Georges Journois
Encyclopedia
Georges Henri Journois (13 November 1896 – 26 September 1944) was a French resistance fighter
and Brigadier General
who died in a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp in Wilhelmshaven
, Germany
.
Journois lived in the commune of Bosc-Bordel
in the Normandy
region of France, and went to elementary school there until he and his family moved to the commune of Buchy
in northern France in 1906. On 27 June of that year, Journois's mother died; his father remarried on 6 October 1908 to Anne Marie Grebeauval.
Following the move, Journois went to elementary school in Buchy. Later, he was sent to boarding school
at Armentières
in northern France. He was an excellent student and was accepted at the School of Arts and Crafts in Armentières where he hoped to become an engineer.
began in 1914, Journois was too young to be enlisted and stayed in school. One year later, on 13 April 1915, he was called up and enlisted into the 3rd Engineers Regiment. He was then transferred to the 101st Infantry Regiment on 29 May 1915 and was sent on the same day to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
(St. Cyr Special Military School) to become an officer. He stayed there until 1 September 1915 and was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer
. He was assigned to the 103rd Infantry Regiment on 2 October 1915 and, a few days later on 7 October, to the 130th Infantry.
He was deployed to the front on 5 December 1915. He fought with the 9th Battalion of the 130th Infantry until 25 March 1916, when he was transferred to the 412nd Infantry. In April, his battalion was in Champagne
at the Boyaux camp. He was temporarily promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant
on 29 June 1916. He was awarded his first Order of the Army Corps on 3 July 1916, making him a recipient of the Croix de guerre
with bronze star.
He stayed in the Verdun
area until May 1917, when he was lightly wounded in the face. His battalion took a position in Helly Ravine, close to the village of Fleury
, at Caurrières Wood. In the trenches at Caurrières Wood, he was briefly taken prisoner of war
. This action gave him his second Order of the Army Corps on 29 July 1917, the Croix de guerre with palm.
On 6 July 1917, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant
.
During July 1917 he saw action at Fort Vaux
at Fort Souville, in the Caillete ravines, and in Bazil. At the end of the July and in the August he took part in the attack retaking Vaucouleurs
, which got him back his War Cross with palm. In the September he fought at Andernay
.
In January 1918, the 412nd Infantry broke through Domrémy-La-Pucelle
. In the February and March, he was in a the Nomény
sector. In May, he was in the area of Croix-en-Ternois
, Pas-de-Calais. In the June and July, he was in the Verzy
area (Aisne) where he was wounded in the leg. He was promoted to Lieutenant
on 16 June 1918, and in July 1918 received his third medal: a Divisional Order of 27 July 1918 awarded him a Croix de guerre (Silver Star).
On 3 August 1918 he obtained his fourth citation, the Order of the Army Corps (Bronze Star).
In August and September 1918, he was treated at the hospital at Argentan
, Orne
.
On his return to his regiment in October 1918, he participated in an attack that earned him another medal, the Order the Army Corps (Red Star) on 3 December 1918. After the Armistice
, the Colonel commanding the 412nd Infantry was to award him a sixth citation, the Order of the Regiment (Bronze Star), dated 27 February 1919.
area (Aisne) until May 1919 before removing to Sorgues
(Vaucluse) to prepare for his departure to the Levant
, because after the war a national resistance movement against the Allies had developed in the Ottoman Empire
.
During the war Turkey
had been allied with Germany. The Paris Peace Conference
sought to apply the principles of self-determination
to the Arab
and Armenian
minorities, which endorsed the division of the empire between France
, Italy
, and Greece
. Even though the Sultan had accepted the Allies' propositions, the arrival of 20,000 Greek soldiers was enough to ignite Turkish opinion in a desire for revenge and to rally many supporters of the national movement of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
. The military uprising began on 5 August 1919.
Under the orders of General Gourand, French troops were sent to the Levant to relieve the British troops in Syria
and Cilicia
.
A company from this regiment, under Commander Mesnil, was designated to take up a position in Pozanti
. Journois, Mesnil's Assistant Officer, took part in this. He took part in preparing the support base to resist assaults and repel Turkish attacks. He took part in defense and in counterattacks. He suffered a siege, the French reinforcements having never arrived, and decided to return to the French battle lines. He participated in the night march to avoid the Turkish forces and fell with what was left of the battalion in an ambush; everyone became Turkish prisoners. He was held captive for a year and four months, from 30 May 1920 to 25 September 1921.
During this captivity, on 6 June 1920, he was named Knight of the Legion of Honor and upon his release, on 24 October 1921 he was inducted into the Order of the Army of Levant and received the War Cross in Foreign Operations, with palm.
. He served from 26 April 1922 to 28 April 1924. He was first assigned to a company and then became deputy chief officer of the battalion. In 1923, he was employed for company and platoon level instruction of junior ranks. He also served as a mathematics teacher for candidates at the National School for Active Servicemen in Saint-Maixent
. On 28 April 1924, he was seconded to Versailles
to take technical courses in reception and transmission . He joined his unit on 23 July 1924 and remained in Germany with the 23rd Algerians until 9 August 1925, when he posted back to make transmissions with the Army of the Rhine.
