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Louis GUYOMARD
August 4th, 1922 - April 4th, 2012
From June 20th, 1940, 17-year-old and 10 months, Louis GUYOMARD created, in Brittany, a kind of escape line (later called Craonne) of English, Polish and French prisoners of war (52 in all) for whom he established, with his younger brother, false ID cards with the official stamp of the city hall of his home town.
He also collected strategic information, copied German defence maps and sent them to London through the network Confrérie Notre Dame (C.N.D.)
Denounced and arrested by the Gestapo, he managed to escape on 15/03/1941. After many adventures and an extraordinary journey, he joined the French army in Morocco.
On the 8/11/1942, on leave in France during the Allied landings in North Africa, while being forbidden to leave the metropolitan area, he decided to join, on his own, Morocco.
Having succeeded, despite many avatars, to cross the Spanish border, he was arrested in a train, near Barcelona.
Interned in the infamous camp of Miranda in Girona, he was tortured as he was protected comrades. He stand firm and was an example to other prisoners.
Released by the British Red Cross, he finally joined the Free French Forces in Morocco and participated with the 2nd regiment of Moroccan infantrymen (Tirailleurs marocains) in the Italian campaign where he was wounded at Monte Cassino.
Volunteer for special missions behind enemy lines, he joined the Sussex Plan.
On the night of 7th to 8th of July 1944, he was dropped near Orbay-L'Abbaye by the RAF squadron 161, as member of the Sussex team “Helene” with his brother-in-arms Albert Beaurel to perform intelligence activities in the Champagne region with Troyes as pivot.
Through his activities, he greatly facilitated the actions of U.S. troops to liberate this city and sent 25 wireless messages to London.
This information allowed various bombings of concentration of locomotives, fuel depot of Brevennes, and also the identification of the SS Division “Adolf Hitler”.
For this mission, he received the US Silver Star Medal from General Eisenhower’ staff.
Subsequently, he performed several missions in Lorraine, in Belgium during the German counter-offensive of the bulge and in Germany, to participate in the liberation of concentration camps as part of "Special Allied Airborne Reconnaissance Force" best known the acronym "S.A.A.R.F.".
After the German capitulation, Louis GUYOMARD volunteered to serve in commando "Conus" fighting in the Far East.
He participated in all battles of this shock unit as in Cochin China, Laos, Cambodia and the south of Annam against the Japanese and even Chinese troops.
Released, at his request, from the Army on the 31/12/1946, with five mentions in dispatches: one in the order of the Army, three in the order of the Division and one in the order of the Regiment.
While exercising thereafter, different jobs (Forester in Cameroon, responsible for farm labour in Morocco, director, deputy general manager and authorized agent of Viniprix Group), Louis was President of several patriotic associations in particular "Association of Sussex Plan 1944”, “Association of Conus Commandos”» and National Vice President of "Escapees from France through Spain".
Following the Agadir earthquake, on 29/02/1960, having been among the first to rescue the victims, he founded the association "The Link of the formers inhabitants of Agadir and Souss” still gathering in France and Morocco 350 families. He was Honorary President.
His forces declining until shortly before his hospitalization, Louis GUYOMARD continued to work continuously for the recognition of the merits of his comrades still alive, deported or killed in action under a pseudonym name. Invited in all the patriotic gatherings, he took part with faith and radiation, as far as his physical strength, with ceremonies, conferences and other events.
Honorary President of the remaining core of the networks "Conus" and "Sussex Plan", he perpetuated a duty of memory still alive: publications in various journals, answers to French and foreign historian researchers.
He donated many items about his mission to the Sussex Plan collection at the Museum of the Zorn Hochfelden. He also gave, at the French Army Museum, the radio B2 transceiver of Andre Guillebaud who was Jacques Voyer’s wireless operator.
His action, when he was not yet twenty was a reference for the youth of twenty-first century, enabling them to understand the image of the fighting France at that time.
On April 12, 2012, his ashes were put, according to his will, in the crypt of the Legionnaires’ square in Puyloubier, among his brothers-in-arms, since he was exceptionally appointed honorary First Class Legionnaire.
NB: This evocation is mostly extracted from the funeral oration of Louis Guyomard, written and read by his friend Colonel Claude Chaton, Vice-president of Hyères Committee of Legion of Honour, whom we thank.
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