Jacques de Bernonville

Jacques Dugé de Bernonville (Auteuil, close to Paris, December 20th 1897 - April 27th 1972), is a Collaborateur French.

He is high in a enveloping Catholicisme, surrounded by the Jésuites. He will keep the practice never not to miss the mass of the morning.

Military career

He announces during the First World War, in the Alpine hunters where he becomes lieutenant. He leaves the barded conflict of decorations, of which the Military Cross. He fights then in Syria, at the time of the insurrection Druze (1925-26). One decrees the to him Légion of honor.

Political commitment

It militates then in movements of Extrême right-hand side preaching the return to the Monarchie and an authoritarian regime, in particular in the French Action. It is stopped in 1926 for carried out royalist.

In 1938, it is implied in the plot of the Hood aiming at reversing the République. He is imprisoned a few months, but is slackened fault of evidence.

Second world war

With the release of the Second world war, it is mobilized again in the Alpine hunters, but the defeat of France leads it to Vichy as of the summer of 1940 where it joined the government of the free zone of the marshal Pétain.

The French Milice is created on January 30th 1943 by Joseph Darnand. Bernonville is director of studies at the school of the Militia. Its owner is a Acadie N of American origin, Squirrel fur, which believes that the Canada will simply return one day to France because the French Canadian make more children than the British.

In the summer of 1943, it takes part in a Coup d'etat to reverse the Vichy government and to restore monarchy.

It lends oath to Hitler with the autumn 1943 and is reproduced as from this moment on the mode of pay of the 9th regiment of Brandebourg, unit of the Waffen-SS. Its account number is the 605.

It shows as much zeal against its compatriots during this war than it showed of it against the German during the first. With its troops which track the resistant, Bernonville often repeats this same parole : “  Aim just, but draw without hatred, because they are our frères.  ” For him, they are only cursed besides communist and he does not hesitate with the Torture R to make them speak.

The fight against the Résistance develops and resembles a civil war more and more. In May 1944, Bernonville is named director with the Maintenance of law and order in Burgundy. Later it occupies the same functions with Lyon. About on August 20th, in front of the advance of the Allied , it leaves for the Germany with the high officers Nazis. To the general headquarter of 9th Brandebourg, to Paderborn, it follows a training course for a mission of sabotage behind the allied lines.

With the autumn 1944, it is parachuted with three others close to Melun to make jump a gasoline pipeline feeding the American army and the 1st French Army. Realizing of the impossibility of this mission, the parachutists give up and exchange their clothes of camouflage for civil clothing.

Escape

Of monastery in monastery, Bernonville flees the authorities. In 1945, it flees towards the Spain of Franco. Judged in absentia in a court of Toulouse, he is condemned to died for war crimes. In 1946, it flees towards New York where one finds it disguised as a priest.

November 26th, 1946, it leaves New York by train and arrives at the Quebec while passing by Lacolle, with false paper and equipped as a priest. It precipitates with Quebec where it places in the well-known restorer Joseph Kerhulu. Its correspondents in the capital find an employment with the to him Commission of the liquors.

At the beginning of January 1947, it arrives at Saint-Pacôme where a new employment was found to him. Its guard is Alfred Plourde, business man, mayor of Mount-Carmel and organizing room which will be appointed National union starting from 1948. Large and strapping man, face gash, a paralyzed arm, partially deaf, Bernonville become clerk office in Plourde and Frères.

In a small village, the unknown ones make jaser, but one poses few questions about this French with the accent pointu : it is protected from Alfred Plourde, the lord of the place, which bought with his/her two brothers the local sawmill. His/her friend, the lawyer No5el Dorion, asked him before the Festivals to find a place in his entreprise  to him;: “  It is the right-hand man of large the Pétain   ”. Jacques Benoit (his name of loan) only lives in his room with the hotel Warm welcome, a foreigner being wary with the discovered face, the military step. In February and March 1947, unload at the village his wife, Isabelle, and three of her daughters, Catherine, Josianne and Chantal, teenagers. They occupy their winter to ski on the slopes of the neighborhoods.

In spring 1947, Jacques Benoit obtains his company of Saint-Pacôme a transfer to Montreal where it deals with the wood sales for the foreigner. He loses his work later a few weeks. After some small employment, Benoit finds a work with the Franco-Canadian Company of dairy products with Granby. It is there that in December, he is recognized by former resistant French.

Knowing itself discovered, Bernonville is presented with its family in front of the officer of immigration in Montreal, mid-January 1948, to reveal its true identity and to require to be allowed like Canadian citizen.

The debate in Canada

Then begin a business whose media make their lambsquarters and who crosses into two Canada. On a side British newspapers, British deputies and federal civils servant, then all British; other, all that the Quebec account of nationalist, monk, francophile and sometimes xenophobe. Those want nothing to know of the possible crimes of this assiduous man to the mass. He is the poor victim of mad British civils servant against French and infiltrated immigration Communists, freemason, etc

For

Against

  • the chief of the Liberal party of Canada and future Prime Minister Louis the St. Lawrence
  • British soldiers and war veterans, Canadian-French or
  • the newspaper Canada, affiliated with the Liberal party
  • All the British newspapers, in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada
  • All British, insofar as it are interested in the business
  • the writer Roger Lemelin

The pro-Bernonville have good lawyers who know how to make trail procedures. This irritates many people, to start with the soldiers. Also, in 1951, of former Canadian aviators having fought in Europe contact an American comrade who made fortune with the Texas meanwhile. This one concocte a plan to remove Bernonville at his place, to transport it by plane towards Plattsburgh, then to dispatch it in French soil with Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon. Obliged to give up this too eccentric project, the American threatens to put 75  000 dollars to make beat the Prime Minister Louis the St. Lawrence with the next elections if it does not dispatch Bernonville with French justice quickly.

August 17th 1951, seeing its partisans blowing itself and its chances to obtain asylum to decrease, Bernonville leaves precipitately for the Brésil. The French authorities require its extradition in 1952, but the Supreme court of Brazil slices in October 1956  : Bernonville can remain.

He dies on April 27th 1972, at the 74 years age, assassinated by the son of his servant, under the effect of the alcohol and the Haschisch. Its body is discovered under a portrait of its Master, Pétain. The news is hardly reported in the newspapers of Quebec.

Source: The book the Business Bernonville from Yves Lavertu, Vlb Editor, 1994,217 p.

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