Lot 516

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Description:

(WORLD WAR II: BATTLE OF FRANCE)
An important group of over 40 typewritten, mimeographed documents, most on onionskin paper and concerning troop movement, gathering intelligence on combat, and other military matters during the decisive German invasion of France, May 1940. The documents span the years 1939-1943, and center on an incident during the Battle of France at Balliol-le-Soc (commonly known as Baillon) in the Somme Department on June 8-9, 1940, in which a commander ‘Bier' of a detachment of 60th Regiment of Infantry abandons his unit during the heat of a German attack. Subsequently to this act, and in the face of no other commanding officers to be found, reserve Lieut. RENE KIGER takes over. For his attempts to reunify his troops, he is awarded a War Cross with Silver Star. The content of this dossier is fantastic, with very detailed accounts of battle and troop movements in both official and personal narrative formats. It is comprised of three main documents: an account of the ‘Retreat of the Somme: the ‘Bailleul-le-Soc Affair, 8-9 June (1940)'; an almost day-by-day Journal of the detachment of 60th Regiment of Infantry (Nayau) from Sept. 1939 to August 1940; and an official, personal report by underofficer Kiger about the abandonment of the unit by his superior and his actions thereafter, directed to the War Department, and a D.S. awarding him the War Cross with the Silver Star. The group begins with an almost day-to-day report of the 44th R.I., 1st Battalion, 33p. 4to., from Aug. 22, 1939 to Aug. 5, 1940, noting the battalion's movement and affairs. In extremely small part: ‘…A detachment of the 60th Infantry Regiment composed of: Commander of Battalion LEGER, Lieutenant GREGOIRE, Second Lieut. PRALON, Second Lieut. LYSBERNET, 20 under officers, 3 corporals, 10 men and one horse directed to COURLANS (Jura), where it will receive the equipment intended for the 1st Battalion 44th Inf…Sept. 13 movement on foot from CUNELIERE to GALFINQGUE (Haut Rhin) 24 kilometers…Sept. movement on foot to…GALGINQUE to MUVILLER…with a long stop at ENSISHEIN…Sept. 26…the Battalion…moved to Balgau…[and] Mayenheim…Nov. 8 picket work…Nov. 29 the arrival of Captain SOURLAU who takes command of the 2nd Co…1940…Jan. 12…instruction…Jan. 20 Verification of arms, baggage and package [by] Lieut. RENAULT…Feb. 2 embarquement exercises on the railway to the ROUFFACH station…Feb. 11…the Battalion moved on foot to the TETING camp 31 kilometers away…Mar. 7…Congratulations…a Cross of the Legion of Honor was given to Battalion commander LEGER…Mar. 24 Reporting from the Western District. The elements stationed at Saint Avold will move in 6 hours…[followed by an account of the reorganization of troops]…Mar. 26 Over the course of the night, the G.M…was attacked by an enemy patrol. Two dead in the C.A.I…Mar. 28…new attack by the enemy…Apr. 7…reconnaissance of construction sites and train works…Apr. 11…[town of Valmont] laying mines…May 9…A French group took position on the south edge of the forest…to protect the works of the…Hospital…May 11 The Battalion is in constant state of alert, ready for combat…May 25. The 1st Company recovered the ground it occupied…many automatic arms no doubt abandoned by the 16th G.D.R.I. in the hasty fallback in the previous week…May 25…Around 22 hundred hours, many of our posts were sprinkled by enemy automatic weapon fire, they retaliated and suffered only one loss…May 28…arrived in Destry…the men are tired due to the two successive marches…June 1 Installation of garrisons and review of supplies…June 8 In the morning the Battalion was in the fist echelon, although no information had been given. Around 7 a.m. a group of German cars advanced on the Roye road, the head car was hit. Of the 47 occupants, two took refuge in the ditches, a patrol car…men from the 12th Group took prisoner of Lieut. Ruhn who was mildly wounded and two men from the 42nd Battalion of Motorized Pioneers, important documents were found in the car and immediately sent to the E.M…as well as prisoners handed over to the Lt. Col. Racadot. Meanwhile Lieut. Roncoroni…was hit by several bullets and fell seriously wounded…The Battalion suffered some losses…at 17 hundred hours, the Germans suffered an attack on Beuvraigne (II/44)…without success…June 9. A recon by Lieut. Pralon indicated that Popincourt was empty of enemies, orders were given to the 30th co. to resume its position…June 12…The enemy showed up again in the morning, columns pass on the R.N. of 1 Nonnette, infantry seem to be going down towards the river to occupy MONT L'EVEQUE. The enemy fires a little on the plateau. The group or mortars fire 200 shells on MONT L'EVEQUE…the enemy's actions increased in the afternoon…June 14…at 71pm the order arrives to withdraw and go south of the Seine via the Gournay bridge…June 18…the French government has requested an armistice…June 19…an urgent order arrives. Due to the German advance south of Orleans, the 3rd Battalion must immediately move into flank guard at Ferolles facing the West, the 1st Battalion at Chateau Tratant with the same mission to guard the road coming from Mareilly en Billette…June 20…The Battalion arrived at the Chateau…it is reported that German reconnaissance is circling around the Chateau, cyclists going around to Lamotte Beuvon