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Jericho-Fortitude LES SABLES DE L'OUBLI JERICHO-FORTITUDE EN QUÊTE DE VÉRITÉ MARTELLE É.D.I.T.I.O.N.S © MARTELLE ÉDITIONS B. P. 0540 80005 AMIENS CEDEX 1 I.S.B.N. 2-87890-072-3 En couverture : Détail d'affiche "Buy Hat invasion Bond !" © US National Archives/Memorial CAEN Michel TALON LES SABLES DE L'OUBLI JERICHO-FORTITUDE EN QUÊTE DE VÉRITÉ MARTELLE É.D.I.T.I.O.N.S Cet ouvrage a été réalisé et rédigé avec la collaboration de sur- vivants pour les parties qui les concernent : — Madame FORESTIER-GAILLARD Lucienne — Messieurs André COZETTE, Roger GALLET, Roland JOUAULT, Serge LECUL, André POIGNANT, Pierre VAUJOIS On trouvera, en fin d'ouvrage, la liste des autres survivants qui ont apporté leurs témoignages, ainsi que toutes les références et sources. DEDICACE Michel TALON : Ce livre est dédié : — à Sœur Térésa, en souvenir de ma maman, tertiaire domini- caine et militante infatigable des activités sociales, dont le nom de jeune fille était Adrienne Dumeige ; — à la mémoire de Fernand Bacquet, Martyr de la Résistance, resté anonyme pendant cinquante ans et à qui nous devons tous une grande partie de notre Liberté. Son sacrifice rejoint celui de l'armée des Résistants et Combattants alliés, connus et inconnus, tombés sur le sol de France ou dans les geôles ennemies, pour notre Libération. AVANT-PROPOS Comme une épave inconnue surgissant des sables, cinquante ans après la tempête, une épopée ignorée et occultée émerge cou- rant de l'année 1994, l'année de tous les Cinquantenaires de notre Liberté retrouvée. C'était là le résultat d'une enquête minutieuse et à surprises qui permit de délier bien des langues de survivants et de mettre au jour bien des documents étonnants. Ainsi apparurent des événements français primordiaux à l'histoire de la dernière guerre mondiale, ayant abouti et conduit au succès du débarquement des forces al- liées en Normandie et à la libération du sol national. Enfouie dans les sables de l'oubli, voilà que vient au jour une chaîne dont les maillons ont porté les noms de Jéricho, Fortitude et Overlord, dénominations données par le Haut Commandement allié lui-même. L'enquête se poursuivant actuellement, ce livre se limitera donc aux événements mis à jour, les noms français et étrangers n'ayant pas été changés, ceux des agents secrets alliés n'ayant pas tous été cités nominativement, quoique connus à présent pour certains. Il faut dire, ce qui justifie nos précautions, que les Anglais ont dé- cidé de repousser au centenaire l'ouverture de leurs archives concernant ces événements, les Américains semblant bien avoir détruit leurs propres archives. Le seul but de cet ouvrage, dont une grande partie des droits iront aux Oeuvres de Vie en faveur des enfants mutilés et victimes des conflits actuels à travers le monde, est de mettre en pleine lu- mière une armée de l'ombre jusque là ignorée et de servir la Mé- moire collective de notre Pays. AVERTISSEMENT Cet ouvrage n'est pas un roman. Il a été réalisé, d'une part avec les témoignages des survivants, d'autre part grâce un travail de synthèse, obtenu d'après des documents authentiques et biblio- graphiques référencés. Rédigé dans le seul but de mémoire, le souci a été constant de rendre accessible l'enchaînement des événements à tout lecteur non averti du fait militaire. C'est pourquoi, pour le rendre vivant, il est parfois assorti de quelques écarts de langage restés modérés. Le second souci a été de replacer les événements dans leur contexte particulier ou général. La plupart des anecdotes, qui ont illustré cet enchaînement chronologique, sont authentiques. Les conclusions et réflexions sont regroupées dans le dernier chapitre : « Epilogue : Les Sables de l'Oubli ». Elles sont imputables au rédacteur et aux survivants, anciens Résistants et Combattants ayant collaboré à cet ouvrage. DU TESTAMENT D'UNE VIEILLE DAME... À L'ARBRE, DIT « DE JÉRICHO » A deux pas des frondaisons du bois de Boulogne, sur le territoire de Boulogne-Billancourt, flotte en permanence un drapeau trico- lore devant un immeuble neuf et propret, peuplé de personnes âgées. Les jours de grandes commémorations nationales, l'envi- ronnement de cet emblème se garnit soudain de personnalités, de porte-drapeaux et de vétérans bardés de décorations. C'est là, en effet, une des maisons de retraite des Anciens Combattants et Vic- times de Guerre. En ce 25 janvier 1992, l'établissement était en deuil. C'est que venait d'y mourir dans la nuit, une des pensionnaires âgée de 98 ans. Evénement bien banal, me direz-vous... Et bien non... car Ma- dame Adrienne Brige, née Dumeige, était un personnage... Carrée, l'œil malicieux, ses réparties fusaient en faveur ou aux dépens de ses interlocuteurs, souvent des journalistes... Maîtresse-femme, elle était en harmonie