His regiment was assigned to serve in Morocco
, where he landed on 13 August 1925. He was posted on 23 August at the Moroccan state headquarters of the 3rd Marching Brigade until 3 March 1926 and took part in all operations. During the September and October he took part in all operations of the brigade (Bab Mezraoua, Sof Azeroual, Messaoud...) These operations earned him a Brigade citation on 15 February 1926 and so the War Cross with Bronze Star.
On 5 March 1926 he returned to France on duty leave and was made available to the General Commander of the Overseas Territories. On 22 June 1926, he was again ready to make another trip to Morocco. He was assigned to the 15th Regiment of Algerian Rifles and was in the ranks on 23 June 1926. He was posted on 26 June at the Group General Staff HQ in Fes
. He served as an officer of the 4th Office. In August, he was promoted to as an honorary captain. He performed many tasks to link on the front north and operations of the task of Taza. These acts earned him a citation to the order of the Army Corps with a star on the Vermeil Croix de Guerre des TOE dated 14 November 1926.
He also received the Colonial Medal
with vermeil
clip "Morocco 1925 – 1926".
on 9 November 1928. He took command of the 9th Company and served until 31 October 1930. During this time, he attained entrance to the School of War. During his stay in Colmar in the 152st Infantry, one of his companions (and future brother-in-law) got him permission to spend time at Bonnal, Doubs
, a small village where he met his future wife.
He was admitted to the Ecole de Guerre in Paris in the contest of 1930. He left 152st Infantry, and entered the School of the war on 1 November 1930 where he was a brilliant student. His studies and subsequent coursework over two years at the School of War were noted to be brilliant. He was the first in his class on 31 October 1932.
He was married at Besançon
on 8 April 1931, and on 14 February 1932, his first son, Jean Claude, was born in Paris.
He was assigned an internship at the General Staff of the 7th Military Region in Besançon where it was announced by the Superior School of War as a matter of choice. As an intern, he went through all the offices of the General Staff where he fulfilled all his duties satisfactorily. At the end of the probationary period, he remained assigned to the staff of the 7th Military Region and in mid-August 1934 he was posted to the 3rd Office. He served in 1935 and 1936, dealing with issues of "coverage" and the preparation of maneuvers to be performed by the divisions of the corps.
Meanwhile his second son Jacques was born in Besançon on 27 December 1933 and on 8 July 1936 his third son Pierre.
He left the General Staff of the 7th military region and on 1 November 1936 was assigned to the 60th Infantry Regiment to complete his commission. He commanded CA2, machine-gunners which he pulled into a remarkable team. He relinquished command of the 60th Infantry on 16 April 1937 and was entered in the competition to be named an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur
.
On 16 April 1937 he was assigned the command of 5th Battalion of Foot-Soldiers in Heather, Vosges with a mission to rebuild it into a combat unit. He was able to do this in a few months in spite of difficulties due to the dispersion of its various companies and an inadequate barracks.
He was promoted to the grade of Chief of the Bataillon (Commander) on 25 June 1937 and named Officer og the Légion d'Honneur on 2 December 1937.
His battalion was fully consolidated in Bruyères by mid-1937. In 1938 and 1939, he had got the unit all fighting fit and in the mobilization of September 1939 as a unit ready to fulfill its mission in an armored unit.
On 28 January 1940, he was assigned to the General Staff of the Commander in Chief on the front north-east, 3rd Office. During the active phase of operations, he was particularly distinguished by missions to the IX Army
in Belgium (Corapi Army) and the II Army
(General Huntziger) during the Battle of the Bulge
. He received the Order of the Army (Croix de Guerre with palm 39/45).
Falling back, the Supreme Headquarters moved south. Commander Journois was in Vichy
on 16 June, at Montauban
on the 21st, at Montélimar
on the 25th, at Capvern
on the 26th and in Bordeaux
the same day.
He was designated to be a member of the French delegation that was chaired by General Huntziger to the German Armistice. He went to Wiesbaden in Germany where the committee headquarters were located. He stayed from 29 June to 17 September 1940. There he saw, like all members of the Armistice, the German desire to humiliate "the vanquished". This stay was interrupted by short visits from German to France, two in July (he saw his family for four days on the second visit) and one in September.
Upon his return, on 17 September 1940 he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of State for War in Vichy, under General Charles Huntziger
the Secretary of State for War until Huntziger died in a plane crash on 12 November 1941.
Meanwhile, Journois was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
on 25 March 1941.
On 1 January 1942, he was assigned to the Office of the Admiral of the Fleet (Admiral Darlan) as deputy to the Chief of Staff, General Revers
. On 16 April 1942, he was transferred to the General Staff of the Commander in Chief of the military forces of Land, Sea and Air, where he acted as Deputy Chief of Staff.
