General Giraund Was Near To Execution By Firing Squad

Observation Post, Volume 1, Issue 31, 18 December 1942, Page 3

General Giraund Was Near To Execution By Firing Squad

[The author of this article, reprinted from the American magazine Life, was a motion-picture producer in Paris before the war. A member of the naval reserve, Michael Bernin was attached to the photographic division of the French navy. After serving as secretary to Admiral Abrial, commander of the northern squadron of the French fleet, Bernin became liaison interpreter for the French aboard the British escort ship Valentine. When the Valentine was sunk off the Dutch coast in May, 1940, he was among the 55 members of the crew who' survived. After the battle of Dunkirk he fled to England, returned to Cherbourg just in time to be captured by the Nazis. After his release Bernin obtained an American visa and arrived in New York last. March.] HISTORIC SCENE The Chateau of Tourlaville is just four and a-half kilometres from Cherbourg. When I saw it last on June 19, 1940, it was the setting for a historic scene which I and all French men hope will never be repeated. The French navy, at least that part of it which fought so bravely in the defence of ' Dunkirk, was preparing its surrender to a detachment of Germans who had captured Cherbourg without a struggle and Were coming to get us in their own gooc , time. < ' The Admirante Nord, charged with the defence of the north coast oi France and lodged at'Tourlaville, included in its high command some of th< most gallant and ' venerated officers of the French navy. There was my ad miral, Leclerc, his face already gre and shrunken. There were captains and commanders, lieutenants and ensigns, and sailors like myself. Though the hall was full of people, no one spoke loudly. In a room off the hall I heard a phone ring. Cherbourg was phoning to say- that a German colonel had just left with a few men to officiate at our surrender. Admiral Abrial turned towards the officers of his staff, now all grouped around him, and nodded. He then drew his sword and tried to break it over his knee. It was too tough, so he trod on one end of it and bent the blade back from the hilt. The sword vibrated in a single shriek, and broke. '. Such other officers as had swords followed his example except my admiral, Leclerc, who had motioned to me. “Bernin,’’ he ordered, “take this thing and break it. It’s stupid of me,

• but I. just, can’t.; do it.” I took the sword out into the park of the chateau and buried it under a tree. I think that is what he wanted me to do. If Igo back to France some day and if' Admiral Lecierc has earned the right.t< wear his sword'again, I shall tell him where it is. When I slipped back into the chateau the Germans were already there. On the great outdoor stairway, Admiral Abrial was listening to the German officer read him the terms of surrender. The other officers stood behind him. We-of the non-commissioned rank were being herded out into the road. After a while my name was called. Admiral Leclerc had asked for. me, and the sentries passed me through to him. “You know my orderly was killed some' days ago, he said quietly. “I have not replaced him. The Germans allow me to take an orderly into captivity with me. This is hot a command and you may feel better off with the boys, but would you like to come with me? lam as much a prisoner as you . and can promise you nothing.” “I shall be glad to serve you, Admiral. ” “Thank you,\ Bernin. Join the others.” Thus I became part of the convoy of prisoners to be sent to the fortress of Koenigstein, 25 miles from Dresden, in the German province of Saxony. Our caravan set out. First went the car of the German officer in charge. Then six cars full of our admirals and their orderlies, plus several French generals who had been rounded up in the region. I was picked to drive Admirals Abrial' and Leclerc, and our car * was the last of the six. A German

scout car, full of guards, followed behind. . . ai the entrance to a military camp in uiainz we were ordered to stop. The officers, wearied by the long journey, alighted from the cars. There were already 30 of.them and the number was increased on the arrival there of another group of prisoners. Among the latter was General Giraud, who had come from Berlin, where he had been held since his capture by the Germans. We were left alone for a few minutes while the officer in charge of the prisoners went to get his instructions le garding our future itinerary. He soor returned in the company of a Germar general. ‘ '/ ' CALL FOR GIRAUD “Which of you is General Giraud, asked the latter. General Giraud, wh> was among a group of generals, pie sented himself. 1 . “ it is I. ” “General, 1 have been ordered t place you before a firing squad.” With no emotion visible on his fac< General Giraud replied: “1 am prisoner. All 1 can do is to protes against this flagrant violation of inte: national law regarding prisoners c

war ” , r. “Not at all,” interrupted the German. “You arc accused of having given orders >to kill two German civilians in northern France. This is assassination, for which you are criminally liable.” “It is perfectly true that I gave such an order,” replied Giraud. “While military operations were in full course, two Germans wearing civilian clothes landed behind our lines with the evident intent of committing sabotage, if i had to do it again £ should not Le “ t Very well,’"’ said the German general. “Please follow ane.” General Giraud shook h.und with the other French generals and followed. the German into his headquarters. We were stunned, but hardly had the two men disappeared when we received the ordered to continue our jo-urney. . We set out again. The two admirals I accompanied maintained a deathly silence. I could observe them sitting there, their lips tightly closedy and with the same question written om the face of the two men. ‘ ‘ Ane the Germans going to assassinate the ■ captured French generals on any flimsy sort of pretext! Will we all suffer Giraud s fate?” J

AGREEABLE SURPRISE Between steep roeks a single marrow and precipitous path leads up to the summit of Koenigstein. There is no other road in these mountains. As we climbed, at each turning we met a sentinel who, with a rifle on his shoulder, stood as immobile as the rocks, watching us pass by. With our arrival the number of superior officers imprisoned in Koenigstein rose to 120. But we had a very agreeable surprise. General Giraud suddenly reappeared. When questioned as to how he had escaped execution, he replied good humouredly: — Like a soldier. Faced by a court martial, instead of uttering a lemgthj plea, I put the following question tc i the chief justice, a general: “Iff y°' captured two Frenchmen in ci viliai clothes and you were certain that the; had arrived by parachute behind 1 tin German lines with the purpose of spy ing and committing sabotage, woufi vou, as a responsible officer, give o-rder for the execution of these two men?’ ‘ ‘ The general pronounced the eourl martial adjourned and withdrev r. heard him telephoning in the adjoining room, obviously asking for instructions. When he came back, aecompaniei tl by al} his assistants, he brought with', him my acquittal—a cancellation by . the general staff of the order he had given for my execution.” After a pause General Giraud added: “It was truly a ' miracle that I escaped the firing squad. I have often faced death, but never had I felt’- with such certainty that I had only a- few minutes to live. *