My WW2 family story

[toitoine66]

MY GRANDMOTHER

Part 1: Introduction of War

The butterfly effect

At the dawn of the second world war, my grandmother made a first marriage with Edmond Dufrenois: 30/01/1940 The young couple did not stay long together because the sound of boots slam again in the East of France, it is the war that growls and Edmond Dufrenois is mobilized Unfortunately for my grandmother, the History will got their marriage, the first husband of my grandmother disappeared in Dunkirk aboard the Siroco May 30, 1940. My grandmother received after the war the Croix de Guerre and the Military medal (this is Legion of Honor for the non officers) of her MIA husband and was widowed for the duration of the war

the Wedding

April 1940 Edmond Dufrenois:

here below a photo, which I think, was taken on the beaches of Dunkirk, my grandmother do not know anymore.

The medals received by my great mother

 

Part 2: The war

 

The little War Stories:

 

My grandmother did not really resist during the occupation, however her mother received a certificate of great resistance for his passages between the Free aera and the occuiped aera throughout the war. There are lots of stories of my family about the second war, as I can not tell you them all so I'll tell you a funny one:

The Germans based in my grandmother's town had to moove to join the Estern front: the trucks , the tanks and the infantry parade.

-The commander of the column said goodbye to the Mayor: "Farewell Sir, we are going to the East and it may be hard".

-The mayor responds: "Goodbye, good luck and good thaw ....". (Thaw in french can also mean "get defeated ")

The German made a superb salute, thanked him, having understood that his interlocutor wished him a good snow melt, and set out for the russian front... The courage of humor.

 

On the other hand, one of the stories that nearly cost my family's life: My grandmother's mother and a good part of my family owned a Café at the edge of the Aisne (the watercourse). One evening a Rexistes (belgian member of the SS) spoiled countless crap about the races... He was completely drunk and left the Café very drunk.

Lack of chance this guy was found the next day, drowned in the Aisne at the edge of the family cafe ... Now the Gestapo had for main suspects the managers of this Café (because it was the last place he attended and the witnesses said this guy got an altercation with the members of my family.

 

Thanks god, the real "culprits" were found, it was actually somes German soldiers from the wehrmacht who had not supported either the racist delusions of this SS and have simply drowned him in the Aisne ... a big blow of hot for the family!

 

 

How she meet my American great father:

 

At the disappearance of my grandmother's first husband: When the siroco was sunk nobody never found back her husband, so my grandmother hoped for a large part of the war that her husband was able to reach London.

My grandmother had used to listen to the BBC to find information about her missing husband (it's thanks to the radio that my grandma learned English). The hope begins to diminish as the years go by, and this dream always comes back, the one where she sees her husband sink as a stone in the english chanel ... It is by chance, in a train, that she heard a conversation of a French soldier rescued from a shipwreck, the story he tells is his dream ... She then asked the man if he did not knew his husban Edmond Dufrenois?

Well, yes! He knew him and they were on the same boat, their mission was to protect a general (I do not know the name) but unfortunately their ship was torpedoed at sea. The man said he saw his husband clinging to wooden planks, but he did not knew how to swim and with the fuel in the water and the flames, he could not survive. That's how my grandmother knew about her husband, which allowed her to mourn.

At the liberation of Reims, my grandmother passed her license she met a few months later an American sergeant: Johnny Sileikis landed in France with the third army of Patton:

 

As I explained above, thanks to the BBC my grandmother learned English and ended up being almost bilingual. It is thanks to this capacity that my grandmother will meet my American grandfather. His US base was in the vicinity of Guignicourt (aisne) and the Americans needed a translator for a truck story to deliver to the communities. My grandmother was solicited and meet her handsome sergeant, then responsible for the US logistics to the french civilians autorities.

 

My grandmother and grandpa at the wedding: this time my grandmother is not wearing white. On the left the brother of my American grandfather and his sister.

I unfortunately never knew my American great father, he died of a heart attack while my mother was only 10 years old. What I know of his activities during the war is that he was mostly in the rear. But he still participated in the liberation of a concentration camp in Germany. Marked for life, he will never talk about it, this souvenir was too painfull, an only evocation of this could make him fall in tears.

There is the dog tag of my great father, I putted it with an silver Christ cross from my grandmother because she passed away in 2016... like this, I hope, they will be linked toguethers for ever...

Hope you enjoyed thoses stories, and I hope my english wasn't too bad but this was really difficult to me to translate

Have a good day

A.S.

[stratasfan]

Beautifully done! I love your post and the stories and the pictures! Very nice! Nice that you remember all three of your Grandparents!

[aznation]

Great seeing the stories and photographs. Love them. Thank you for posting everything.

[toitoine66]

Hello

 

Thanks you for the replies I will publish more things a little bit more later

 

A.S.

[toitoine66]

Hello 

 

I come back with more informations about the familly: 

 

First I found what really happened to the first husban of my great mother : 

 

Here is the manuscirte medal award that I found in the effects of my grandmother, it brings more prediction on the events that won the military medal and the Croix de Guerre to her first husband:

"A remarkable driver of aliant, energy and squash successfully carried out the perilous missions entrusted to him. Always willful, ignoring fatigue and danger, full of bravery under the bombs and machine gun fire of the enemy air force, set the finest example of limitless dedication. Disappeared at sea on May 31, 1940 during the torpedoing of the SIROCCO."

 

There is the story of the SIROCCO: 

The Siroco sank on May 31, 1940 torpedoed by the German lieutenant Christiansen and his "S 23 (Schnell Boot)", of the first German flotilla based in Holland, it was he who dealt him this blow (it was also he who torpedoed the "Jaguar"). It was later learned that the "S 26 (Schnell Boot)" participated in the attack, commanded by German lieutenant Fimmen.

 

Second: somes information found by Aznation about my american great father: 

 

 

[gitana]

I am glad that you have joined us! Thank you for sharing your family's perspective of the war.

[Brian Keith]

Very interesting! Thanks for posting it. You said your American Grand Father died when your mother was 10, Were they living in France? Or did they live in the states? Lots of War Brides came to the states!

BKW

[BryanJ]

Your Grand Mother sounds like a remarkable lady and I’m sure you are very proud of her sacrifice and perseverance to carry on after the war.  Thanks for sharing your family’s story.

[toitoine66]

On 4/11/2021 at 10:35 PM, Brian Keith said:

Very interesting! Thanks for posting it. You said your American Grand Father died when your mother was 10, Were they living in France? Or did they live in the states? Lots of War Brides came to the states!

BKW

Hello thanks for your concern.

Yes he died in France at Guignicourt (Marne) he was a Café restaurant owner with my grand mother. My great father stayed in France after the war but I guess he was going to Chicago some times to meets his sister.  My grand mother also was going to Chicago. Apparently one time she arrived to this city and didn't even knew where was my grand father house... she took the first Cab and asked to the driver if never he knew my grand father... and.... He actualy did he served with him during the war... so he knew where was my grand father house. Yea my grand mother had been very lucky once again. 

 

[toitoine66]

Hello

 

Last documents found by Golden Arrow. 

 

A discharge Final Payment

This one confirmed he was Staff Sergeant and discharged in Feb 1946. 

 

This one talk about a Discharge in 1956 withe the rank of KSGT (What does mean K? Technical SSGT ?)) and he was attached to the "SVC CO 11th Armd CAV"  witch I think could be the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ? 

I can't tell if i found all the intersting information so if you find something else intersting feel free to tell me

Thanks

 

A.S.