Henri Rol-Tanguy

Henri Tanguy , officially Rol-Tanguy since 1970, known as Colonel Rol-Tanguy, born the June 12th 1908 with Morlaix, deceased the September 8th 2002 with Paris, is a chief of the Résistance during the Second world war and a communist militant .

Origin

Born in 1908 in a family from Breton sailors. Wire of a petty officer and a washing machine, it makes its primary studies in Toulon, Brest and Cherbourg. He is metal-worker as of the fourteen years age.

Inter-war period

In 1925, H. Tanguy becomes sheet-iron merchant in body at Renault with the factory O of Boulogne-Billancourt (the Seine). This same year, it adheres to Communist youths and became responsible for the cell of the factory. He was laid off at the end of a few months for fact of strikes. Consequently, the doors of the large factories were prohibited to him.

High level cyclist, it is classified first of the beginners in the Paris-Chauny race. In 1926, it takes part in “American” and the continuations by team, with the Vélodrome of winter, the Parc of the Princes, Buffalo, and the municipal track of Vincennes.

In 1929, it makes its military service in Algeria, by disciplinary measure to be itself not registered in time on the lists of census, with the 8th regiment of Zouaves. It leaves the army combatant of elite, soldier of 1st class, with a training of machine gunner mechanic, telemetrist and arms manufacturer.

Engaged to the Nessi company with Montrouge then in September 1930 with the factory Bréguet, it follows advanced courses and becomes sheet-iron merchant-former, ironmonger out of copper, pipe fitter, welder. As from 1934, it returns to the communist militancy and creates at Bréguet a communist cell and a trade union CGTU. Laid off in 1935 following an industrial action, it did not find any more a place but in small companies.

In October 1936, he becomes secretary of the trade union of the workers of the metallurgy CGT of the Paris region. When the war of Spain in 1936 bursts, it animates the solidarity campaign with the Republicans of the Federation of Metals. In 1937, it serves in Spain in the rows of the International Brigades. Officer, it occupies the political post of police chief in the 3rd Brigade (" the Marseillaise "). In February 1938, it turns over to Spain where it makes the training of fire. It takes part in the combat of the offensive of the Elleze. June 18th, 1938, it is wounded of a ball in the chest on the face of the Ebre.

Returned to France in November 1938, it Marie on April 19th, 1939 with Cecile Bihan, her godmother of war, militant communist, of which he will have four children.

Second world war and Resistance

Henri Rol-Tanguy is mobilized in September 1939 and affected like soldier of 1st class to the 57e regiment of colonial Infanterie (57e RIC) in Lorraine. In May 1940, it is affected as arms manufacturer with the 28e Régiment of colonial Infantry mixed Senegalese; it takes share with the combat of the 28e Division from June 5th to 24th 1940.

Demobilized in August 1940 after being quoted with the order of the regiment, it finds his Cécile wife and renews contact with the Communists. October 5th, learning that a wave of arrests strikes the Communist militants, it enters clandestinity. It takes part in the setting-up of the special Organization (OS), the PCF also entrusting to him the responsibility for the Southern sector of Paris and its suburbs.

In August 1941, it is charged with Raymond Losserand and Gaston Carré with the organization, in the Paris region, of armed groups, which were molten, in February 1942, in F.T.P., communist movement of armed resistance. Tanguy exerts in this " triangle of direction" the function of military official. Losserand and Carré are stopped in May 1942 and will be shot. Tanguy reforms a team with Roger Linet and Raymond Colin.

Tanguy changes zone for safety reason, becoming chief of ftp of the area Poitou - Anjou, then returns in Paris region in May 1943, to reorganize, with Joseph Epstein and Edouard Vallerand, the Franc-tireurs of the Paris region. He writes with his wife the clandestine newspaper: the Parisian franc-tireur

In September 1943, it is named representative ftp with the Comité of Action against the Deportation (which sabotages the departures with STO). In October, it passes to the staff FFI of the “area P” which gathers eleven departments around Paris, where it represented the F.T.P.

Initially assistant manager of the staff, then regional chief in May, it is in June colonel chief of the area P1 (the Seine, Seine-et-Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Oise), which it baptizes “Ile-de-France”. At this point in time it takes its last pseudonym Rol, name of a combatant of the international Brigades, Théo Rol, killed in 1938 during the battle of Ebre.

It is devoted then entirely to the preparation of the release of the capital in close connection with the Committee of Military action of the National council of Resistance, COMAC and the national military delegate of the Général de Gaulle, Jacques Chaban-Delmas.

The August 10th 1944, the advance of Alliés in Normandy gives the signal of the insurrection: strikes burst in the Parisian administrations: Post, police force; August 18th, it is the general strike. The same day, Rol-Tanguy makes post the order of general mobilization of the Parisian ones. As of the following day, the barricades start to flower in all the districts.

The August 20th, staff FFI is installed in basement Place Denfert-Rochereau (in the catacombs) and the police headquarter is taken. Colonel Rol-Tanguy realizes in the days of the 20 with the August 24th, a general operation releasing the 9/10e capital. The 25 with the support of the 2nd dB of the general Leclerc, colonel Rol receives and signs the act of unconditional surrender of the German forces of the general Von Choltitz.

In the current of September, Rol-Tanguy is designated near colonel Billotte to contribute to set up a new unit, the 10th division of infantry, but it will not be named with the head of this 10th DI. In January 1945, it carries out an advanced training course in Provins. It is then affected with the PC of the 1st French Army of the general of Lattre de Tassigny but takes part in the combat in Germany only between the 8 and on April 25th, of Tübingen with Sigmaringen. It will remain in Germany until October 2nd like assistant of the military colonel governor of Coblentz. June 18th, 45, it had been decorated with the Croix of the Release by the General Charles de Gaulle and becomes soldier of active with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Post-war period

In April 1947, it is affected to the military cabinet of the Minister for National defense. From 1948 to 1951, he is chief of the 3rd office of the State Major of the subdivision of Mans, then share with the retirement in 1962.

Of 1962 with 1987, he is member of the central committee of the PCF, with a limited role. Emblematic figure of communist Resistance as from the Sixties, Henry Rol-Tanguy supports publicly Georges Marchais at the time of the started again polemic in March 1980 by the Express train concerning its past of voluntary worker in Germany but sign in October 1991 the petition the old resistant ones requiring that it not chair the commemorative ceremonies of the shootings of Chateaubriant.

He was President of the National association of the War veterans of Resistance (ANACR) and Friendly of the former French volunteers in republican Spain.

The September 13rd 2002, a national homage chaired by Jacques Chirac is returned to him with the Invalids. It rests with Monteaux (Loir-et-Cher).

The August 23rd 2004, an avenue Henri Rol-Tanguy is inaugurated in Paris XIVe district (close to the Denfert-Rochereau place).

Decorations

Signed works Rol-Tanguy

  • release of Paris (1964)
  • the French Communist party in Resistance (1967)
  • the truth on the release of Paris (1971)
  • release of Paris. The 100 documents (1994)

See too

Files video: discussion with Henri-Rol Tanguy ===Article connexe===

Sources

  • Article of the biographical Dictionary of the labor movement French (Maitron), of R. Skoutelsky.
  • Roger Bourderon, Rol-Tanguy , Tallandier. (2004)

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