54 Bradley, quoting his earlier Soldier’s Story. Pages 375–376.
55 Bradley. Page 294 & D’Este Decision in Normandy 1983. Page 426.
56 Bradley. Page 296.
57 Langlade. Pages 137–138.
58 Girard. Page 250 & Boissieu. Page 235.
59 Billotte. Page 306.
60 Billotte. Pages 306–307.
61 Branet. Page 172, & Billotte. Page 308.
62 Nordling. Pages 79–80.
63 Nordling. Page 80.
64 Nordling. Pages 80–81.
65 Nordling. Pages 81–82.
66 Nordling. Page 82.
67 Nordling. Page 84.
68 Repiton-Préneuf. 2e DB La Campagne de France. Imprimerie Nationale. Pages 5–6.
69 Girard. Pages 250–251.
70 Massu. Pages 120–121.
71 Boissieu. Page 236.
72 Girard. Page 251.
73 Girard. Page 251.
74 Nordling. Page 85.
75 Dronne. Pages 61–63.
76 Nordling. Pages 87–88.
77 Nordling. Pages 88–89.
78 Nordling. Page 89.
79 Nordling. Page 90.
80 Nordling. Page 90. (I have reconstructed some of this exchange from the narrative in Nordling’s memoirs.)
81 Nordling. Pages 90–91.
82 Nordling. Page 91.
83 Girard. Pages 251–252.
84 Beevor. Page 435.
85 Girard. Page 252. & Forget, Dominique Le Général Leclerc et la 2e DB. Heimdal 2009. Pages 98–99.
86 Girard Page 252 and Forget Page 102.
87 Dronne. Pages 70–71.
88 Girard. Pages 252–253.
89 Girard. Page 253 & Boissieu. Pages 239–240.
90 Gaudet. Alamanach du Combattant.
91 Compagnon. Page 376 & Forget. Pages 122–126.
92 Notin. Page 255.
93 Branet. Pages 172–173.
94 Branet. Page 173. & Bergot. Erwan. La 2ème DB. Presses de la Cité. 1999. Pages 82–83.
95 Dronne. CdeR. Page 282.
96 Dronne CdeR. Pages 282–283, & Mesquida. Page 146.
97 Branet. Pages 173–174.
98 Branet. Pages 174–175.
99 Branet. Page 175. & Bergot. Page 84.
100 Blumenson. The Battle of the Generals. Page 204.
101 Blumenson. Page 205.
102 Bradley. Pages 297–298.
103 Blumenson. Page 206 and D’Este Page 429.
104 Bumenson. Pages 206–207. D’Este Page 430, & Bradley. A Soldier’s Story. Page 377.
105 Dronne Pages 72–73.
106 Dronne Pages 73–74.
107 Dronne Page 72.
108 Branet. Pages 175–177.
109 Dronne. CdeR. Pages 284–285.
110 Mesquida. Pages 147–148.
111 Forget. Page 166.
112 Boissieu. Pages 242–243. & Girard. Page 255.
113 Langlade. Pages 161–163.
114 Bergot. Pages 95–96.
115 Dronne. CdeR. Pages 288–289.
116 Dronne CdeR. Page 290.
117 Nordling. Pages 91–92.
118 Nordling. Page 92.
119 Dronne. Page 74.
120 Dronne. Page 74.
121 Patton Papers. Pages 509–511.
122 Bradley. Page 300.
123 Patton Papers. Page 510.
124 Beevor. Page 442. Quoting captured German information FMS A-922.
125 Hastings. Overlord. Page 290. & Beevor. Page 442.
126 Langlade. Page 169.
127 Bergot. Pages 97–99.
128 Bergot. Page 99.
129 Dronne. CdeR. Pages 292–294.
130 Dronne CdeR. Page 294.
131 Dronne CdeR Pages 299–300
132 Blumenson. Pages 221–222.
133 Bradley. Pages 302–303.
134 Lamb, Richard. Essay on Kluge in Hitler’s Generals. Weidenfeld. 1989. Page 407, quoting David Irving and Lamb.
135 Bergot. Page 100.
136 Forget. Page 182.
137 In rural parts of France where a sense of feudalism still exists it is usual for most women of a titled family to be acknowledged by that title. Leclerc’s family are Papal counts.
