Andrée's War by Francelle Bradford White

The first batch went directly to Noël Le Clercq’s flat on the Left Bank, where Noël, known among his friends to be encouraging his fellow students to defy the occupation, did not invite Andrée in. It was vital that she leave quickly, given the high stakes. With her characteristic coolness she turned around and headed straight back to the
métro
and into a restaurant near Police Headquarters. Next she delivered copies to Alain in a fellow student’s flat near the Sorbonne. Alain started to hand out the leaflets to a number of friends with whom he had discussed his plans. He instructed everyone to drop copies in the letterboxes of student flats, into the pockets of overcoats (sometimes without the wearer being aware this was being done) and at other times directly into people’s hands – anyone who looked patriotic and able to move quickly through the narrow streets of the Quartier Latin if someone might be watching them. Carrying or handling incriminating evidence was one of the most dangerous forms of resistance; the evidence was on the bearer and so they needed to pass it on as fast as they could – either to someone else or safely disposed of. The third and fourth batches were delivered to Jean Barbier and François Clerc, both young men working in central Paris near the Champs-Élysées, whodistributed them among friends and acquaintances whom they knew would be eager to ‘resist’.
    On the morning of the 11th, a small number of Parisians ignored the German directive and made their way to the Arc de Triomphe to pay tribute to their war dead. Others made their way to the statue of Clemenceau halfway up the Champs-Élysées. As Cobb has noted, ‘Clemenceau had been Prime Minister of France at the end of the First World War, and for many was a symbol of France’s victory over Germany.’ Edmond and Yvonne had both lost siblings in the war and the two rose early, dressed deliberately in English tweed and walked down from their flat to the Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées to pay their respects to Clemenceau, ignoring the German presence around them.
    Andrée had been busy the previous day, searching for food:
    Last night I went to Rochefort. Mother wanted me to go and get some food. Everyone there was delighted to see me. I brought back a chicken, some butter, some eggs and a Camembert. I was so pleased with myself because we cannot find anything to eat in Paris. I got home this morning and there was no one around.
    The whole Griotteray family had arranged to sit down together for lunch on the 11th, knowing that Andrée had returned to Paris with some food the previous evening. Over lunch, Andrée and Alain told their parents about their plans for the afternoon. Despite his own act of defiance earlier that morning, Edmond was initially angry, saying that he was not at all happy about his son and daughter joining in the demonstration as it could turn very nasty and dangerous. Alain explained that his friends would be already making their way to their meeting-place and he could not let them down; Andrée similarly had rallied several of her friends to the cause, among them her close friend Margit.
    Yvonne was quiet, resigned to the dangers both her daughter and son would be facing. Edmond realised there was not much more to be said.They finished their lunch and Andrée and Alain put on their thick coats to protect them from the cold air. Hiding their faces with thick scarves to avoid being recognised, the Griotteray youngsters left their flat and hurriedly headed towards the Church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption off the Faubourg St Honoré where they had arranged to pick up Noël, Pascal and Jean. Friends joined them at different prearranged points and as they walked en masse towards the Arc de Triomphe, they were encouraged by the large numbers who had gathered on the surrounding streets. By mid afternoon the trains heading for the