Then began a period clandestine and covert activities.
with Admiral Darlan. He served in this capacity until 25 November 1942 when he was discharged as a result of the Anglo-American landings in North Africa and the invasion of Free France by the Germans. He went on leave in March 1943. He was recalled to duty on 25 April 1943 and appointed Commander of the Nice division. He was promoted to Colonel
on 25 May 1943. He assumed his post on 3 May 1943 and fulfilled his role until 1 November 1943 when he was released again.
Meanwhile, as of January 1943, Journois was appointed by his superiors in the underground, as head of the Resistance Army (ORA) in the Alpes-Maritimes region. The ORA was the organization he helped establish in 1942 when he was the Deputy to General Revers. Also in January 1943 he joined the network "Alliance" branch of "Druid" with the nickname of Marcelle Suzanne. He was one of the agents of the France P2 combatants. In June 1943, the unity of the resistance in the Alpes Maritimes cocooned him.
who was placed in the cell when he was arrested, he managed to earn their trust. He was arrested in Nice on 4 January 1944 with Captain Dupouy, his deputy. He was searched by Gestapo but continued fighting at his post . Denounced by a double agent who was in his resistance cell and who gained his confidence, he was arrested in Nice on 4 January 1944 with Captain Dupouy, his deputy.
Even when interrogated, beaten and tortured by the Gestapo
he did not give up secrets. He was incarcerated in a Nice prison, where his presence remained a secret until May 1944. On 18 May, as a result of negotiations by his stepfather with the German authorities from Lyon, Marseille and Nice, his wife and children were able to enter the premises of the Gestapo to visit him.
During his detention at Nice he was able to write seven "letters" to his family despite German censorship. He found an ingenious way to communicate secretly: filling his dirty laundry package with long, patiently-written letters printed in pencil on three lines of his pyjama cords. Prudence dictated that his wife washed out these writings. However, the last braid was retained. Time has erased these but the text was always kept having been transcribed onto paper.
Just before 25 May 1944 (the date of the solemn communion of his eldest son, who had helped his stepfather for the negotiations of 18 May), he was transferred to Marseille to the Baumettes Prison
. On 17 June 1944, the Germans evacuated the prison to Belfort (Territoire de Belfort
). The Allies' Invasion of Normandy had started a few days earlier, on 6 June 1944.
Faced with the possibility of another Allied landing on the Mediterranean coast (which would occur in August 1944), the resistance detainees were sent from Marseille to Fort Hatry in Belfort. The trip lasted four days and nights during which they traveled in cattle trucks. Upon arrival, they were crammed into cells.
Georges Journois shared his cell with Colonel Bernis from Monaco and Grimonet from Marseille, both of whom had the good fortune to be released from Belfort because their paperwork was missing. In the last days of their incarceration at Fort Hatry, a dozen senior officers were gathered together in one cell, including the following:
On 28 August 1944 (also the date that Nice was liberated), a convoy of trucks was formed, crammed with prisoners from Fort Hatry and from the west of France. The trip in cattle trucks lasted four days, with no straw and little food. On 1 September 1944, Journois arrived at the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg
, a concentration camp in northern Germany.
The prisoners were transferred to the "quarantine" blocks. But for the great majority of them, this "quarantine" did not last. They were designated and grouped with other inmates of all nationalities who had arrived before them at Neuengamme to form a commando of more than 1,100 men. After being dressed in the prisoner's uniform of blue and white vertical stripes they were taken by train to the main German naval base on the North Sea: Wilhelmshaven
. This command, created by the Germans on the site of a former Hitler Youth
camp, is located 4 or from the arsenal, where they were sent to work making parts for pocket submarines.
The prisoners arrived on 5 September 1944. Initially they were supervised and guarded by the French SS (Charlemagne division). The Kapos
who supervised them had also been given a caretaker role by the Germans, and had the power of life or death over the prisoners for whom they were responsible. These prisoners were mainly held under German criminal law (Green triangle).
On arrival, Journois was assigned to Block 3 which would later be decommissioned. At the armoury, he worked in a small workshop beside the forge
, where he did ironmongery. He stayed there from 5 September 1944 to 25 September 1944, or 20 days. The schedule was as follows: Wake up, black water called "unsweetened coffee", marching ("the five"): a 5 kilometres (3 mi) route, work in the arsenal, dinner, a little bread and "unsweetened coffee". There were calls, endless talking about billets, at all hours. For food, only unusually was there some meat in the soup and a few times they saw a bit of jam or margarine.
After this "execution", he was taken to the "Revier" (hospital) where, after some treatment, he was back to his block. In the corner where a few officers had gathered, he was lying on his bench. The night passed and the next morning his friends found that he had died in the night. He was the first French Commander to die, only one Russian had preceded him. One of his companions called for a minute's silence in the block and everyone, whatever his nationality, respected it. The Kapos made them all aware that if such a thing happened again, there would be reprisals.
