Captain made some conditions: He already had some Poles on board, he was waiting orders to get underway but didn’t know where yet: “I don’t know how long we will be at sea, I am very low on supplies, I want to take you on board but you need to be sure of your supplies…”. So Dumont and his comrades left downtown towards the Channel. As they had little with them, they went into a grocers to see the manager and told him their story; they had no money and the generosity and patriotism of the man was not great, so he flatly refused to help. But just then, an employee in the shop who had heard everything intervened with the manager and demanded that he give these men all they need: “You can take all their purchases out of my wages!”. They embarked the same day. After 6 days at sea they arrived at Gibraltar on the 25th June. There they found the “Anadyr”, went on board and they were back in business. For 8 days they lived on board.
26th June 1940: A “Simoun” is shot down by anti-aircraft fire in Spain.
27th June 1940: A “Glenn Martin” is shot down in its turn.
30th June 1940: Again a “Glenn Martin” shot down, killing 4 men including the captain, de Veneuvre, who Dumont knew.
1st July 1940: Burial of the 4 French airman.
2nd July 1940: Re-embarkation for Liverpool, where they arrive on the 13th after 11 days at sea.
14th July 1940: Arrival in London. “We paraded through London, the most beautiful and poignant march past I ever saw in my life”.
30th August 1940: Embarked on the “Pennland” for Africa. Dumont takes part in the unhappy events in Dakar(Senegal): 8 comrades are captured. Next, passing by Freetown(Sierra Leone), disembark at Douala(Cameroon), for the Gabon campaign.
9th November 1940: Sergeant Leguyader, Lieutenant Meura and Lieutenant Jacob disappeared in the equatorial forest between Douala and Libreville(Gabon) in a “Blenheim”.
11th November 1940: Sergeant Gerard and chief-Sergeant Lacomt are killed in an accident, another man is injured.
19th November 1940: Lieutenant Feuillerat is killed testing a “D520”. Then Adjutant Tazzer and Sergeant Calves are killed on a mission.
15th December 1940: Leave from Douala to Libreville, to repair 2 salvaged “Glenn Martin”s.
15th February 1941: Dumont is promoted to Sergeant.
5th March 1941: Leave from Brazzaville for Bangui(Central African Republic) by river. Seventeen days on board.
22nd March 1941: Arrived in Bangui. Here there was a lot of coming and going, escorting “Glen Martin”s, for flying lessons (in one incident, a puncture in the tail wheel at Wadi-Alfa(Sudan)). The crew was: Pilot, Chief-Sergeant Noel, Navigator, Lieutenant Frelon, Radio, Sergeant Tual, and Gunner, Sergeant Dumont.
26th May 1941: Leave Wadi-Alfa for Abu-Sweir(Egypt).
27th May 1941: Leave Abu-Sweir for Shandur(Pakistan). The commandant, Goumin is killed, Adjutant Marteau, Lieutenant Courcot and Sergeant Lefevre are taken prisoner.
15th September 1941: Leave for Gaza(Palestine), to assemble some “Blenheim”s for G.B.1 “Lorraine”.
22nd October 1941: Return to Damascus(Syria) by ‘plane. Lieutenant Nueman killed with 3 parachutists.
17th November 1941: Start of operations around Fukka(Egypt).
23rd January 1942: They returned from Gambut(Libya) to Cairo(Egypt). The end of operations for G.B.1. They had lost:
Captured: Adjutant Jabin, Sergeant Bruneau.
Killed: Lieutenant de la Maisonneuve, Lieutenant Sandre, Lieutenant Meltcharski, Sergeant Lann, Sergeant Fifre, Lieutenant Colonel Pijeaud, Sergeant Delcros.
Wounded: Captain de Maismont, Chief-Sergeant Perbost, Chief-Sergeant Rodor.
23rd February 1942: Return from Cairo to Rayack(Lebanon).
2nd March 1942: Decoration of the G.B.1 “Lorraine” with the “Fourragere de Croix de Guerre” and the “Medaille Coloniale avec Agrafes”.
22nd April 1942: Damascus: Training Radio/machine Gunner, Lieutenants Dessa and de Chabrillan, and Corporal Nevraumont are killed in a “63”.
9th May 1942: Leave Damascus for Cairo. Dumont is dressed as a Radio/Navigator 4th class(?).
June 1942: Arrive at Suez. Lieutenants Frelon, Le Dilasse, Chief-Sergeant Arcam die at sea. Leave on the “Bu???” for Kenya (2 days).
