Jean-Pierre Timbaud

Biography

Born the September 20th 1904 in Bossavy from Payzac in which his/her mother was originating, Jean-Pierre Timbaud is the secretary of the CGT Parisian metallurgists. For this reason, he fights actively during the great strikes of the years which precede the Popular front.
During the Second world war, it joined the Résistance and organizes the clandestine trade-union committees. The October 20th 1941, Feldkommandant Karl Hotz, ordering the troops of occupation of the Loire-Inférieure, is killed with Nantes in an attack. As reprisals, the Germans decide to shoot the October 22nd 27 hostages communist of the Camp of Chateaubriant. The “27 of Chateaubriant” show a great dignity. Guy Môquet is youngest of them. It is only seventeen years old and refuses that his/her comrades intercede in his favor. I am communist as much as you , declares it with the Ténine dentist. It is told that Jean-Pierre Timbaud died while shouting: Lives the German Communist party. Leon Blum, at the time of the lawsuit of Riom, known as which he sang the Marseillaise . But in any case, he died under the balls. One of the others shot most known is Charles Michels, which was then appointed communist of the 15th district of Paris.

Its letter of good-bye at its wife, a few hours before being shot

One does not smile when one reads the letter of the founder Jean-Pierre Timbaud, union member and Communist militant who was almost not provided education for, with his wife and his daughter:

My two gran loves knows to it last letter that I write to you, I vait being shot in some moment May cherished my hand does not tremble I am a honnette worker knows you which ettes has to feel sorry for it will be necessary for you overcome great misfortune soyet courageous like I it suis.

All my life jet fought for a humanity mailleure large jets the confidence which you carried out my dream verait my death will have been useful has some things May thought last will serront any D access has to you two my two loves of my life and then to large the ideau of my life. With the revoire me two expensive loves from my VI of courage you to me it sworn lives sharp France the international proletariat. once again tan that jai the force to make it million kissing that which adores you for eternity.
Ci join 500 fran that javai on me it will serve a million to you of kissed

Its praise by Leon Blum at the time of the Lawsuit of Riom

I do not believe that the leaders of the Communist party had for me feelings of particular predilection. However, that there was between them and me such or such difficulties, that does not have any more importance and for my part, I entirely erase them my thought. I do not forget only per hour when I speak the Soviet Union is committed in the war, in the same war that us, two years ago, against the same adversaries. I do not forget that, in the occupied zone, the Communist party provides its broad, his very big part of hostages and victims. I read the other day, in a list of hostages given by a newspaper, the name of small the Timbaud . I have very well-known small the Timbaud : it was a secretary of the Federation of European and International Public Service Unions metallurgical of the Paris region. It was with the conversation of March 15th. I often saw it and I was very often battles about it with him. Only, he was shot and he died by singing the Marseillaise , this Marseillaise that, despite everything, we had learned how to the workmen to sing, perhaps not the official Marseillaise , perhaps not the Marseillaise of the official processions and the quays of station, but the Marseillaise of Mullet of Isle and the volunteers of year II, the Marseillaise of the group of Hard, the Marseillaise of Hugo “winged and flying in the balls”. It is as that which small the Timbaud died and which died much of others. Consequently, for my part, with regard to the Communist party, I will not add anything.

They said of him…

A kind of merry force.
Le name of Timbaud among those of the hostages of Chateaubriant was to be my direct reason, my individual reason to accept the clandestine task which fell to me then. | Louis Aragon

One of these militants who suffer to have an article to write but a born agitator, an extraordinary knowledge - until in its details - trade union movement. its ultimate cry it joined again with most extremely of the drama, the chain of fraternity between the workmen of the two countries… that forged by the miner Maurice Thorez and the docker Ernst Thaëlmann. | Fernand Attic

Timbaud always made watch of a confidence of a burning faith in the destinies of the French and international working class. | Leon Bad

To launch proudly to the face of those which will shoot you because you are a Communist this declaration shingling and full with certainty in the future: “Lives the German Communist party” is not with the range of all. Never I intended Timbaud to complain, balk, to find that one asked him for too ardu.
Avec that patient and tough, baited to make triumph, in the final analysis to impose what was yet only one to become dubious. | Benoit Frachon

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