He was buried in a coffin in the cemetery of Wilhelmshaven, as were the first few victims that followed, but it did not last. After the war, his body was repatriated and he was buried in Besançon in the family vault.
Rue du Général Georges Journois
Martyr de la Résistance
1896 – 1944
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
who died in a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Early life
Journois was born on 13 November 1896 to Pierre Hyppolite Journois (4 March 1858 – 7 January 1935) and Henriette Grillière (7 February 1858 – 27 June 1906). Journois had a sister Georgette and a brother Roger, fraternal twins born on 21 April 1903. Roger died in infancy in December 1904.Journois lived in the commune of Bosc-Bordel
Bosc-Bordel
Bosc-Bordel is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.The inhabitants of the town of Bosc-Bordel are "Bordelois, Bordelois."-Geography:...
in the Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
region of France, and went to elementary school there until he and his family moved to the commune of Buchy
Buchy, Seine-Maritime
Buchy is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.The inhabitants of the town of Buchy are "Buchois, Buchoises."-Geography:...
in northern France in 1906. On 27 June of that year, Journois's mother died; his father remarried on 6 October 1908 to Anne Marie Grebeauval.
Following the move, Journois went to elementary school in Buchy. Later, he was sent to boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
in northern France. He was an excellent student and was accepted at the School of Arts and Crafts in Armentières where he hoped to become an engineer.
World War I
When World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began in 1914, Journois was too young to be enlisted and stayed in school. One year later, on 13 April 1915, he was called up and enlisted into the 3rd Engineers Regiment. He was then transferred to the 101st Infantry Regiment on 29 May 1915 and was sent on the same day to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
(St. Cyr Special Military School) to become an officer. He stayed there until 1 September 1915 and was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
. He was assigned to the 103rd Infantry Regiment on 2 October 1915 and, a few days later on 7 October, to the 130th Infantry.
He was deployed to the front on 5 December 1915. He fought with the 9th Battalion of the 130th Infantry until 25 March 1916, when he was transferred to the 412nd Infantry. In April, his battalion was in Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
at the Boyaux camp. He was temporarily promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 29 June 1916. He was awarded his first Order of the Army Corps on 3 July 1916, making him a recipient of the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)
The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
with bronze star.
He stayed in the Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
area until May 1917, when he was lightly wounded in the face. His battalion took a position in Helly Ravine, close to the village of Fleury
Fleury-devant-Douaumont
Fleury-devant-Douaumont is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, when it had been captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times, it has been unoccupied along with Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois,...
, at Caurrières Wood. In the trenches at Caurrières Wood, he was briefly taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. This action gave him his second Order of the Army Corps on 29 July 1917, the Croix de guerre with palm.
On 6 July 1917, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
.
During July 1917 he saw action at Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916 . Fort de Vaux , on the other hand ,...
at Fort Souville, in the Caillete ravines, and in Bazil. At the end of the July and in the August he took part in the attack retaking Vaucouleurs
Vaucouleurs
Vaucouleurs is a commune in the Meuse department.Joan of Arc stayed in Vaucouleurs for several months during 1428 and 1429 while she sought permission to visit the royal court of Charles VII of France.* Distance from Paris: -External links:* *...
, which got him back his War Cross with palm. In the September he fought at Andernay
Andernay
Andernay is a commune in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in north-eastern France....
.
In January 1918, the 412nd Infantry broke through Domrémy-La-Pucelle
Domrémy-la-Pucelle
Domrémy-la-Pucelle is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.The village, originally named Domrémy, is the birthplace of Joan of Arc. It has since been renamed Domrémy-la-Pucelle after Joan's nickname, la Pucelle d'Orléans .-Geography:Domrémy is positioned along the...
. In the February and March, he was in a the Nomény
Nomeny
Nomeny is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.South of Nomeny, there is a mediumwave broadcasting station, which works on 837 kHz with 300 kW. It uses two guyed masts with different height, which are both insulated against ground, as antenna. The tallest of them...
sector. In May, he was in the area of Croix-en-Ternois
Croix-en-Ternois
Croix-en-Ternois is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming town located 28 miles west of Arras at the junction of the N39 and D100 roads. Croix-en-Ternois is about south of Calais.-Motorcycle race track:Croix-en-Ternois has a...
, Pas-de-Calais. In the June and July, he was in the Verzy
Verzy
Verzy is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-Champagne:The village's vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru in the Champagne vineyard classification.-See also:...
area (Aisne) where he was wounded in the leg. He was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 16 June 1918, and in July 1918 received his third medal: a Divisional Order of 27 July 1918 awarded him a Croix de guerre (Silver Star).
On 3 August 1918 he obtained his fourth citation, the Order of the Army Corps (Bronze Star).
In August and September 1918, he was treated at the hospital at Argentan
Argentan
Argentan is a commune, and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in north-western France.Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N of Le Mans....
, Orne
Orne
Orne is a department in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne.- History :Orne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution, on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Normandy and Perche.- Geography :Orne is in the region of...