11th June 1942 until 23rd October 1942: Dumont goes through: Sudan, Aden, Mombasa(Kenya), Nairobi(Kenya), Gil Gil(Kenya), Nanguki(Kenya), back to Nairobi and Mombasa and there embarked on the “Mendoza”, leaving on the 25th October.
1st November 1942: At 16 :30h, the “Mendoza”1 was struck by a torpedo that destroyed the propeller and the rudder, the passengers took to the lifeboats. At 17:00h, a second torpedo cut the ship in two, fires everywhere, all the french were safe and sound, and they were rescued 72 hours later by the “Engadine”.
5th November 1942: After all this excitement, arrived in Durban.
19th November 1942: New embarkation on board the “California”, bound for Capetown, arrived 6th December at Freetown. They were stuck there until the 10th (it was very hot on board). The morning of the 10th, at 09:00h, they finally left for England where they arrived in Glasgow on the 21st December 1942, a little more than 2 years at sea, or on land, all the same a little of the real life of an airman. François would joke, that between June 1940 and December 1942, he counted from his logbook, no less than 176 days at sea, that is, and it must be underlined, a record for an airman.
15th January 1943: He is made Chief-Sergeant. After many comings and goings between London and Camberley, he was stationed at West Raynham, attached to the 342nd RAF squadron (group “Lorraine”), 2nd wing, “Nancy”. François (Radio/Gunner) was assigned to aircraft, “V”, with Chief-Sergeant Bernard (Pilot), Lieutenant A.M.Soville (Navigator), Cadet Hincelin (Gunner), Chief-Sergeant Vergine and Sergeant Bon (Engineers). We are at the end of April, 1943, that will be the start of the training, missions, accidents and, already, the first losses.
22nd May 1943: Sub-Lieutenant Jacquinot, Chief-Sergeant Cohen, Colonel Desertaux are killed, Lieutenant Lebivic is mortally wounded and dies on the 6th July.
6th June 1943: Sub-Lieutenant Ducors and Sergeant Armfield are killed in an accident.
27th June 1943: Another plane crashes in the sea, Sergeant Dres is killed, Sub-Lieutenant Ducot and Sergeant Dumont (called “Marat”) are wounded.
2nd July 1943: Sub-Lieutenants Pineau, Petain and Chief-Sergeant Barat posted as missing over France.
7th July 1943: Commander Ezanno leaves after 3 years with us. The bombing missions become more and more frequent, in Holland, France there is no shortage of targets; one day the Fokker factories in Amsterdam, the next, an electrics factory at Yainville near Rouen.
8th August 1943: Bombing of a factory at Rennes, Lieutenant de Brettes and Sub-Lieutenant Hetigin are killed on landing, Chief-Sergeant Bodin and Sergeant Tharnon are wounded.
16th August 1943: While bombing the steelworks at Denain, we are attacked by German fighters, 1 ME109 and 2 FW190.
26th August 1943: Bombing of a power station in Mont de Bretagne.
1st September 1943: Bombing of marshalling yards, Rosendaal (Holland).
2nd September 1943: Bombing of marshalling yards, Serquex, the crew of Lieutenant Gins (Pilot), Captain Schaffner (Navigator), Sergeant d’Haineau and Sergeant Pecqueux are reported missing. One hopes they could land in France after the raid.
9th September 1943: Bombing of the aerodrome near Saint Paul (France).
3rd October 1943: Two crews are posted missing: Lieutenant Lamy, Adjutant Balkaen, Sergeant Roussarie, Sub-Lieutenant Lucches, Sub-Lieutenant Astier de la Vigerie, Sergeant Maruli and Sergeant Godir.
8th October 1943: François marries Gladys.
22nd October 1943: The crew including Lieutenant Stoloff, Lieutenant Lang, Sergeant Allain and Sergeant Scheinberg are posted missing during a mission to Charleroi (Belgium).
?? November 1943: “Circus Ops.2”, bombing construction works at Mimoyecques near Calais. Very heavy ack-ack3 fire causing some damage.
?? November 1943: Lieutenant Lucchesi, posted missing on 3rd October, escaped from France and returned to base.
?0 November 1943: “Circus Ops.”, Bombing Todt Organisation works at Audinghen Village. Abandoned due to 10/10 cloud cover.
?1 November 1943: Sub-Lieutenants Laurent and Colcanap killed in a flying accident.