avec l'insigne des Dragons qui ne la quittait jamais. Depuis le 11 novembre 1982, où invitée du dernier journal télévisé de TF1, Annick Beauchamp avait éprouvé ses réparties et son verbe, son image avait largement dépassé les murs de l'im- meuble de Boulogne, pour se répandre un peu partout en France. Les journalistes qui la traquaient un après-midi mémorable du 11 novembre 1986, la poursuivant depuis l'Etoile jusqu'à une bras- serie du boulevard des Capucines, avaient trouvé une vieille Dame de tempérament, ce qui avait fait la joie des lecteurs de la Presse Nationale, France Soir en particulier. De ses mains pointées en avant ou vers le ciel, elle ponctuait ses narrations descriptives, par- fois au delà du réalisme, y compris aux équipes de FR3, venues spécialement d'Amiens pour l'interroger sous les arbres de sa mai- son de retraite de Boulogne-Billancourt. C'est que cette vieille Dame dynamique avait un passé particu- lier. Réputée « dernière Femme survivante », Ancien Combattant de la guerre 14-18, elle s'était illustrée sur le front de la Somme où elle avait été citée à l'Ordre de la Nation et de la Division en 1917... Hautes et exceptionnelles distinctions pour une femme à l'époque... Il y avait de quoi... Cette élève de l'Ecole Normale d'Amiens, Adrienne Dumeige s'était trouvée prise, par hasard, dans la première avancée allemande, sur la Somme, en août 1914. Engagée sur le tas et par nécessité comme infirmière dans les rangs du 5e Régiment de Dragons, elle avait organisé à Rosières, déjà occupée par les troupes ennemies, un hôpital clandestin. Faite prisonnière par les envahisseurs, elle avait réussi à s'évader avec tous ses blessés à bord d'une ambulance allemande et à re- gagner les lignes françaises. Elle avait ensuite soigné les blessés typhiques, hautement contagieux sur la ligne de front. Adrienne Dumeige, un personnage ?... Dès 1912, elle n'a cessé d'être une militante souvent turbulente, engagée aux côtés de Marc Sangnier dans le célèbre « SILLON », mouvement d'émancipation sociale qui donna naissance à tant de mouvances, dont les Au- berges de Jeunesse et même un parti politique, le Mouvement des Républicains Populaires (M.R.P.). Non contente de ces engage- ments, cette pionnière féministe était également à l'origine des pre- mières micro-réalisations pour personnes âgées, et co-fondatrice de la Fédération des Loisirs de Plein Air et du Centre Intercommu- nal, ce qui lui valut d'être décorée par Joseph Franceschi, alors mi- nistre des Personnes Agées. Elle était aussi une amie de longue date du président du Sénat, Alain Poher. Voilà le personnage qui était décédé à la maison de retraite des Anciens Combattants, ce 25 janvier 1992. On ne se doutait pas, alors, que le décès de cette vieille Dame malicieuse, allait entraîner des révélations inédites sur un autre conflit plus proche, la seconde guerre mondiale... Devant les fastes de la République, le 8 mai 1985, le président François Mitterrand décorait à l'Arc de Triomphe un résistant du nom d'André Monteux... Un petit bonhomme, au visage ridé, qui at- tendait stoïque et droit dans le vent glacial du Rond-point de l'Etoile, de recevoir la Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. Il avait aussi une histoire particulière car il avait été arrêté par la Ges- tapo en décembre 1943 et s'était évadé de la prison d'Amiens, au cours d'un raid étonnant de l'aviation alliée, le 18 février 1944... Adrienne, l'ancienne infirmière de 14-18, présente à la tribune offi- cielle, jubilait... On verra pourquoi. L'année suivante, mais le 11 novembre, le président de la Répu- blique décorait à son tour Adrienne Brige-Dumeige, devant le front des troupes, et l'on fit défiler à cette occasion, une antique ambu- lance militaire de 14, qui après avoir tourné autour de l'Arc de Triomphe, descendit les Champs Elysées. Ce qui unissait André Monteux et Adrienne Brige, était qu'ils se connaissaient depuis fort longtemps. Ils avaient vécu, au même moment, des événements pénibles survenus de 1940 à 1944 à Fort-Mahon Plage, agglomération située en Picardie maritime, entre les baies fluviales de la Somme et de l'Authie, zone interdite par l'occupant allemand qui y construisait d'imposantes fortifica- tions face à l'Angleterre pour se prémunir d'un débarquement éventuel des forces alliées... Mais revenons à la cérémonie des obsèques de Mme Brige-Du- meige, ce 25 janvier 1992. Dans la salle de spectacle de la maison de retraite, ornée de tentures, juché derrière un pupitre drapé d'un voile tricolore, un grand bonhomme, jeune pour sa fonction, faisait l'éloge funèbre au nom du Ministre, devant le cercueil, les portes- drapeaux, et toute l'assistance. C'était le directeur départemental des Hauts-de-Seine des Anciens Combattants.
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