138 This incident is included in Is Paris Burning? by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. Since there are several mistakes in that book, I asked Leclerc’s grand-daughter, Madame Bénédicte Coste, if it was true. She questioned her father, Hubert Leclerc de Hauteclocque, on my behalf, who said that it was.
139 Girard. Pages 255–256.
140 Notin. Jean Christophe. Leclerc. Perrin. 2005. Page 259. In this instance Notin is quoting Alain de Boissieu who may actually have been present.
141 Notin, Page 258. Quoting Leclerc’s letter to Patton, a copy of which is held by the Service Historique d’Armée de Terre. (SHAT 1K239(7)).
142 Notin. Pages 258–259.
143 Patton Papers. Page 511.
144 Repiton-Préneuf. Pages 20–21.
145 Notin. Page 259. From an interview with Wallerand de Hauteclocque.
146 Bourderon. Page 365.
147 Bussière. Statement.
148 Bourget. Pages 261–262,
149 Bourderon. Page 365.
150 Bourget. Page 262.
151 Bourget. Page 262.
152 Bussière. Statement.
153 Bussière. Statement.
154 Bussière. Statement.
155 Dronne. Page 75.
156 Dronne. Page 75.
157 Nordling. Pages 92–93.
158 Mousseau. Pages 102–103 & Dronne Pages 15–16.
159 Mousseau Page 103. Dronne Pages 17–18.
160 Nordling. Page 93.
161 Nordling Page 94.
162 Nordling 94 and Interview in Franc-Tireur October 1949.
163 Nordling. Pages 94–95.
164 Dansette. Page 115.
165 Blumenson. Pages 224–227.
166 Blumenson. Pages 227–228. Hastings. Page 355, & Beevor. Pages 459–460.
167 D’Este, Carlo. Hitler’s Generals. Biographical essays. Weidenfeld 1989. Page 325.
168 Patton Papers. Pages 513–514.
169 Beevor. Page 456.
170 Girard. Page 256.
171 Beevor. Pages 456–457.
172 Girard. Pages 256–257.
173 Billotte. Pages 309–310.
174 Patton Papers. Page 514.
175 Dronne Page 76.
176 Dronne. Pages 76–77.
177 Nordling. Pages 95–96.
178 Nordling. Page 96.
179 Nordling. Page 97.
180 Edsel, Robert M. Monuments Men. Arrow. 2010. Pages 181–182.
181 Valland, Rose. Les Carnets de Rose Valland. Éditions Fage. 2011. Pages 97–99.
182 Valland. Page 99.
183 Valland. Page 99.
184 Bourget, Pierre. Paris ’44. Plon 1984. Pages 281–282, & Archives Nationales 334 AP 29 & CJ 736/5481 containing statements of Marcel Bernard, and details of the réseau Marco Polo respectively.
185 Bourget. Pages 282–283, & Archives Nationales 334 AP 29.
186 Bourget. Pages 283–284, & Archives Nationales 334 AP 29.
187 Bourget. Page 285.
188 Bourget. Page 285, & Statement of Michelle Bourssier Archives Nationales 334 AP 29.
189 Ibid. Bourget’s account of this episode is probably the best.
190 Rayski, Adam. Le Massacre de la Cascade du Bois de Boulogne. Online article 2007.
191 Bourget. Pages 286–291.
192 Bourget. Page 292, & Archives Nationales CJ 736/5481.
193 Bourget. Page 297.
194 Bourget. Page 297, & Archives Nationales CJ 736/5481.
195 Neitzel, Sonke. Tapping Hitler’s Generals. Frontline Books 2007. Pages 190–191. The quoted transcript shows von Choltitz telling fellow prisoners at Trent Park that “the highest SS official arrived”. But names are avoided, possibly due to the suspicion of bugging. The seni
or SS official in Occupied France at this time was Karl Oberg.