?3 November 1943 to 13th December 1943: No more missions from his journal. Dumont mentions only comings and goings between Hartfordbridge and Downham.
20th December 1943: Restart of missions to Saint Omer.
21-22nd December 1943: Survey mission at Mesnil-Allard. 10/10 cloud cover at target.
23rd December 1943: Finally weather favourable and objective achieved. Heavy flak. Crews: Lieutenant Petit, Captain Ghigliotti, Sergeant Machecourt, Chief-Sergeant Marin are posted missing. Also Adjutant Prandi and Sergeant Genestal are killed in a crash, Sergeants Portron and Bapst are wounded.
30th December 1943: Two planes collide on takeoff. The crews included Commander Montal, Adjutant Canick, Chief-SergeantCarton and Sergeant Urbe are killed, Sub-Lieutenant Challier and Sergeant Veuillet are wounded in the crash.
31st December 1943: “Circus Ops.”, bombing construction works at Legescourt (1h 45 flight). Total mission hours, 30h 25. Total flying hours, 300h 50.
1st January 1944: Rest but on the 4th, bombing at Legecourt (1h 30)
6th January 1944: Citation for the Croix de Guerre awarded to the crew: Chief-Sergeant Bernard(Pilot), Lieutenant Laville(Navigator), Chief-Sergeant Dumont(Radio/Machine Gunner), Cadet Hincelin(Machine Gunner). Awarded for completing 13 daytime missions including 5 at low level. On 18th August 1943, they had fought off an enemy fighter without any damage to their aircraft. On the 23rd December 1943, they returned their aircraft to base without loss despite heavy anti-aircraft damage.
25th Janury 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing in the forest of Toureheim. Aircraft damaged.
3rd February 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing at Freval.
5th February 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing the aerodrome at Beauvais.
6th February 1944: Bombing at Mayenville, 10/10 cloud over target.
Combat hours: 42h 40
8th February 1944: Plane again hit during the same mission. The crew of Lieutenant Forsans, Chief-Sergeant Watel, Chief Adjutant Johanny and an English Sergeant are reported missing, shot down by the anti-aircraft fire.
1st March 1944: François Dumont is promoted to Adjutant.
2nd March 1944: Once again some friends missing: Sergeant Despres, Chief Adjutant Baleste, Adjutant Vergerie and Sergeant Linieres.
25th March 1944: “We have a dangerous occupation” but for civilians it is just the same; Gladys is hit by a bicycle and is quite badly injured.
29th March 1944: More losses. Lieutenants Stoloff, Petit and Sergeant Machecourt are officially declared prisoners.
2nd April 1944: Dumont, for one mission, joins the crew of Captain Barberon, the commander of the 1st squadron.
8th April 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing (DNCO) at Charleroi(Belgium).
10th April 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing of marshalling yards, again Charleroi.
11th April 1944: Leiutenant Forsans, shot down on 8th February, reported a prisoner of war.
For a while the rate of missions increases.
19th April 1944: Abbeville.
20th April 1944: Forest of Crecy, Sergeants Petiot and Simon are killed in a crash, Sergeants Vivien and Soupes are injured.
21st April 1944: Lexicourt.
22nd April 1944: Again to Lexicourt, and after 55 minutes of the return flight, in sight of the English coast, we were sent on a mission to Legroseiller (1h 35).
23rd April 1944: Bombing to Yverich (1h 35).
Combat hours: 57h 55
25th April 1944: Burial of Sergeants Petiot and Simon at Brookwood.
28th April 1944: Bombing over Mantes, DNCO (no fighter escort).
29th April 1944: “Circus Ops.”, same as before, DNCO 10/10 cloud cover over France.
30th April 1944: Bombing over Arras with heavy flak.
7th May 1944: Bombing over Cambrai (and another 2h 15 combat hours).
9th May 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing over Valenciennes (2h 25).
10th May 1944: Ditto, over Charleroi (2h 25).
11th May 1944: Ditto, over Douai (2h 15).
13th May 1944: Ditto, over Tourcoing (2h 10).
19th May 1944: Ditto, over Behen (1h 40) heavy flak.
After the North of France, it seems from the notebook of François Dumont, that the operations were going to concentrate on the East of France.
23rd May 1944: Visit to the airfield at Dinard.
24th May 1944: Airfield at Evreux, heavy flak (it was 4 years ago, 26th May 1940, at the same place, where the war really started).
26th May to the 30th June 1944: Thirty six days leave.
