SAMUEL SAVORIE, FRENCH RESISTANCE.

WORLD WAR ONE. BBBC106

Oct 31, 2023

The battle for Liege, Fort de Loncin.

The camouflaged provisions truck slid and lumbered along a muddy uneven track that connected the line of fortresses defending the city of Liege. Laden with food and ammo for the beleaguered Belgian troops, it’s progress slow, navigating the debris of blasted vehicles and strewn trees. As it approached La Fort de Loncin, it’s next drop, the driver and his two guards could see smoke billowing from the gun ports. The gunners had been supplied with the incorrect firing powder by high command, yet they had nothing else to repel the Germans with. With every salvo men coughing and retching would spill out. On seeing the truck they somehow managed to raise a gasping cheer. Here comes the smokeless powder at last !!

The truck driver commenced unloading the munitions for his comrades to carry to the fortress door whilst the gunners recovered. As the smoke dissipated most of the soldiers disappeared within, just as, over the noise of the battle came a terrifying aerial scream, that of a huge howitzer shell from a feared Big Bertha. The shell fell almost vertically on the roof of the fort, setting of the whole magazine. The blast ripped and hurled those outside, dead or unconscious to the ground, flipping the truck onto its side in a ditch, the driver with it.

When he recovered, his first reaction was to wonder at the silence, then at the pain in his head and shoulder. He stood up his head sticking out of the truck’s shredded canopy, attempted to climb out, only to collapse over the side. When he next awoke, jolting and heavily bandaged in a field ambulance, he realised that he could not hear his own cries of pain. Delirious for days, barely aware of surgery and hospital trains, he finally came to, in a tented ward at the 4th Division of the Belgian Field Army, retreated and regrouping to Antwerpen. His right ear and arm were missing. Over the ensuing weeks, as he and other survivors there made partial recovery, they avoided the advancing boches by heading for the Netherlands, where they were soon captured and interred by the Occupiers. Some took the longer route for the still free Belgian coast, then on to England or France. Others joined the underground.

PARIS.

Seated on a wooden bench in the crowded train, Sam took a quick look at his forged papers, noting that he was now a Belgique Wallon. He marvelled at the ingenuity of this trick to explain his accent, which was definitely not Parisian. One thing that disturbed him was that the colour of his hair was given as black, rather than light brown. As a child his hair had been a vivid ginger. If he was to grow his army haircut to civilian length, he would need some dye, tout suit ! The train stopped frequently, and he dozed between changes. Early in the evening it chugged into La Gare du Nord, Paris.

Limping slowly along the platform, jamming his beret tight he approached the exit. There were no ticket collectors at the gate, almost the entire rail staff had enlisted. The concourse full of refugees disgorging from numerous trains, Sam wondering if his contact would spot him, when suddenly an arm slipped through his “M’Sieu,” she whispered, you walk with difficulty, may I assist ?” “Merci Mam’selle, pas necessaire !” “Oh pourquoi ! you don’t like Adolphine !?” Sam’s mouth opened in surprise - she quickly kissed it shut, and then in a louder excited tone “Maman et Jacques are waiting in the street avec nos velos. Keeping up with the charade ‘Maman’ embraced him, and his ‘frere’, grasped his hands, Adolphine chattering gaily about how while he had been away they had been fortunate enough to buy the new Faraday dynamos for all our bicycles. So off they set with their bright lights and grey drizzle to the village of Conflans-St-Honorine.

They stopped high on an embanked roadway overlooking the Seine, where ‘Maman’ wished them Bon Soir, as they walked their bikes through a gateway, down a short flight of steps to a small house in a riverbank garden. On entering the kitchen, Sam explained his concerns over his hair colour. Adolphine busied herself, concocting a dye, as Jacques explained the Savories were a mixed family of French and Belgians, some of the latter only recently arrived. Appalled at the German attack on both nations, some had joined the land army. Those not accepted by the military had decided, together with other locals to set up a resistance cell, of which he was the leader. His official day job as an overseer in a munitions factory, was the reason why he was not enlisted. A limited supply of weapons had been passed to the cells. When the Germans would come close, the resistance would have to steal from the aggressors. In the meantime there would be long distance forays into enemy held territory. Covert support from British Special Forces needed translators for co-ordination roles, sometimes in the field. Jacques sat silent then for a minute or so, looking Sam in the eye, searching for any signs of weakness. On realising Sam was holding his gaze without waver, Jacques smiled, then the two burst out laughing, quickly joined by Adolphine who had not missed a word. “Alors M’Sieu, off with your shirt ! Time for your new coiffure.

Adolphine, in her mid teens was the local Postie, clearly up for adventure. She lived with her parents, a few houses away, an overgrown riverbank footpath connected the gardens.

The German forces pushed relentlessly towards Paris, with the British well out to the West, still holding the French and Belgian coasts. During the last desperate days of the British presence, Sam’s knowledge of the Belgian Canals would be of use.

