The War and the Choice to Resist

This thread traces the narrator’s transformation from confident airman into a rebel who refuses the armistice and joins the continuing struggle.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The War Begins

The War Begins Confidence in France He enters the war believing that France cannot be defeated. His mother’s patriotic faith has made defeat seem not merely unlikely but incompatible with justice. A soldier’s assignment At Salon-de-Provence he serves as an air gunnery instructor. His mother visits with provisions and treats the base as an extension of her family’s affairs.

France in Retreat

France in Retreat A collapsing front German advances shatter the narrator’s expectation of a last-minute French victory. He initially interprets each defeat as a prelude to a brilliant reversal. The machinery of surrender At Bordeaux, political stories and military confusion obscure the country’s collapse. His devotion is tested by leaders who fail to match his belief.

Choosing England

Choosing England Refusing the end He tries to leave Bordeaux-Mérignac for England with fellow airmen, but their aircraft crashes during its trial run. The attempt reveals both his urgency and the disintegration around him. A final call home With communications failing, he reaches his mother by telephone. Their parting words carry love and defiance into the silence of the defeated country.

The Route Through Africa

The Route Through Africa A risky escape He travels through North Africa, joins others trying to reach the continuing war, and boards the Oakrest to Gibraltar. At each stage, official restrictions threaten to trap him in the armistice. Loyalty amid betrayal The attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir shocks him, but he concludes that Britain’s continued resistance still matters. He swims toward a French destroyer and finds passage to England.

A War of Limited Triumphs

A War of Limited Triumphs Service and frustration He joins the Free French Air Force but spends long stretches in training, crashes, and missions that do not match the heroic work he imagined. Recognition and return He receives the Cross of the Liberation and later a diplomatic appointment. These achievements make his return to France seem imminent, though they cannot restore the world he left.

September 1939

June 1940

June 1940, after the armistice

Summer 1940

1940 to 1944