.
On his return to his regiment in October 1918, he participated in an attack that earned him another medal, the Order the Army Corps (Red Star) on 3 December 1918. After the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, the Colonel commanding the 412nd Infantry was to award him a sixth citation, the Order of the Regiment (Bronze Star), dated 27 February 1919.
Cilician campaign
After the German surrender, Journois chose to stay in the army and continued his service in the 412nd Infantry. He remained in the LaonLaon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
area (Aisne) until May 1919 before removing to Sorgues
Sorgues
Sorgues is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is also the name of a river running through the area. The Sorgues River is a tributary of the Rhone which begins at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse....
(Vaucluse) to prepare for his departure to the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, because after the war a national resistance movement against the Allies had developed in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
During the war Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
had been allied with Germany. The Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
sought to apply the principles of self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
to the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
minorities, which endorsed the division of the empire between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Even though the Sultan had accepted the Allies' propositions, the arrival of 20,000 Greek soldiers was enough to ignite Turkish opinion in a desire for revenge and to rally many supporters of the national movement of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
. The military uprising began on 5 August 1919.
Under the orders of General Gourand, French troops were sent to the Levant to relieve the British troops in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
.
A company from this regiment, under Commander Mesnil, was designated to take up a position in Pozanti
Pozanti
Pozantı is a small city and a large district in Adana Province of Turkey, on the main road from the city of Adana up across the Taurus Mountains. Pozantı stands in the foothills, at the bottom of a rare pass through these high mountains...
. Journois, Mesnil's Assistant Officer, took part in this. He took part in preparing the support base to resist assaults and repel Turkish attacks. He took part in defense and in counterattacks. He suffered a siege, the French reinforcements having never arrived, and decided to return to the French battle lines. He participated in the night march to avoid the Turkish forces and fell with what was left of the battalion in an ambush; everyone became Turkish prisoners. He was held captive for a year and four months, from 30 May 1920 to 25 September 1921.
During this captivity, on 6 June 1920, he was named Knight of the Legion of Honor and upon his release, on 24 October 1921 he was inducted into the Order of the Army of Levant and received the War Cross in Foreign Operations, with palm.
War of the Rif
On his return to France at the end of the campaign, he took leave and then was assigned to the 23rd Algerian Infantry Regiment ("Skirmishers") in occupied Germany at WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
. He served from 26 April 1922 to 28 April 1924. He was first assigned to a company and then became deputy chief officer of the battalion. In 1923, he was employed for company and platoon level instruction of junior ranks. He also served as a mathematics teacher for candidates at the National School for Active Servicemen in Saint-Maixent
Saint-Maixent
Saint-Maixent is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
. On 28 April 1924, he was seconded to Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
to take technical courses in reception and transmission . He joined his unit on 23 July 1924 and remained in Germany with the 23rd Algerians until 9 August 1925, when he posted back to make transmissions with the Army of the Rhine.
His regiment was assigned to serve in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where he landed on 13 August 1925. He was posted on 23 August at the Moroccan state headquarters of the 3rd Marching Brigade until 3 March 1926 and took part in all operations. During the September and October he took part in all operations of the brigade (Bab Mezraoua, Sof Azeroual, Messaoud...) These operations earned him a Brigade citation on 15 February 1926 and so the War Cross with Bronze Star.
On 5 March 1926 he returned to France on duty leave and was made available to the General Commander of the Overseas Territories. On 22 June 1926, he was again ready to make another trip to Morocco. He was assigned to the 15th Regiment of Algerian Rifles and was in the ranks on 23 June 1926. He was posted on 26 June at the Group General Staff HQ in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. He served as an officer of the 4th Office. In August, he was promoted to as an honorary captain. He performed many tasks to link on the front north and operations of the task of Taza. These acts earned him a citation to the order of the Army Corps with a star on the Vermeil Croix de Guerre des TOE dated 14 November 1926.
He also received the Colonial Medal
Colonial Medal
The Colonial Medal was a French decoration created by the "loi de finances" of 26 July 1893 to reward "military services in the colonies, resulting from participation in military operations, in a colony or a protectorate"...
with vermeil
Vermeil
Vermeil is a combination of sterling silver, gold, and other precious metals, commonly used as a component in jewelry. A typical example is sterling silver coated with 14 carat gold. To be considered vermeil, the gold must be at least 10 carat and be at least 2.5 micrometres thick...
clip "Morocco 1925 – 1926".
Back in France
In 1927 he was seconded by the Chief of Staff as Chief Officer in charge of communications, then made responsible for instructing No 1 European Company and Platoon. At the end of June, he was seconded as an officer on an order from General Pétin (no link with Maréchal Pétain). On resuming his service, he prepared for the entrance examinations of the School of War. He remained with Pétain until June 1928. He was promoted to Captain on 26 March 1928. He left Morocco and at the end of his leave, he was posted to 152nd Infantry Regiment at ColmarColmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
on 9 November 1928. He took command of the 9th Company and served until 31 October 1930. During this time, he attained entrance to the School of War. During his stay in Colmar in the 152st Infantry, one of his companions (and future brother-in-law) got him permission to spend time at Bonnal, Doubs
Bonnal, Doubs
Bonnal is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:...