Sam’s limited military experience was nevertheless more than that of most of Jaques’ cell. The ‘Freres’ spent many dark nights training the group, usually with Adolphine along, the three of them forming a deep caring bond. Sam was readily accepted by all, as Jaques’ brother. About a month after Sam’s arrival Adolphine, the go-between, brought a coded message… Jacques was to take Sam to a known rendezvous, there to meet a British Officer. This turned out to be a senior Commando who wanted information on Sam’s capabilities with boats, languages, and Belgians Canal system. Seemingly satisfied he ordered Sam to rendezvous again, in 48 hours. The only information given was that the mission would be extremely dangerous. All the following day Adolphine kept looking at Sam, with concern, making him a little uncomfortable. After supper at Jacques she held his arm in the dark garden, “I know you cannot tell me Sam, but I think you are going away, pr’aps you don’t come back to me” Sam was lost for an answer. “Sam I want to stay with you this night” “But I have a wife in England you know” “Pr’aps you don’t return to either of us”.

At the second rendezvous the Commando Officer explained to Sam that small parties of his men were to simultaneously attack several German Command posts, and to destroy river bridges. All deep behind enemy lines. Sam would spend three days assisting the planning, then to accompany a pair of boats, captained by a locals, each with four commandos masquerading as crewmen. Once ensconced on the lead boat he went through the details with both captains and the ranking commandos. After the conversation the lead captain offered Sam a beer and a cigarette, saying “So you don’t recognise me, Carrots !?” “WHAT !” Sam was alarmed, no one had called him that since he was a kid !! “Alors mon Vieux, your cousin Poppy married my cousin Jan-Pierre ! Also I worked sometimes on his boat “ Sam blew hard in relief, “Whooo ! The last time we met we shared a bottle of Anisette” “Ah, Oui, Oui, we must share another after this little adventure, n’est pas !?” “Aye too right, but tell me ….. what happened to your arm, your face ?” “Merde ! you av heard of Liege Loncin ?” “You were in the fortress line ?” “Another time mon ami, we first must slumber a while”.

Author’s Note:-

The above story, one of many (not always complete) was told to me by Alice, Sam’s Sister in Law. I was then home on leave from my own military stint. The next bit is from Adolphine herself - when I finally found her in living in Jacques’ old house, She was then nearly eighty years old……..

Her words……..

In 1918 the war ended and Sam went back to England and to his wife Lilian. But first we had a grand village party, and very late just the three of us sat here at this hearth, we promised to keep in touch (and they did). Then in the joy of freedom from a clandestine existence we told each other some secrets. She explained to me that Samuel told them his real family name, and Jacques told Sam that he had gone thru the war on his dead brother’s identity as an extra precaution. Jacques had died at the front line, one of the first French casualties. The day after Samuel’s departure, he asked Adolphine to marry him under his real name, Maurice. She accepted.

PEACE, BBBC102.

It took almost a month for Sam to debrief at the War Office, so extensive was his knowledge gained during four years on the ground. Knowledge that he was ordered never ever to divulge. Knowledge that would be useful to the Crown, in the highly unlikely event of another European War. Even his return was kept secret until 36 hours before final demob. Only then was he handed a slip of paper bearing the new telephone number of the dock where Jos worked. Jos couldn’t be found, but a message was promised. Lillian and Alice were waiting at Paragon Station for him to finish yet another meaningful rail ride. The pink faced sisters embraced and kissed him, on Alice’s arm sat a dour toddler, introduced as Norman.

Over the ensuing weeks visitors with all their news streamed to the rented house. Jos had been elevated to full foreman. Ashley bought a one way ticket to Australia. Roger had been offered work as a Mining Engineer in Mexico. Sissy had married a canal boatman. Richard, still missing in action. Poppy’s husband had died in the allies defeat of the Hun. Sam took up his old job as a clerk to the dock railways, where the customs soon became aware of his language skills and asked if he would be interested in working for them, checking ships manifests while they searched for contrabrand. The railway company agreed to amend his contract to allow secondment - for which they would be paid rather more than his wages. Additionally the customs would pay him regular bonuses. Jos gave him a good tip “Look Sam, Old England is soon going to be importing more timber than ever before, rebuilding and all that, like. They’re going to shift me to the new timber dock soon, more money see, an’ the way you pick up foreign tongues, well mebbe it would help you with the customs lot. Skandinavian or Russian mebbe” “Aye Jos, thankye, Ah’ll give it a good coat of looking at”. He explained to Lillian that he might spend a weekly evening or two at the seaman’s mission as a good place to pick up these tongues. She reluctantly admitted it might make sense if the extra money would buy them a house of their own, like Jos and Alice wanted to. A nice place to bring up kids.

ADOPTION, BBBC99.

Sam was now able to read Danish and speak a little Russian, and had developed a side line in repacketing tea. Both couples managed to buy houses off Princes Avenue. Norman was about to gain a sibling, but no tiny joy on the horizon for Sam and Lilian. The doctors said that she was infertile, which devastated her. Alice suggested adoption, and there were lots of young orphans in the aftermath of war, all in need of a loving home. In due course they adopted a toddler from a war widow who was not coping. Douglas was a bright happy child, always laughing at Sam’s capering. Alice often remarked how the two shared twinkling eyes. Life was good in prosperous post war Britain, Thank God that War could never happen again.

Yes, I Author !

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