Spirit of Resistance by Nigel Perrin

Author:Nigel Perrin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2009-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Retribution

On the morning of Tuesday 21 March, Peulevé said goodbye to Poirier and took his usual route down the back stairs, discreetly leaving the Champanatier by a side door and walking the short distance to Bloc-Gazo's offices. Whilst in town he was alerted to a problem concerning the supply drop planned for the next day: the dropping area, situated near a disused aerodrome, had suddenly been occupied by a German anti-aircraft battery posted there on training duties. It was imperative that London was told to cancel the operation as soon as possible and Roland Malraux, only having joined the organization a few days before, accompanied Delsanti and Peulevé to visit Bertheau at his hideout on the Route du Tulle. Travelling in Peulevé's Chevrolet across Brive in the brisk, bright afternoon, they parked on the road outside Lamory's house and made their way up the stairs to the larger of the two rooms on the first floor, taking turns to keep a lookout from the front window while the others began preparing Peulevé's telegram for London and deciphering several other messages received by Bertheau over the past few days.

Around half-past three Arnouil left his house on nearby rue Edouard Branly, walking the few hundred yards to join the group as arranged. Turning right onto the Route du Tulle, he was about to cross the road when two black Citroëns sped past him and suddenly halted 100 yards further up, directly outside Lamory's address. Arnouil quickly began retracing his steps as he saw one uniformed officer and three others in civilian clothes get out and run to the front of the house, bursting in through the unlocked door. Tearing through the lounge and up the short staircase to the first floor, they were shocked to come face to face with Peulevé and his team in the front room, standing around a wireless set screwed down on a table. Peulevé immediately tried to burn his silk codes in the stove but was dismayed to find that they would not catch light, while Bertheau, in mid-transmission, had the presence of mind to tap out ‘nous sommes pris!’ (we are taken) before raising his hands. Delsanti made a frantic attempt to jump out of the window, but their situation was hopeless. Having been taken completely by surprise, there was now no chance of escape.

None of them was armed (though the wardrobe in the room concealed a number of guns), and the SD officer quickly ushered them down the stairs and into the back garden, leaving one of his men to guard them whilst the rest of the house was searched. As they waited one of the Lamorys’ neighbours, a milicien named Adrien Dufour, began shouting abuse over the fence behind them and it soon became clear that he had been responsible for tipping the Germans off. Believing Peulevé to be the head of a group of Jewish black marketeers, he had been only too aware of the frequency with which people had recently been visiting the house.

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