Leon Bronchart

Leon Bronchart (September 11th 1896 - September 25th 1986) is a resistant French. Railwayman, it is the only known driver of the the SNCF which refused to drive a train of off-set during the Second world war. Off-set with the camp of Gilded, it received later the title of Juste among the Nations.

Biography

Based on the Autobiography of Leon Bronchart, Working and soldier , and a birth certificate.

A young soldier of 14-18

Leon Louis Bronchart was born on September 11th 1896 with Bapaume, Pas-de-Calais. His/her father, Louis Bronchart, are mason stones, his mother, Flore Mérienne, silk reeling machine.

As of the 11 years age, it must work as workman. When the First World War bursts, it is voluntary to fight, and in 1914 it joined a company of the 60e of Infantry. It takes part in a battle close to Péronne after which it is made prisoner. After several unfruitful attempts, he manages to escape and returns to France in November 1917. He joined the Foreign legion then. At the conclusion of the war, its feats of arms are worth the Military decoration, the Médaille of the escaped prisoners and the to him Croix of the voluntary combatant.

Railwayman

Leon Bronchart integrates in 1919 the company of the railroads of Orleans. Its career will be the following one:

working in September 1919;
driver of road, on September 17th, 1920;
raises mechanic of road on December 19th, 1924;
mechanic of road on January 9th, 1931;
authorized conducting electrician on June 29th, 1946;
chief of reserve traction on August 1st, 1946.

In 1920, it Marie with Châtellerault with Charlotte Mitton. They will have three children, two boys, in 1922 and 1926, and a girl, in 1934. Very active, Leon Bronchart takes part in associations of war veterans, remains in contact with several of his former comrades of army, and militates with the CGT. What he explains while underlining: “I was grabbed by the political events of the country, particularly by the strike of the railwaymen of 1920. As of my young age I was sensitized by these events; I was in the obligation to go to work very young person, at eleven years I were content of mould in a glassmaking, this work early marked me. ”

In 1923, it is voluntary for the occupation of the the Rhineland in Germany and takes part in it, like driver of train. In August 1925, when bursts the Guerre of Rif to the Morocco, it is again voluntary, always as driver.

The Second world war

Although it is not mobilizable any more, Leon Bronchart engages when the Second world war starts, and is affected as staff sergeant with the 7th section of the railroads from countryside, in Beauvais. The projection of the German armies and an order of fold brings it to a retirement which then leads it to Bordeaux. After the armistice, it is sent to Brive, the “deposit vapor of fast service”. It takes part in the Résistance, in the network Combat. At the end of 1942, it provides false paper to its Jewish neighbors and facilitates to the passage in Italian occupied zone of one their friends by providing him a uniform of the SNCF.

Refusal to obey

The October 31st 1942, Leon Bronchart is in service with Montauban:

“When, while waiting for my setting at the head, I assist with the evolution of an oar which one adds to the train that I must take along. On the footboards of the elements of the Police force of State the doors keep, I carry out my setting and I at the head enquiers near the deputy stationmaster of the reason of such a service of order and safety. He teaches me that they are political internees whom one transfers from Eysse to Saint-Pol.-of-Jeaux. At once my determination is taken, I refuse to take along the train. Station master, yard master, assistant manager of deposit, inspector come to the foot machine to discuss it with me: in spite of the councils, objurgations, the summations, the threats, I continued to refuse; when I had enough of it, I cut myself the machine, and advanced near the chechmate. Returned to the deposit, I went to the office of the yard master, the assistant manager, I said: " If you want, make come a doctor so that it can note that I am neither insane, nor ivre". ”

This refusal to obey, single among the French railwaymen, is worth to him the admiration and the congratulations of his/her colleagues, and many candidatures to join actions of resistance. It is worth also a suspension to him. He is heard by his superiors, but its past and its decorations of war veteran contribute to their leniency. He receives a warning and its Christmas bonuses 1942 are removed.