, a small village where he met his future wife.
He was admitted to the Ecole de Guerre in Paris in the contest of 1930. He left 152st Infantry, and entered the School of the war on 1 November 1930 where he was a brilliant student. His studies and subsequent coursework over two years at the School of War were noted to be brilliant. He was the first in his class on 31 October 1932.
He was married at Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
on 8 April 1931, and on 14 February 1932, his first son, Jean Claude, was born in Paris.
He was assigned an internship at the General Staff of the 7th Military Region in Besançon where it was announced by the Superior School of War as a matter of choice. As an intern, he went through all the offices of the General Staff where he fulfilled all his duties satisfactorily. At the end of the probationary period, he remained assigned to the staff of the 7th Military Region and in mid-August 1934 he was posted to the 3rd Office. He served in 1935 and 1936, dealing with issues of "coverage" and the preparation of maneuvers to be performed by the divisions of the corps.
Meanwhile his second son Jacques was born in Besançon on 27 December 1933 and on 8 July 1936 his third son Pierre.
He left the General Staff of the 7th military region and on 1 November 1936 was assigned to the 60th Infantry Regiment to complete his commission. He commanded CA2, machine-gunners which he pulled into a remarkable team. He relinquished command of the 60th Infantry on 16 April 1937 and was entered in the competition to be named an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
On 16 April 1937 he was assigned the command of 5th Battalion of Foot-Soldiers in Heather, Vosges with a mission to rebuild it into a combat unit. He was able to do this in a few months in spite of difficulties due to the dispersion of its various companies and an inadequate barracks.
He was promoted to the grade of Chief of the Bataillon (Commander) on 25 June 1937 and named Officer og the Légion d'Honneur on 2 December 1937.
His battalion was fully consolidated in Bruyères by mid-1937. In 1938 and 1939, he had got the unit all fighting fit and in the mobilization of September 1939 as a unit ready to fulfill its mission in an armored unit.
The Battle of France
After the declaration of war, Journois noted with regret and sorrow that he could not order a battalion fire. In view of his value and his moments of brilliance, he was posted on 2 October 1939 at the Supreme Headquarters of the territory of operations in the north-east at 310th Office.On 28 January 1940, he was assigned to the General Staff of the Commander in Chief on the front north-east, 3rd Office. During the active phase of operations, he was particularly distinguished by missions to the IX Army
Ninth Army (France)
The Ninth Army was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. It initially was the only part of the French army that faced the Germans directly as they came unexpectedley through the Ardennes during the early stages of the Fall of France.-World War I:*General Ferdinand...
in Belgium (Corapi Army) and the II Army
Second Army (France)
The Second Army was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. The Army became famous for fighting the Battle of Verdun in 1916 under Philippe Pétain.-World War I:*General de Curières de Castelnau...
(General Huntziger) during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. He received the Order of the Army (Croix de Guerre with palm 39/45).
Falling back, the Supreme Headquarters moved south. Commander Journois was in Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
on 16 June, at Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
on the 21st, at Montélimar
Montélimar
Montélimar is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.-History:...
on the 25th, at Capvern
Capvern
Capvern is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
on the 26th and in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
the same day.
He was designated to be a member of the French delegation that was chaired by General Huntziger to the German Armistice. He went to Wiesbaden in Germany where the committee headquarters were located. He stayed from 29 June to 17 September 1940. There he saw, like all members of the Armistice, the German desire to humiliate "the vanquished". This stay was interrupted by short visits from German to France, two in July (he saw his family for four days on the second visit) and one in September.
Upon his return, on 17 September 1940 he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of State for War in Vichy, under General Charles Huntziger
Charles Huntziger
Charles Huntziger was a French Army general during World War I and World War II.Born at Lesneven , he graduated from Saint-Cyr in 1900 and joined the colonial infantry. During World War I he served in the Middle Eastern theatre. He was chief of staff of operations of the Allied Expeditionary Force...
the Secretary of State for War until Huntziger died in a plane crash on 12 November 1941.
Meanwhile, Journois was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on 25 March 1941.
On 1 January 1942, he was assigned to the Office of the Admiral of the Fleet (Admiral Darlan) as deputy to the Chief of Staff, General Revers
Revers
A revers or rever is a garment or part of a garment that is reversed to display the lining or facing outside. The word is a corruption of reverse. This is most commonly the lapels or cuffs, and the term is mostly used when they are made in a contrasting material...
. On 16 April 1942, he was transferred to the General Staff of the Commander in Chief of the military forces of Land, Sea and Air, where he acted as Deputy Chief of Staff.
Then began a period clandestine and covert activities.
