www.voicesofwar.co.uk
meanwhile SOE HQ ensured they were supplied with arms. They
were now coherent ghting units.
In late August 1944, the four groups of maquis in under the
WRESTLER network were ordered by French authorities (now trying
to take back some control as the Germans were being pushed out of
France), to move to the Forest of Gatine near the town ofValençay.
The objective was to stop the German army in southern France from
linking up with German forces in northern France. Pearl opposed
the movement, but nevertheless accompanied the WRESTLER
maquis. On the 9th and 10th September, a battle ensued that saw
over 19,000 German soldiers encircled by French maquis. Fearing
retribution, The German commandeer was nervous to surrender
to the resistance men. Instead they negotiated a surrender with
American GeneralRobert C. Macon, cutting the maquis completely
out of the negotiations and the formal surrender on 16th September
atBeaugencybridge. “Thus, the most tangible contribution of the FFI
(French Forces of the Interior) was not even registered.” according
to historian Robert Gildea, Pearl was livid at this, and noted later that
after the surrender ceremony the Americans showered the German
soldiers with “oranges, chocolate, the whole works. But that’s an
old story, you know, soldiers were welcoming other soldiers. We
weren’t soldiers.”
3
It was not just Pearl that was disgusted by this show. The local
French citizens could only look on as the Americans distributed
food and luxuries to the Germans who were their recent occupiers,
while they were left with next to nothing. American ags were torn
down and outraged letters were published in local and national
newspapers.
3 Cornioley, Pearl Witherington; Larroque, Hervé (2013).