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From Recollections Entry of Apr 28, 2006 at 10:32 [EST]
From: Maria Gaspar , Frech Civilian
Subject: Childhood memories

Bergeval - 1942, July 2d

I'll never forget this special day. We hid at home a young boy from Waimes ( annexed territory) His name was Joseph GERARDY. Joseph was "refractaire" it means that he did not want to be a soldier for Germany. Many boys from this part of Belgium escaped and were hidden in the farms in our area. It was the haymaking season and we were working very hard so, this morning of July 2d we were sleeping deeply when Joseph opened the door of our bedrooms and said : "the Gestapo is on the front door. He said : "I will jump thru the window" it was too late a Gestapo man was in the window with a revolver and a feldgendarme was there too with a sub-machine-gun. The felgendarmes were really terrifying with their helmet and they roared. We got up, we dressed up and we went downstairs (my mother, Joseph and me). 2 men from the Gestapo interrogated us and the others were searching everywhere in the house. They wanted to know the name of the boy, his real identity. We kept silent. During our questioning, Joseph tried to escape but the german soldiers run and shoot him. Joseph was wounded in his back and in the shoulder. When the Gestapo left with the wounded boy, they told us : "we shall come back to take your mother". We could not sleep during a long time. Joseph came back to Waimes after 3 years in a concentration camp. He died in 1990. I was (Maria) 16 years old at this time and to see a german shooting a boy is a thing you'll never forget. The Mayor of Trois-Ponts, Mr Noël was taken off to prison on the same day because they made cards for supplies to help people. Mr Noël hid also young men from the Eastern townships. He stayed 3 years in Buchenwald and he came back in a sorry state. The secretary died in the camp. Maria GASPAR

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