Chapter 4
1 Nordling. Page 99.
2 Nordling. Pages 99–100.
3 Nordling. Page 100, & Dansette. Page 116.
4 Nordling. Pages 100–101.
5 Nordling Interview. Franc-Tireur 1949.
6 Nordling Page 102.
7 Nordling. Pages 103–104.
8 Nordling. Page 104.
9 Nordling. Pages 104–105.
10 Nordling. Pages 105–106.
11 Nordling. Pages 106–107, & Nordling Interview Franc-Tireur 1949.
12 Nordling. Pages 107–108.
13 Bourget. Pages 216–217.
14 La Mazière. Pages 15–30.
15 Bourget. Pages 217–218.
16 Kaplan. Page 64.
17 Callil. Pages 371–380.
18 Choltitz. Page 221.
19 Choltitz. Page 222. After reading Professor Sonke Neitzel’s research in Tapping Hitler’s Generals it is easy to smile when reading von Choltitz’s memoirs.
20 Girard. Page 258, & Langlade Page 174.
21 Patton Papers. Pages 514–515.
22 Bradley. Pages 303–304.
23 Dronne, Page 79, quoting the last interview between Laval and Herriot reported by André-Jean Fauré in Le Monde 19/8/1969.
24 Dronne. Page 79.
25 Dronne. Page 79.
26 Chambrun, René de. Pierre Laval. Traitor or Patriot. Scribners. 1984. Page 195.
27 The historian of Westminster Cathedral, Patrick Rogers, informed the author that the Cathedral suffered only light damage during the war, mainly due to an unexploded anti-aircraft shell. The main incident was a high explosive bomb landing on the Choir School playing field, which was then used as an allotment.