6th July 1944: Night bombing a fuel depot at Argentan(Normandy). The next missions all took place in the area of the Normandy landings.
10th July 1944: Bombing at night over the forest of Ecouves, light flak (between Argentan and Alencon).
14th July 1944: Visit of the King and Queen of England to Hartfordbridge.
25th July 1944: Bombing over the forest at Bourguebus (south-east of Caen) heavy flak.
26th July 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing petrol dump at Alencon (light flak).
27th July 1944: Night Ops. Over concentrations of troops near Bretteville south of Caen. (3h flight).
29th July 1944: Night Ops. Patrol and bombing troops at Le Mans (3h 25). The crew of Lieutenant Lebru, Sergeant Brabar, Lieutenant Rochette, Adjutant Gibert are posted lost.
31st July 1944: To this day, low level flights 5.5h, circus, 36.5h, night ops. 3h.
Combat hours: 99h 20.
2nd August 1944: “Circus Ops.”, bombing ammunition dump at Montreuil near Angers (3h 05).
4th August 1944: Night Ops. In the region of Falaise. Shot down by flak about 01:00h, 7 Km north-east of Falaise.
Crew: Pilot, Chief-Sergeant Pierre, Navigator, Chief -Sergeant Cornement, Rear Gunner, Chief-Sergeant Louis Ricardou, Radio/Gunner, Adjutant Dumont.
Extract from the regimental history for “Lorraine” squadron
2nd August 1944: At 18:10h, 5 waves of “Boston”s took off. Objective: an ammunition dump to the north-west of Angers at Montreuil. Secondary objective: a fuel dump to the east of Livarot. Flight plan: lowest point Barfleur – Avranches, objective then return the same way. The formation arrived over the objective: bomb doors are open, there are minor corrections repeated (a little to the right…, steady, a little to the left…, steady). The first 4 waves attacked, the fifth, mixed wave did not because the leading Navigator saw the objective too late. They returned to base without incident. The crews taking part included: Soufflet, Clement, Bellin, Bonneville, Minost, Chaussard, Pierre, Gueguen, Citroen, Theme, Paoli, d’Oliveira and Dubois.
3rd August 1944: All quiet, nothing to report.
4th August 1944: The german “Panzer”s are in the British sector. A concentration of tanks in the Goulet forest is our objective. Lieutenant Colonel Gorri (Sub-Lieutenant Hennecart, Navigator) is leading the wing of “Boston”s: 2 from 342, 2 from 88 and one mixed. The target was easily identified and the approach hardly begun when intense and precise anti-aircraft fire began, upsetting the 30 “Boston”s which began to waltz with all their might. Flak to the right, flak to the left… Several aircraft are hit but stay in formation.
The following night, to keep busy, all the available craft are ready to fly. General Valin arrived and makes a trial run with Emile Allegret (“Trois-Pieces”) so as to acquaint himself with the role of Bottom Gunner, he decides to join in this night’s mission. This would be a flight as individuals, to harass the enemy over the area to the South of the Normandy front, that is between Falaise- Conde sur Noireau – Fiers – Argentan. The entry to enemy territory would be around the cape at Antifer then the first loop of the river Seine to the South of Le Havre.
The first plane to return was that of Colonel Gorri. He had suffered a bad fire from a lot of light flak when he had been held in the searchlights for a long time while bombing a convoy. Next, Sub-Lieutenant Navarre (Bertrand de Pouget) also badly shot up after being trapped for a long time in a searchlight beam and pursued by tracer bullets while his plane was without its artificial horizon. Then other planes returned to base having all been badly shot up. They waited for the last ones; the mechanics on the runway, counting the minutes.
Five planes did not return within the limits of their flight time. A phone call told us that one had landed in sector B5 (British held territory near Bayeux) with engine trouble. Is it the crew of Jaffre and Cocogne? There are still 4 missing, time passes and there is still no news.We must accept the evidence, 4 crews are missing:
Sub-Lieutenant Dubois, Lieutenant Feletoux, Sergeant Pierron, Chief Adjutant Romanetti.
Chief-Sergeant Pierre, Chief-Sergeant Cornement, Adjutant Dumont, Chief-Sergeant Ricardou.
Chief-Sergeant Bonneville, Cadet Barrier, Sergeant Depui, Chief-Sergeant Jean.
Chief-Sergeant Houriez, Sub-Lieutenant Sonnet, Sergeant Kainuku, Chief-Sergeant Ladagnous.
