Excavation work is about to commence in central France to search for the bodies of around 40 German soldiers who were executed by the French Resistance in June 1944. The revelation came from Edmond Réveil, a 98-year-old former member of the local branch of the Resistance group known as Francs-tireurs et partisans (FTP). Réveil, the sole surviving member from his unit, personally witnessed the mass execution at a location called Le Vert near Meymac.

In a recorded testimony, Réveil recounted how his detachment of 30 fighters was escorting German prisoners through the countryside when they received the order to kill them. The detachment’s commander, codenamed Hannibal, was deeply affected by the order but adhered to the discipline within the Resistance. Volunteers were sought to carry out the execution, and although each fighter was assigned a victim, Réveil and a few others refused to participate. The prisoners were made to dig their own graves on a hot day before being killed, and quicklime was poured over their bodies. The memory of the incident was never spoken of again.

Réveil had kept this secret for 75 years, even from his family, until he unexpectedly revealed it in 2019 at a local meeting of the National Veterans’ Association. The mayor of Meymac, Philippe Brugere, explained that Réveil felt a great burden that he was the last witness to this event and believed that if he didn’t speak out, the truth would remain unknown.

Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, action on the case was delayed. Only recently was the investigation reopened, and the story was made public by the local newspaper La Montagne. French and German historians have since confirmed the basic details of the events described by Réveil. The incident occurred shortly after D-Day, when the Resistance staged an uprising in Tulle, resulting in the capture of approximately 50 to 60 German soldiers. In retaliation, on June 9, the Germans publicly hanged 99 hostages in the town.

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