28 Taittinger. Pages 164–174.
29 Glass, Charles. Americans in Paris. Life and Death under the Nazi Occupation 1940–1944. Pages 381–382.
30 Dronne Pages 81–82. & Glass Page 382. & Collins Page 101.
31 Taittinger. Page 163.
32 Dronne. Page 82, & Glass Pages 382–383.
33 Dronne. Pages 79–80, & Chambrun Page 195.
34 Dansette. Page 126.
35 Dansette. Page 127, & Bourget Page 249.
36 Bourget. Page 249, & Bourderon. Page 375.
37 Tillon. Page 285.
38 Bourget. Page 249.
39 Dansette. Page 127.
40 Dansette. Page 128.
41 Crémieux. Pages 17–18.
42 Bourget. Page 250.
43 Crémieux. Page 50.
44 Bourget. Page 250 & Crémieux Pages 21–22.
45 Bourderon. Pages 377–378.
46 Paris 1944—Les Enjeux de la Libération. Débats. Albin Michel 1994. Page 79.
47 Bourderon. Page 378.
48 Levisse-Touzé. Page 213.
49 Levisse-Touzé. Pages 213–214.
50 Dansette. Pages 129–130.
51 Quoted by both Dansette. Page 130, & Bourget. Page 251.
52 Bourget. Page 251.
53 Nordling. Page 108.
54 Nordling. Page 108.
55 Bourget. Page 247.
56 Nordling. Pages 108–109.
Chapter 5
1 Langlade. Pages 178–179.
2 Langlade. Pages 179–180.
3 Dansette. Page 133.
4 Dansette. Page 133.
5 Collins/Lapierre. Pages 107–109.
6 Dansette. Page 134.
7 Bourget, Pierre. Paris ‘44. Plon 1984. Page 266, & Paris 44 Les Enjeux de la Libération. Albin Michel 1994. Page 169.
8 Dansette. Pages 134–135, & Dronne.LdeP. Pages 188–189.
9 Dansette. Pages 136–137, & Dronne LdeP. Pages 189–190.
10 Pisani, Edgard. Persiste et Signe. Éditons Odile Jacob. 1992. Pages 49–50.
11 Nordling. Pages 111–112.
12 Dronne. LdeP Page 183.
13 Bourderon, Roger. Rol-Tanguy. Tallandier. 2004. Page 384.
14 Bourderon. Page 384.
15 Dansette. Page 136.
16 Bourderon. Page 386.
17 Nordling. Pages 112–113.
18 Culmann. Statement.
19 Culmann. Statement.
20 Wallraf. Statement.
21 Wallraf and Massiet. Page 132.
22 Dronne. CdeR. Pages 310–311.
23 Girard. Page 260.
24 Langlade. Pages 180–181.
25 Girard. Pages 260–261.
26 Girard. Page 261.
27 Girard. Page 261.
28 Bussière. Statement.
29 Bussière. Statement.
30 Bussière Statement.
31 Bourget. Page 315.
32 Goudeket, Maurice. Close to Colette. Secker and Warburg. 1957. Pages 164–165.
33 Gilot, Françoise. Life with Picasso. McGraw-Hill 1964. Pages 60–61.
34 Penrose, Roland. Picasso: His Life and Work. New York, Schocken 1962. Page 313.
35 Pryce-Jones. Page 36.
36 Dansette. Page 147.
37 Pryce-Jones. Page 47.
38 Dansette. Page 147.
39 Dansette. Page 148.
40 Dansette. Page 148.
41 Dansette. Page 148 & Dronne LdeP Page 196.
42 Dansette. Page 148–149 & Dronne. LdeP
43 De Gaulle. MDG Page 566. Plon. 1999.
44 Bourderon, Page 386.
45 Bourderon. Page 387.
46 Dansette. Page 137.
47 Bourderon. Page 387.
48 Bourderon. Page 388.
49 Bourderon. 100 docs.
50 Monsignor Brot. Statement. & Dansette. Page 138.
51 Monsignor Brot. Statement.
52 Dansette. Page 139. Monsignor Brot. Statement & Collins/Lapierre. Page 129.
53 Dronne. LdeP Page 191, & Collins/Lapierre, Page 130.
54 Dronne. LdeP Page 191, & Dansette. Page 139.
55 Culmann. Statement.
56 Dronne. Pages 191–192, & Dansette. Page 139.
57 Dronne. Page 192, & Dansette Page 139.
58 Dronne. Page 192.
59 Dronne. Page 193.
60 Galtier-Boissière, Jean. Mon Journal de l’Occupation. La Jeune Parque. 1944. Pages 269–270.
61 Nordling, Raoul. Sauver Paris. Éditions Complexe. 2002. Pages 113–114.
62 Dansette. Page 156.
63 Muller, Prof KJ. Paris 1944. Les Enjeux de la Libération. Albin Michel 1994. Pages 103–104. Quoting Gorlitz Page 200, RH 19/IX/88 Page 67 & Choltitz Page 248.
64 I prefer Nordling’s version of this anecdote since it is his own and the most detailed.
65 Nordling, Raoul. Sauver Paris. Éditions Complexe. 2002. Pages 114–116.
66 Bourderon. Page 392.
67 Dansette. Page 140.
68 Dronne. Pages 193–194.
69 Dansette. Page 141.
70 Dronne LdeP Page 194, & Dansette. Page 146.
71 Dronne. LdeP. Page 195.
72 Dronne LdeP Pages 197–198 & Dansette. Pages 143–144.
73 Dansette. Pages 149–153, & Dronne LdeP Pages 200–201.
74 Bourget. Quoting an order from Choltitz. Pages 317–318.
75 Wallraf. Statement.
76 Dr. Victor Veau. Statement.
77 Paris 1944. Les Enjeux de la Libération. Albin Michel. 1994. Page 246. Extrraordinarily, however, in his interview with Philippe Ragueneau, Jacques Chaban-Delmas says that the truce was initiated by Nordling who telephoned the Préfecture at around 7pm. Pisani apparently answered and Nordling asked if they would agree to an hour’s ceasefire. Ragueneau/Florentin. Pages 189–190.