The underground
With General Revers, who was his leader in hiding, Journois chaired a number of secret meetings during which he studied the possibilities of resistance to the enemy and the establishment and organization of resistance networks. During this time, he travelled to North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
with Admiral Darlan. He served in this capacity until 25 November 1942 when he was discharged as a result of the Anglo-American landings in North Africa and the invasion of Free France by the Germans. He went on leave in March 1943. He was recalled to duty on 25 April 1943 and appointed Commander of the Nice division. He was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 25 May 1943. He assumed his post on 3 May 1943 and fulfilled his role until 1 November 1943 when he was released again.
Meanwhile, as of January 1943, Journois was appointed by his superiors in the underground, as head of the Resistance Army (ORA) in the Alpes-Maritimes region. The ORA was the organization he helped establish in 1942 when he was the Deputy to General Revers. Also in January 1943 he joined the network "Alliance" branch of "Druid" with the nickname of Marcelle Suzanne. He was one of the agents of the France P2 combatants. In June 1943, the unity of the resistance in the Alpes Maritimes cocooned him.
Denunciation and arrest
After his release, Journois returned full time to the underground resistance. Although easily discovered by the Gestapo, he remained at his post, fighting. Identified by a double agentDouble agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
who was placed in the cell when he was arrested, he managed to earn their trust. He was arrested in Nice on 4 January 1944 with Captain Dupouy, his deputy. He was searched by Gestapo but continued fighting at his post . Denounced by a double agent who was in his resistance cell and who gained his confidence, he was arrested in Nice on 4 January 1944 with Captain Dupouy, his deputy.
Even when interrogated, beaten and tortured by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
he did not give up secrets. He was incarcerated in a Nice prison, where his presence remained a secret until May 1944. On 18 May, as a result of negotiations by his stepfather with the German authorities from Lyon, Marseille and Nice, his wife and children were able to enter the premises of the Gestapo to visit him.
During his detention at Nice he was able to write seven "letters" to his family despite German censorship. He found an ingenious way to communicate secretly: filling his dirty laundry package with long, patiently-written letters printed in pencil on three lines of his pyjama cords. Prudence dictated that his wife washed out these writings. However, the last braid was retained. Time has erased these but the text was always kept having been transcribed onto paper.
Just before 25 May 1944 (the date of the solemn communion of his eldest son, who had helped his stepfather for the negotiations of 18 May), he was transferred to Marseille to the Baumettes Prison
Baumettes Prison
Baumettes prison is a prison in the 9th arrondissement of Marseille. The prison is named after the district of Les Baumettes where it was constructed between 1933 and 1939...
. On 17 June 1944, the Germans evacuated the prison to Belfort (Territoire de Belfort
Territoire de Belfort
The Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
). The Allies' Invasion of Normandy had started a few days earlier, on 6 June 1944.
Faced with the possibility of another Allied landing on the Mediterranean coast (which would occur in August 1944), the resistance detainees were sent from Marseille to Fort Hatry in Belfort. The trip lasted four days and nights during which they traveled in cattle trucks. Upon arrival, they were crammed into cells.
Georges Journois shared his cell with Colonel Bernis from Monaco and Grimonet from Marseille, both of whom had the good fortune to be released from Belfort because their paperwork was missing. In the last days of their incarceration at Fort Hatry, a dozen senior officers were gathered together in one cell, including the following:
- Colonel Piton from NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, died 26 January 1945 - Colonel Souquieres from GapGap, Hautes-AlpesGap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
died 10 November 1944 - Lieutenant-Colonel Ribiollet from Gap, died 3 May 1945
- Colonel Journois from Nice, died 26 September 1944
- Bernis from Monaco, freed at Belfort
- Lieutenant Colonel Berrurier from GardGardGard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
, died 11 April 1945 - Colonel Vitrat from Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, died 17 December 1944
On 28 August 1944 (also the date that Nice was liberated), a convoy of trucks was formed, crammed with prisoners from Fort Hatry and from the west of France. The trip in cattle trucks lasted four days, with no straw and little food. On 1 September 1944, Journois arrived at the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, a concentration camp in northern Germany.
At the Neuengamme camp
The SS, with fierce dogs, guarded the prisoners while the trucks went to the death schlague. The trucks were taken to the camp and parked in the dirt under a large brick building. The prisoners were crowded, tight against each other and the wait began. They waited until groups they were called, stripped, their belongings taken, shorn, registered and tattooed on the forearm. Journois became the number "43936". he had to learn this number in German by heart so as to respond as soon as it was called, on pain of being beaten with batons.The prisoners were transferred to the "quarantine" blocks. But for the great majority of them, this "quarantine" did not last. They were designated and grouped with other inmates of all nationalities who had arrived before them at Neuengamme to form a commando of more than 1,100 men. After being dressed in the prisoner's uniform of blue and white vertical stripes they were taken by train to the main German naval base on the North Sea: Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
. This command, created by the Germans on the site of a former Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
camp, is located 4 or from the arsenal, where they were sent to work making parts for pocket submarines.
