Élie di Russo: 'Let us pay tribute to those who fought for freedom!'
On August 19, on the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Les Borrels, Élie di Russo, honorary deputy of Hyères, recalled the sacrifices made...
In 1944, the chemin des Borrels was a march route for the 1ère division Française libre (1ère DFL) for the liberation of Hyères towards the Golf-Hôtel and towards mont Redon at the cost of fierce fighting. Les Borrels thus became the first continental section to regain freedom.
'I insisted, in association with the Souvenir Français chaired by Colonel Chaton, that this be commemorated with the memorial panel we inaugurated on August 19, 2017 in the presence of Jean-Pierre Giran,' recalled Élie di Russo. Indeed, Colonel Carbay, who commanded the 2nd brigade, coming from La Londe-les-Maures, liberated on August 17, had established his headquarters near the 3rd bastides on the morning of August 20. This army of the France libre was made up of soldiers from North Africa, Black Africa, the Pacific, Goumiers, Senegalese tirailleurs, Djahis, Cameroonians, soldiers of different colors, of different faiths, some praying to different gods, others not praying at all.
LOVE OF THE HOMELAND 'Political commitments were secondary for this army, which was joined by resistance fighters, the soldiers of the shadows. Only love of the Homeland and the values of the Republic mattered. 81 years!
More than ever, we must remember those who made history with their commitments and sacrifices. May this path of memory allow everyone and the younger generations to feel this love for France and its values of liberty, equality, fraternity to which we are morally attached,' added the former deputy mayor once again.
He continued: 'In front of this panel, I also have the duty to recall the memory of two men and pay tribute to them. On April 29, 1944, a RAF plane, shot down by German fighter planes, crashed in the massif des Maures north of the 2nd Borrels. The pilot, a 20-year-old Canadian whose pseudonym, Pépino, was all that would ever be known, parachuted down and managed to escape, hidden by the foresters of Les Borrels and the local maquis; he worked for three months with the foresters.
On the morning of August 15, during the landing, he joined the 1ère DFL. Three days later, on August 18, Pépino was killed in the assault on the Fort de Mauvanne with the Commandos d'Afrique. His name is written on the war memorial of Hyères.
He was buried in the military cemetery of La Londe.'
The former elected official also recalled the memory of Louis Pellegrino, a municipal worker at the town hall of Les Borrels. Loulou who loved his town, his land, his Gapeau. His path was a rich one.
Little Louis, at 17, enlisted with the 1ère DFL to liberate France in the ranks of the 8ème régiment de travailleurs sénégalais. He was awarded the Croix du Combattant volontaire and the Croix de guerre 39-45 with a very fine citation praising his qualities of drive and audacity in the fierce fighting of November 30, 1944.
'Let us pay tribute to these men and all these women who fought for the freedom of France. Thank you again to the Souvenir Français for having initiated this Chemin de Mémoire which, across the municipality, goes from Les Borrels, the 1st continental section to be liberated, to Giens, the last part of the municipality to be liberated,' concluded Élie di Russo.
Photos by Philippe OLIVIER.