Hum Historical Fiction Summative

  This is the blog of Sophie Blanchet as she tells you about her story during WW2  

[sophieblanchet]

A Very Delayed Update

May 3, 1947 - 6:00 pm

It’s been a long time, and I’ve had a hard time coming back to this blog. The years of the war had been the worst years of my life and I’ve had to take a lot of time in order to heal from it all. 

After France was free, Mama had told me that she knew all about my blog. She had been reading every post and I couldn’t believe it. She wants to say something here:

Mama: The years of the occupation had been an extremely long healing process for me. I had through so much pain during WW1 and then had to go through it all over again. It has been really hard for me to recover from the pain that this war had brought onto me and I doubt that I ever will truly heal from it all. But the war is behind us now, and for everyone out there who was affected by it, you can’t let it affect you for long. My pain had overcome me for many years and yes, it takes time to heal, but you must heal yourself as well. I know that I will never truly heal but as far it goes, I feel better.

Augustin: Yes, I am back. The STO has changed me forever. This war has changed me forever. I have seen what it can do to people. So I’ve dedicated myself to the prevention of war. I work in the UN now, and it’s been hard to reflect on the days of the war, but if that’s what it takes to prevent it from happening again, that is what I will do. So here’s my advice for you: when stuck in a bad situation the best thing for you to do is take a look around before you dive headfirst finding a solve it.

This war was a fatal blow in our lives, and I’m sure that none of us will ever be the same again. We will continue to heal over the years, and the war will never leave our sides. I know that for sure.

[sophieblanchet]

Finally free

August 24, 1944 - 11:54 pm

After fighting the German forces for five days, and after the Allied soldiers had come to Paris to help us, we have successfully liberated Paris. 

Today has been absolutely amazing, and for the first time in five years, I am excited to see what comes next. The battle had been bloody, terrifying, and treacherous but I’m so glad that it had happened. The minute I heard the bells of Notre-Dam ring. I knew we were free. It was exhilarating and so comical I can’t even begin to explain it all. 

After we’ve been saved, I went to the parade. The people there were so happy and were kissing the Allied soldiers who had come and saved us. I just stood there beside my mother and smiled. It is a happy moment, I assure you, but the amount of pain and anguish we had through over the years is unreal. Even now, when Paris is saved, we can’t just forget everything else that had happened. Augustin is still not home, Papa is still dead, and Helene had died in the battle. 

This whole experience had been much more than just a few years in my life. These years of occupation and of pain had shaped me into the person I am today. And I am just so grateful, that I can write here and be proud that through the hardships, through the suffering, we’ve been able to save ourselves from it all.

[sophieblanchet]

The time has come

August 19, 1944 - 5:12 am

The time has come. When I came out of my room this morning, I was dressed and ready for the battle. I carried my gun and had a ton of supplies stashed into my pack. It wasn’t the most professional thing ever, but I was ready to fight. 

Mama was ready too. She wore the FFI band I gave her on her right arm and wielded several kitchen knives. This is an important day. We were finally going to free France.

[sophieblanchet]

August 18, 1944 - 6:42 pm

I am so antsy right now. Tomorrow, we resistance fighters are going to fight against the Germans. I’m so excited yet so terrified as to what will happen then. Tomorrow is going to change everything. Whether for the good or for the bad, I don’t know.

To this day, Mama didn’t know that I was part of the resistance. She had thought that I was going to a job with a communications director in a hotel near the center of Paris. But earlier, this afternoon, I told her, “Mama. Tomorrow, the people of Paris are going to fight the Germans. Here is a resistance band. Wear it so that people know which side you’re on.” Surprisingly, she looked at me as if she fully understood what was going on. “I will fight with you,” she said. 

[sophieblanchet]

July 17, 1944 - 7:36 pm

We’ve started distributing leaflets and hanging up posters so that the people of Paris would know what’s going on. Most of these leaflets and posters just tell the people to fight, but that is the main message we should be saying.

We have to fight. No matter how hard the road is and no matter the troubles we may face, it is time for us to fight. The Germans have no more say in what we should do, we have to fight back and bring back the freedom that once walked the streets of Paris.

[sophieblanchet]

learning combat

July 9, 1944 - 8:37 pm

Earlier today, Colonel Rol told some of us people who were working in the communications area to go and learn a bit of combat training. Both Helene and I were confused as to what was happening. We didn’t need any combat training, as far as we could tell. We’ve been working in communications smoothly and there seemed to be not much use to learn combat. 

We had to take a train to the countryside, rural area of France. These are the areas where some of the resistance fighters fled to. But since Helene and I were working on the newspaper, it wasn’t right for us to flee Paris. When we were there, we learned how to fight hand-to-hand as well as how to handle guns. Using a gun was actually a lot of fun. 