The prisoners arrived on 5 September 1944. Initially they were supervised and guarded by the French SS (Charlemagne division). The Kapos
Kapo (concentration camp)
A kapo was a prisoner who worked inside German Nazi concentration camps during World War II in any of certain lower administrative positions. The official Nazi word was Funktionshäftling, or "prisoner functionary", but the Nazis commonly referred to them as kapos.- Etymology :The origin of "kapo"...
who supervised them had also been given a caretaker role by the Germans, and had the power of life or death over the prisoners for whom they were responsible. These prisoners were mainly held under German criminal law (Green triangle).
On arrival, Journois was assigned to Block 3 which would later be decommissioned. At the armoury, he worked in a small workshop beside the forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
, where he did ironmongery. He stayed there from 5 September 1944 to 25 September 1944, or 20 days. The schedule was as follows: Wake up, black water called "unsweetened coffee", marching ("the five"): a 5 kilometres (3 mi) route, work in the arsenal, dinner, a little bread and "unsweetened coffee". There were calls, endless talking about billets, at all hours. For food, only unusually was there some meat in the soup and a few times they saw a bit of jam or margarine.
Assassination
On 25 September 1944, upon her return to work, his studio rapport woman reported the number 43936, George Journois for some "misconduct" committed. He was called to the center of the square of Appeal, and was savagely beaten by the rapport men. He stood up and asked to be treated as an officer prisoner and not as a regular prisoner. The rapport continued to bludgeon him then called timeout as they were tired. They came back later and continued to badger him.After this "execution", he was taken to the "Revier" (hospital) where, after some treatment, he was back to his block. In the corner where a few officers had gathered, he was lying on his bench. The night passed and the next morning his friends found that he had died in the night. He was the first French Commander to die, only one Russian had preceded him. One of his companions called for a minute's silence in the block and everyone, whatever his nationality, respected it. The Kapos made them all aware that if such a thing happened again, there would be reprisals.
He was buried in a coffin in the cemetery of Wilhelmshaven, as were the first few victims that followed, but it did not last. After the war, his body was repatriated and he was buried in Besançon in the family vault.
Awards and recognition
- On 15 October 1945, he posthumously received the Médaille de la RésistanceMédaille de la RésistanceThe French Médaille de la Résistance was awarded by General Charles de Gaulle "to recognise the remarkable acts of faith and of courage that, in France, in the empire and abroad, have contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy and against its accomplices since June 18,...
, and on 6 May 1946 Bernard Montgomery awarded him a "Certificate of Service". On that day he was commissioned to the rank of Brigadier-General, 20 August 1944
- Decision 900 of 30 March 1954 by the French Minister of National Defense gave him a posthumous Croix de Guerre with palm: "Member of the French Forces of the InteriorFrench Forces of the InteriorThe French Forces of the Interior refers to French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as France's status changed from that of an occupied nation...
" (FFI). Arrested 4 January 1944 for acts of resistance. Deported to Germany 29 August 1944, died 31 October 1944." The actual date of his death was 26 September 1944.
- La carte de Déporté Résistant lui est attribué le 23 July 1951 ce qui lui vaut la médaille de la Déportation pour faits de Résistance.
- La carte de combattant volontaire de la résistance lui est attribuée le 4 December 1951 qui donne droit à la Croix du Combattant Volontaire de la Résistance.
- He also received the Médaille Commémorative de la Guerre 1939–1945 (Commemorative War Medal).
- Journois's body was exhumed from the Wilhelmshaven cemetery on 9 February 1949. Transferred to the French, the body arrived at Bad EmsBad EmsBad Ems is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the county seat of the Rhein-Lahn rural district and is well known as a bathing resort on the river Lahn...
in the French Zone of Occupation on 11 February 1949 where a homage was given to their glorioux soules by a delegation of officers and ranks. It was delivered to Strasbourg on 12 February 1949 from where it travelled to Besançon until 9 March 1949. It was with the Bescançon town council on 11 March 1949 who placed his coffin in a Chapel of Rest at the Town Hall. Military honours were given on 16 March 1949. After a religious ceremony in the Saint Peter Basilica, the coffin was placed on a prolonge d'artillerie , and crossed the town of Besançon where the 27the Regiment of the Infantry of the Line gave their honours. An officer carried his decorations on a cushion and followed the funeral procession. On arriving at the cemetery, his coffin was carried to the family grave on the shoulders of six Army men.. After the burial, three homages were given to him by Monsieur Baverel, the erstwhile concentration camp prisoner, by the Mayor of Besançon, and by Colonel Guenin, the Besançon Army Commander.
- Six years later, on Sunday 18 September 1955, the city of Buchy, Seine-MaritimeBuchy, Seine-MaritimeBuchy is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.The inhabitants of the town of Buchy are "Buchois, Buchoises."-Geography:...
(where he had lived as a child) named a street after him, with plaques engraved:
- His name also appears on the war memorial at Buchy and the Deportation Monument at the Chaprais Cemetery at Besançon.