Arrest and deportation

The network in which Leon Bronchart takes part carries out many operations: sabotages, clandestine distributions of newspapers and leaflets, attacks, etc on January 29th, 1943, it is stopped in its residence by the Germans, like his oldest son - 20 years this year. Both are questioned and beaten, then interned with the Camp of Royallieu in Compiegne. They are then off-set, always together, passing to Oranienburg, in May 1943 with Staaken, in September 1943 with Buchenwald and finally this same month with Dora. They will survive nearly two years the terrible conditions of this camp, additional of Buchenwald then become an autonomous camp. They are separated there, and it is only after the war which Leon Bronchart will learn that his/her son like survived to him. At the beginning of 1944, with other French internees it manages to carry out sabotages, after they understood that the camp manufactures weapons - they were the fused V2.

In July 1944, the deportees are evacuated, of stage in stage until Bergen. April 15th 1945, the British troops release the camp on April 30th, Leon Bronchart is finally of return to him. It thus indicates the low number of survivors of Gilded:

“On several tens of thousands of French who fed Dora, with the census we remain fourteen hundreds! On the numbers 14.000,20.000,21.000 to 22.200 which arrived at Dora in September - October 1943, we are 42; on the seventy of Oranienburg we remain two: a minor of Sallaumine and me. ”

During her absence, his Charlotte wife did not cease taking part in Resistance.

Post-war period

It resumes work in September 1945, like employee of the SNCF, its health condition of large invalid following the deprivations and maltreatment undergone enabling him more to lead an engine. After having passed successfully the assistance of chief of reserve, he takes two years later his retirement and completes his in August 1947 community activity.

Distinctions

In 1946, Leon Bronchart is named knight of the Légion of honor, with the following quotation:

“Bronchart Leon, Louis, Captain of the French Forces of the Interior, mechanic of road the SNCF. Resisting of the first hour, volunteer 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 was at the origin of the formation of the NAP of the ACE iron and the railway group-francs. With organized sabotage and refused on several occasions to tow trains of deportees and German troops. Stopped by the Gestapo, was off-set after two escape bids. With continued resistance and sabotage in the various camps of internment where it was held 23 month. Present promotions or nominations comprise the attribution of the Military Cross with palm. ”

By decree of March 11th, 1947, the medal of resistance is decreed with the Bronchart captain and is given by the general Kœnig.

In 1958, it is promoted Officer of the Legion of Honor by decree dated July 31st, 1958, published in the Official journal of the August 4th and 5th 1958. Leon Bronchart is decorated by Edmond Michelet.

In 1965, it is promoted commander of the Legion of honor by decree dated April 26th, 1965, inserted into the Official journal on April 28th, 1965. It is decorated by Adrien Cart.

Leon Bronchart died the September 25th 1986 with Saint-Avertin (Indre-et-Loire). The title of Juste among the Nations was decreed to him in 1994. According to the Memorial of Yad Vashem, he is the only railwayman who refused to drive a train of prisoners.

Memory of a Juste

During the conference of the Association for the history of the railroads in France (AHICF) of June 2000, on the topic a state enterprise in the war: the SNCF, 1939-1945 , Serge Klarsfeld indicated: “One announced me that a driver of train of Brive, Leon Bronchard '', would have refused to lead a convoy in 1942: it would have been erased executives on October 30th and would have been stopped on January 8th, 1943. It is with the direction of the files of the SNCF to say to us if this information is exact. ”

In 2004, a book of testimonys mentions: “Leon Bronchard '' locomotive engineer with Brive-the-Strapping woman who not only provided false paper to her neighbors Rosenberg and their three children, but saved one their friends Adolphe Strykowsky, in difficult circumstances but it is the only driver to have refused to lead a convoy of Jews of Montauban towards the East the October 31st 1942. Two months later it will leave a German convoy to quay. It will be off-set with his 20 year old son. ”

A street of Saint-Avertin bears the name of Leon Bronchart. Its name also appears in the Alley of Right which borders the Mémorial of Shoah in Paris, with an spelling error (" d" instead of the " t" at the end).

See too

Histoire of the SNCF
Juste among the Nations
French interior Résistance
Gilded (camp)

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