Other crews having completed the mission: Garot, Bellin, Fortin Houvard, Gorri, Paoli, Sauberle, Citroen, Navarre (Bertrand du Pouget). The crew Houriez crashed at Mesnil-Hubert, near to Pont D’Ouilly (none survved). Crew Bonneville at Saint-Denis-de-Mere near Conde-sur-Noireau (no survivors). The crew Dubois at the hamlet near Conde-sur-Noireau (one survivor, Lieutenant Feletoux was captured). These 3 “Boston”s are grouped within a radius of 8 km, as for the crew Pierre, their “Boston” had crashed further East 7 km from Falaise. There were 2 survivors, Dumont and Pierre.
Only the crew Houriez stayed in the little cemetery at Mesnil-Hubert, their presence there is commemorated by a plaque at the entrance which states: “Graves of the war of the Commonwealth”. Specifically, the presence of 2 english graves, probably the crew of a “Mosquito”: A.Lister, RAF Navigator, age 21; G.M.Miller, RAF, age 21, 8th August 1944. The crew Houriez has rested alongside them since 1944 and will for ever.
Of the 3 other “Boston”s lost that night, only Ricardou rests in the little cemetery at Perriere. His grave is well maintained by the local villagers but not obvious to passers-by. A monument has been errected at Saint-Denis-de-Mere for the crew Bonneville. At the hamlet, the names of Dubois, Pierron et Romanetti are on the war memorial. Amongst all these men there are 3 “Compagnons de la Liberation”: Romanetti, Dumont and the legendary Ricardou. Added to this list are 4 other names, in the cemetery at Cahan (4 km form Saint-Denis-de-Mere and Mesnil-Hubert) 4 english graves dated 5th August (highlighting the fact that this night in the sector of Condes-sur-Noireau was dangerous): J.E.Bailey, RAF Navigator, aged 34; A.Dow, RAF Pilot, aged 30; D.Murray, RAF Air Gunner, aged 19; R.F.Rosemonde, Radio Operator/ Air Gunner, aged 24.
When the “Boston” had been hit the first time, Pierre ordered Cornement to release the bombs, the aircraft was low, it was no longer possible to climb to allow the men to jump. The plane was hit a second time, then a third and it dropped lower, Pierre ordered the crew to take up their crash positions. François Dumont in the nose of the “Boston” saw the wooded hillside approach, the “Boston” hit the ground, flying level but at 500 km/h.
When Dumont woke, he was several tens of metres away from the wreckage. He was still attached to his seat with his machine guns in front of him, he was groggy but, after a quick check, found nothing broken; he blacked out and woke again later, behind him he could see the burning wreckage of the “Boston”. He saw nor heard anyone and decided to leave his seat, everything was sore. He felt with his fingertips that he was bleeding from the neck, he succeeded in moving a little way. A “Mosquito”, doubtless attracted by the fire and smoke, makes several passes of cannon and machine gun fire. Dumont is struck and wounded by a splinter above his right eye. A light wound, a little more blood on his jacket. “It struck me then, watching the “Mosquito” turn to make another pass, that there had not been a single shot of anti-aircraft fire to dissuade him. I was beginning to hope that some flak would start to help make him go and attack somewhere else. A few hours before we had been in the same briefing and now he was trying to shoot me from above”.
Suddenly, Dumont heard a voice calling for help, it was Cornement, he groaned, Dumont could hear him but couldn’t see him. Cornement told him that he was seriously injured; his legs broken, his arms the same, he had been badly burnt by the fire which had now burned itself out. Dumont told him that he would try and get some help, but as soon as he tried to walk he fell over, fainted, woke up, Cornement continued to groan.
When morning came Dumont heard some German troops approaching, he hid himself in a thicket and they passed by on both sides of him but didn’t see him. They were heading for the wreck. There, Dumont could guess what happened. The Germans, SS without a doubt (by this time, in this sector, they were 12th SS Hitlerjungend), discovered Cornement. They brutally interrogated him, he cried more and more, the SS apparently wanted him to tell them how many men were on board and which direction they had taken, after a brief moment, there was a burst of machine gun fire and Cornement was dead.