I later asked Cécile Tanguy (Colonel Rol’s wife) why we were doing this and she said “to prepare us for the Liberation, of course.” I was shocked. I knew that we were probably going to be saved soon, but I had no idea that we, resistance members would be the ones fighting. 

Yet despite it, I know that I am ready to fight. To fight for my country. To fight for my Papa and for Augustin. I am ready to fight.

- Sophie Blanchet

[sophieblanchet]

A great day!

June 7, 1944 - 2:33 pm

I am so happy! Yesterday, the Allied soldiers came to France and attacked from the Normandy Landings. This is amazing! This attack really dug into the Germans’ minds. I’m so glad to be able to help print out the newspapers that talk about the Normandy Landings today. Hopefully, by printing out this news and distributing it, we can keep the morale up within our country. This occupation has been horrible for us, but the Normandy Landings are showing us that there is still hope in the future. 

I’m so sure that this event will be able to spearhead the resistance as we go to liberate France from the Germans! I’m so excited for then! 

- Sophie <3

[sophieblanchet]

March 7, 1944 - 12:34 pm

Being in the French resistance is a lot of work, but I’m sure that it will pay off soon. We have to make sure to keep a cover and stay under the navigation of the Germans, that way they won’t suspect that we are in the resistance. Helene and I have kept each others’ backs throughout it all, but it’s still terrifying, knowing that at any moment, the Milice might find us and torture us. 

So far, I’ve been working on the underground newspaper with Helene. The two of us help write some of the articles which are sort of fun because I’ve been able to learn more information about the war over the last few months than I had over the last few years. 

I think, soon, we might begin distributing leaflets to the regular citizens of Paris who aren’t part of the FFI.

^photo of one of the newspapers

[sophieblanchet]

It’s Augustin!

December 19, 1943 - 5:43 am

Hey guys it’s Augustin! I have to make this quick because I’ve currently snuck into the office of one of the German officers and logged into the account here real quick. 

So the STO has been absolutely horrible. This is basically a way for the Germans to get slave work from us, French people. The work conditions are horrible and I can’t believe that I’ve ended up in this condition. The Germans make us work all day long. It’s insufferable and we barely get any time to rest. The work here is incredibly hard to do as well, plus we barely get any food to eat. It’s been so hard to keep living like this. I miss my home and my family so much and I just wish to go home. 

(The forced labor)

[sophieblanchet]

October 8, 1943 - 11:59 am

I joined a resistance group. Its led by Henri Tanguy (a.k.a. Colonel Rol). The group is called FFI (French Forces of the Interior). The FFI’s leader is Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle has been making a lot of speeches about how we’d free France lately, and I have found them very inspiring. 

So here I am. I joined the resistance movement and coincidentally one of my classmates from high school was here as well. Helene Pierre and I made a pact that we’d have each other’s backs during the time of the resistance. Together, we swore ourselves into the group and well, now I’m part of the FFI.

- Sophie Blanchet

[sophieblanchet]

Opening a new chapter

September 16, 1943 - 2:12 pm

I can’t believe that Augustin left. It’s down me and Mama here at home now. But, Augustin was right. This war, this nuance has been going on for far too long now. We need to fix this.

The other day, Ms. Lambert came over and I heard her talking to Mama about the resistance of sorts. From the beginning of the occupation, I know that there have been sorts of resistance going on. I’ve seen the Milice in the streets. Men who were in charge of taking these resistance fighters and torturing them. I’ve been terribly afraid of these people, and I never even took thought to join a resistance group because of them. Yet, due to Augustin’s words… I might reconsider.

[sophieblanchet]

Bye Paris...

September 12, 1943 - 2:34 pm

Oh no… I just got drafted into the Service du Travail Obligatoire. Basically, all men from ages 21-22 are being sent to Germany to do service work for the Germans. I am 22, so I have to go. I can’t believe it. I’m so scared. Something might happen and- I can’t even think about it. I probably won’t be able to update you from there, but I promise that I’ll try. 

Both Mama and Sophie are devastated. Mama is back to crying and Sophie is trying to keep it together but I can see her breaking down behind her calm mask. I hope that everything will be okay. I will miss Mama and Sophie and I just never wanted this to happen. Yet I will go. It’s the only thing I can do. 

But heed me this: If you are free, fight. Please… fight. This war has gone too far… So take a look at your surroundings and observe them. It’s been damaged, so try to save it. This is how the damage can stop. You have to save it. 

