Memories of Wartime Life in France

Father: Born in 1916 in France. He was in the French tank regiment. He was on the front line when the war started. All soldiers were made prisoners by the Germans. Sent to a working concentration camp where they farmed - free labour. Food was rationed, and they exchanged cigarettes for chocolate. He escaped along with 10 others on the same night. He made it back to France, over the border and to the town. Never knew if the other 10 made it back. Wouldn't talk about the bad details of the camp. Food in the country was easier. His brother-in-law was a butcher. He met with countryside farmers to discuss food and smuggling food. Most grew their own vegetables. When people would go to the nearest town by train to exchange food, if they saw Germans waiting at the station people would throw food out the train windows to avoid getting caught. The SS were nasty, but normal soldiers weren't that interested in being as horrible as the SS. Different mentality.

Aunt: Women could try to stay neutral or fight in the resistance. Any women known to have slept with Germans/cooperated had their heads shaved. Remembers when the Germans left the garrisons and went in two different directions. The ones that went into the countryside were cornered by the resistance and fought. The others escaped through the mountains. Women had their heads shaved at the liberation at the end of WW2.

Mother: Born in 1932. Her father had to be practical and crafty during the war. Work the land. Bred rabbits, hens and chickens. When he was 9 he was loaned to a farmer to take the cows back. Grandmother on mother's side was bourgeois and had servants. They struggled in the war because they were not as flexible and resourceful. Parents got married in 1962.
Germans made the French cooperate by using POWs as bargaining chips. Threatened to kill them.