Hubert Cornement
Some words on him: born on the 22nd April 1918 at Rambervilliers. In 1940 he joined the infantry. Taken prisoner he escaped on 29th December and, after much wandering, arrived in Marseilles which he left on 23rd March 1941on a fishing boat with 4 companions, travelling along the Spanish coast. They arrived in Oran on 27th March. On the 12th May he sailed as a cabin boy on the transatlantic ship “Winnipeg”, which was boarded by an english ship in the Antilles. He left the crew and rejoined the Free French in London. Married in London in 1941, he had a daughter. The inhabitants of Perrieres, forced to leave on the 10th August, discovered on their return the wreck of an aircraft, near to the debris, a grave bearing the name of “Ricardou RAF 32275”, some burnt crutches were posed on the grave. Thirty metres from there, in the undergrowth, another grave marked, “unknown RAF” written in german; the grave of Cornement. Transferred to the cemetry at Perrieres on 2nd September 1945 in the presence of François Dumont and with full military honours, Cornement and Ricardou stayed for 3 years side by side until 1948 when the father of Cornement came to return his son’s remains to the family crypt.
For François Dumont, September 1945 would be a month to remember; 20th, identification and burial of the crew of Chief-Sergeant Houriez at Mesnil-Hubert, the crew of Sub-Lieutenant Duboi on the 21st at Villette, and on the 22nd at Perrieres, burial of his Observer and Rear Gunner. François said that these 3 days were the most painful of his life.
Returning to the night of the 4th/5th August 1944, Dumont stayed hidden all day on the 5th in the wood, he left the cover at 20:00h, he had to cross open country and the road from Falaise to Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, which was very busy. After crossing the road, he took off his flying jacket which was too visible and hid it in a hedge. He saw a farm and while walking towards it he met a german soldier who greeted him, Dumont replied politely but didn’t stay to make conversation. Happily, it was getting dark and the german didn’t see his swollen face, the RAF uniform and the missing shoe that he had lost in the crash. “I was glad I had taken off the jacket, he thought”. In the evening light, he arrived at the farmhouse of Roland and Denise Gallot. Denise was there and Dumont asks, “Are there any Boches here?”.
In fact the germans were everywhere around, but courageous and ignoring the danger, the Gallots kept him for 5 days, hidden in the field behind the farm, 5 days during which they found him false papers, civilian clothes, and above all they let him recover as he was still very weak until he decided to leave on foot towards the East where he hoped to make the allied lines.
10th August 1944: He leaves, walks 5 km to reach Versainville where, feeling tired, he stops for a day, he is taken in by the Muller family, hairdressers at Falaise. They are refugees there after the destruction of their village. By luck, Madame Muller hears 2 german soldiers talking about a french refugee who was acting suspiciously, she tells her husband who asks that François leave immediately (in 1945 Monsieur Muller tells that, 15 minutes after Dumont’s departure, the german police came to search for him; close…!). François Dumont left, he crosses Falaise in ruins, the town is deserted, he carries a pot of paint, an idea of M. Landais, who furnished the false papers for him, who said: “If you meet any Boches, tell them you work for the council, painting milestones”.
Unbelievably, but finally… he makes his way towards Putanges aiming for Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, towards the end, in the company of a girl whose sick mother had just given birth there. Several times they saw planes coming, the girl easily paniced and hid in the ditch several times. Dumont told her calmly: -No, that one is friendly, nothing to worry about. Finally, the girl reassured, asked him: - How do you know which ‘plane is friend or foe? For safety’s sake, he does not say which it is.
Then, the meeting, on the 17th August, with the Americans. Setting off to Bayeux, he arrives home on the 23rd August in Englnd. The next day he announces his arrival back at base.
18th September 1944: Gladys gives birth to Michael, the first of nine children.
28th May 1945: François Dumont is made a Compagnon de la Liberation.
In 1946, he finally visits his parents. His mother tells him how, one morning in 1944, how she received a letter from the army announcing that her son had died behind enemy lines, the poor woman was grieving when another letter arrived, that same evening, saying that her son had been shot down but that he was alive and well.
The story of François Dumont does not end there. In March 1995, I found his flying jacket that had been rescued on the 6th August 1944 by an inhabitant of Perrieres at the same spot where it had been abandoned. The jacket was in perfect condition and it was on the 23d April 1995, accompanied by Denise Gallot, that we made the journey to England to return his property.
I visited him twice in England, and spoke with him several times on the telephone, and each time I have been amazed at the level of detail he recalls, his kindness and the simplicity of this man who, in June 1940, made his choice without questioning, and then when he tells his adventures, I have the impression that he is making a great ballad with his companions, ignoring the danger, he tells of his escapades in Normandy as a great joke.
François Dumont left us in 1997.
– Translated from the French, 10 June 2009.
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