Signing off, 

Augustin Blanchet

[sophieblanchet]

January 3, 1943 - 9:04 am

Sophie was right. She told me to wait a couple of months to see if the Germans will actually send home the prisoners of war and they never did. I can’t believe that I was so determined to do something for my country that I didn’t even bother to spot the painfully obvious holes in this scenario. Sophie is growing up and she seems to be much smarter than she was when the war began. 

I think that over the past few years, I’ve been so caught up in my hatred for the Germans and of helping our country that I haven’t been able to assess the area around us. This time has been so trying for us people here in France and I can’t believe that the Germans can just get away from it. It feels so bad to be here. It feels like the whole world is in ruins, and while I’ve been begging for a way to save it, I haven’t even begun to take a look at the damage that it had left behind. 

- Augustin Blanchet

[sophieblanchet]

November 21, 1942 - 9:45 am

It’s Sophie here. And yesterday Augustin told me that he wanted to volunteer for the Relevé. I think that he’s gone mad. It’s painfully obvious that this is another one of Germany’s schemes. These last couple of years have been treacherous and Germans have done horrible things and I can’t believe that Augustin is so blind as not to notice that this is another one of those horrifying things that the Germans have concocted. 

I know that Augustin has his reasons to go but I think that it isn’t worth it. I’m sure that the Germans aren’t actually going to send home the prisoners of war. We’ve been surrounded by members of this army for such a long time now and I’m sure that that is the case. I just hope that more people will not fall into the scheme of the enemy. 

- Sophie <3

[sophieblanchet]

November 17, 1942 - 5:39 pm

It’s Augustin again. A few days ago, the Germans invaded Vichy France. It was free once. Kind of like a promise for us people here in Occupied France. As in, part of us is still free and that there’s a chance at freedom once again. But now, they’ve been occupied by Germany, despite the armistice. 

But there’s a bit of promise I think. The Germans have also proposed a proposition that was once only available to those in Vichy France. It’s called the Relevé or the relief shift. Apparently, for every three service workers that volunteer to go to Germany, one prisoner of war will be sent home. On the top of my mind, I can think of five families who were separated because someone became a prisoner of war and the Germans refuse to send them home. If I volunteer to go, I’d be able to reconnect with a family and make them whole again. I can’t do that for my family, but maybe I can do it for others.

This is the perfect way to do something for my country and the people in my country. I think I want to volunteer, for my father’s sake. He sacrificed himself for other people, and I think it’s time for me to do the same.

[sophieblanchet]

October 4, 1941 - 1:32 pm

It’s Augustin here again. Because of Sophie, I’ve been doing my best to stay in line with the Germans. It’s surprisingly difficult to do so though. I still really want to avenge my dad, but I’ve kept it quiet for Sophie and Mama’s sake. Honestly, I don’t want to attack the Germans or anything. I just want to do something for our country. Papa loved France and I want to honor him by doing something for the sake of our country. But I’m not sure how to do something like that. Papa would know… I miss him so much.

[sophieblanchet]

Black market

July 22, 1941 - 11:47 pm

The rationing lately has been getting worse. We’ve been eating so little food every day it’s giving us a hard time to do work. Last year, Augustin graduated from high school and he just got a job working for a small shop owner. But because of the little rations, he’s been eating much less making it more difficult for him to work, in turn giving us less income for food. Today, Mama told me to get food. I had barely any money and everywhere you wanted to buy food, had incredibly high prices. But we were already close to starvation so I knew what I had to do. For the first time in over a year, I decided to break the law. Well… sort of. Every night, in the small alleyways of the city, farmers from the countryside sell their products in exchange for oddities that have a high value. The people in the countryside have a lot of materials whereas people in urban areas like Paris are always low on food. So this Black Market has helped the citizens to be able to have the bare minimum of food requirements to eat. 

I’m sure that Augustin has already been to the Black Market. He’s never said it, but a couple of times he’s come home with large fish or freshly butchered meat which we’d never be able to get with our ration cards and Augustin’s low income. But today Augustin had to work late so I had to go to the Black Market.

When I arrived in the most well-known alleyways (amongst the people), I was mesmerized as to how the system worked. I knew that you could purchase things with luxury goods (I brought a couple of necklaces I’ve had since I was young), but I didn’t expect the system to be so organized. Quietly, people, some of whom I’ve recognized, exchanged clothes, jewelry, or even newfangled machinery, for items of food with the farmers who have taken shop. 

I headed towards a makeshift stall that had a variety of vegetables and plants set up. The man behind the stall had crooked teeth and wore battered overalls, but I quietly exchanged a necklace for a bundle of vegetables. The exchange was quick and it mesmerized me as to how this whole system worked.

Once I got home, we had fresh vegetables in our fridge and I, for some reason, felt much more comfortable with the knowledge of the Black Market. I think that I might go back there again sometime soon. 

- Sophie <3