78 Nordling makes clear that this is what he remembers though others may deny it.
79 Tollet, André. Conversation with Philippe Ragueneau. Page 127.
80 Nordling. Pages 117–118.
81 Nordling. Page 118.
82 Nordling. Page 118.
83 Bourget, Pierre. Essay. Paris 1944, Les Enjeux de la Libération. Albin Michel 1994. Page 244. Also
on pages 277–278 Bourget questions whether Bender even existed, appearing to support von Choltitz on this matter. However, Nordling’s memoirs only came out in 2002.
84 Choltitz. Page 232.
85 Rol-Tanguy, Henri and Roger Bourderon. Libération de Paris. Les Cents documents. Hachette 1994. Page 219.
86 This section has been pieced togther from Adrien Dansette, Raymond Dronne and the memoirs of both von Choltitz and Raoul Nordling.
87 Nordling. Pages 113–120.
88 Bourget. Page 323.
89 Massiet. Page 134.
90 Massiet. Vautrain 1952. Page 94.
91 Taittinger. Pages 190–191.
92 Bourderon. Pages 393–394.
93 Bourderon. Page 392.
94 Williams. Page 470.
95 Michèle Cointet. Les ultimes manoeuvres de Vichy. Essay for—Paris 1944. Les Enjeux de la Libération. Albin Michel 1994. Pages 129–130.
96 Dronne. Pages 56–57.
97 Lottmann. Pétain. Pages 521–523.
98 Lottmann. Pétain. Pages 523–524.
99 Taittinger. Pages 197–198.
100 Dronne. Pages 207–208.
101 Taittinger. Page 198.
102 Taittinger. Pages 198–199.
103 Dronne. Page 208.
104 Taittinger. Page 199.
105 Taittinger. Pages 214–216. & Ragueneau/Florentin Pages 109–110.
106 Taittinger. Pages 217–218.
107 Taittinger. Pages 218–219.
108 Taittinger. Pages 219–220.
109 Dronne Page 210.
110 Raguenau/Florentin. Page 148.
111 Nordling. Pages 121–124.
112 Dronne. Page 210–211.
113 Nordling. Page 124.
114 Ibid.
115 Taittinger. Page 220.
116 Taittinger. Page 220–221.
117 Bourderon. R-T. Tallandier 2004. Pages 399–400.
118 Bourderon. Page 400, & Massiet. Page 135.
119 Bourderon. Pages 402–404.
120 Taittinger. Pages 221–222.
121 Taittinger. Page 223.
122 Taittinger. Pages 224–225.
123 De Gaulle, P. De Gaulle Mon Père. With Maurice Tauriac. Pages 347–348.
124 Ibid. and De Gaulle MdeG. Page 567.
125 D’Este. Eisenhower Page 575. DeGaulle MdeG Page 567, & Hodges Papers.
126 DeGaulle. MdeG. Page 568.
127 DeGaulle. MdeG. Pages 568–569.
128 Cook, Don. Charles de Gaulle. Page 238.
129 Fenby. Page 250, & DeGaulle. MdeG. Page 569.
130 DeGaulle. MdeG. Page 569.
131 Girard. Pages 261–262.
132 Hodges. War Diary. Page 102.
133 Girard. Page 262.
134 Bruce. Pages 156–159.
135 Bruce. Pages 159–160.
136 Bruce. Page 160, & Carlos Baker. Pages 621–622.
137 Baker. Pages 622–623.
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