to meet Germans. They reported rumors that a suspension of arms was concluded. At 5pm, a German under officer from a Colonel to ask for a liaison officer. Captain SCHWENK is sent. At 6pm, the Colonel communicates the order to make all weapons unusable, the machine guns and FM are buried along with the cartridge cases. The cylinder heads of the carabiners are thrown into the stream. At 7pm, the Battalion (now reduced to 6 officers and 66 men) are assembled by the head of the Regiment in front of the Chateau. At 7:30pm, a small German detachment is arrived…'. The Battalion captured, the report continues: ‘June 19…The whole detachment arrives at Vouzon at 10pm and spend the night in a fairground, guarded by the 42nd Battalion of Pioneers (those from Tilloloy). June 23…at 6am the 44th is reassembled to go to Camp II (called Silo)…June 24…Installed in a big lobby. The 1st Battalion is on the ground floor. An ordinary is made up and managed by the CRK. Inventory is made…June 25 Some men from the Battalion remained at Camp No. 1 [and] other Alsatians remained at Orleans…From June 26 to June 30 Unfurled German flags indicate the signing of an armistice...'. The report states that from July 1-14, there is nothing to report. On the 16th, Generals de Rosemont and Varennes escape and return to the free zone via Gien. From July 17 through Aug. 4, nothing is noted. On Aug 5, Colonel de Casteljau escapes, and the report is concluded. WITH: two copies of a second report, 4pp. 4to., Belfort, Mar. 4, 1943, also mimeographed on onionskin letterhead, by Rene Kiger of the 44th Infantry Regiment relative to the combat on June 9, 1940 in Bailleul as outlined in the previous report. In this report, Kiger gives his own narrative of the situation: ‘…Captain BIER replaced me as Commander…He tasked me with directing the Company's embarkation operations and above all, on June 5, moving the Company to its combat positions at Tillolot. This movement was extremely difficult due to the incessant air attacks by the Germans. On the evening of June 8, Commander LEGER…informed me that the general withdrawal order had arrived…Captain BIER asked me to regroup the entire Company and begin the withdrawal by a route from BOIS…at the time the C.A.B. had not entirely regrouped…the men had barely laid down to rest when a shell exploded nearby, followed by a few machine gun bursts…I advanced to the top of the fold of land…We saw 3 or 4 heavy German tanks…arrive at our location…I then made the decision to put all the machine gun pieces in battery and use armor-piercing bullets…All the units served and refueled and that the men injured…were immediately replaced by comrades…After the armor-piercing bullets were exhausted and the helplessness in which we found ourselves in front of the German tanks which were wreaking havoc on our troops, I left the command of two or three pieces, which continued to fire, under Lieut. FOURNIER and to look for the LEGER Battalion…He told me that we no longer had an communication with the other unites, troops...and that we had to get out across the field…When I got back to our location, men from our company, outfielders and other companies in the Battalion were in a panic and fleeing towards Pont-Sainte-Maxence. I managed to regroup 18 men...the others were killed or wounded, some had already managed to sneak into the village, others lay nearby in a small cavern…I regrouped with the 18 men to cross l'Oise…during this whole operation which was carried out in panic, I did not see Captain BIER. While I was with my men in the fields, I saw him from afar on the national road headed to Pont-Sainte-Maxence. He was on foot, alone. I never saw him again…The truth compels me to say that Captain BIER in this affair entirely lost control of his Company. If during the battle at Bailleul we can legally admit that his place was next to the Battalion Commander, he would have at least been able to give his orders and try to stay in touch with the units at then line…The absence of Captain BIER certainly did not harm the cohesion of the Company…I brought them back online and they held up magnificently at Mont l'Eveque. Commander LEGER will attest to this…'. WITH: three typewritten copies of ‘General Orders No. 88' of the 7th Army, [n.p., n.d.], awarding Kiger the War Cross with Silver Star. Kiger is noted as a: ‘very fine officer with many military qualities…stopping an infantry attack June 9 at Bailleul…in front of an attack by enemy tanks under a violent bombardment…'. WITH: an original French map, 30 x 11.5 in. with indelible pencil emendations. Titled ‘Delimitation of the Occupied Zone / New Map of France indicating the roads, railways, thermal springs and sea resorts, according to the most recent documents'. WITH: another account of the battle, in narrative form, 6pp. 4to. Many pages are in a fragile state, but overall very good condition and worthy of further research. WITH: a ‘Mission Order' by the provisional government of the French Republic, 2pp. folio, Algiers, Apr. 2, 1946, indicating mission expenses charged by Mathieu Gabella, ‘the husband of the woman CAMUS, typist D.C.A.S' in Algiers. Signed by ‘Parion', Commandant of the Navy at Algiers.

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November 29, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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