Montpellier honours British World War Two hero with memorial stone
His daughter travelled from London to attend the unveiling ceremony in southern France
Michaël Delafosse, the Mayor of Montpellier, invited Julia Korner to join him in laying the wreath on behalf of the City of MontpellierCécile Marson / Montpellier Métropole et Ville
Montpellier paid tribute to a British World War Two hero, Andrew Croft, on May 8, VE Day, with a commemorative stone placed in Place des Martyrs (a square dedicated to local Resistance figures) to commemorate the occasion.
His daughter, Julia Korner, and other family members attended the ceremony alongside Michaël Delafosse, the Mayor of Montpellier.
The commemoration took place just before the official Victory Day ceremony, in a more intimate setting. A memorial stone was installed in Place des Martyrs, where flowers were laid, along with small British and French flags placed on the stone.
The commemorative stone(photo credit: Cécile Marson / Montpellier Métropole et Ville)
“Throughout his life, my father remained committed to a better world. I am deeply touched by the attention of the City of Montpellier, as is my family,” Ms Korner said, according to the city’s town hall.
“These names inscribed on the ground in the square are a very moving idea because, given their number, it shows that no one has been forgotten,” she added.
The story of Major Andrew Croft
Major Croft arrived in France between August 16 and 17, 1944, as part of a parachute landing in the Hérault region on the heights of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières during Operation ‘Snow White’, a mission conducted by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), often referred to as ‘Churchill’s secret service.’
The SOE was a British organisation created by Winston Churchill during World War Two. Its role was to carry out secret missions in occupied Europe and support resistance movements working against Nazi Germany.
In southern France, the goal of the operation was to slow down German forces retreating after the Allied landings in Provence. This was done by targeting supply routes, especially secondary roads, as well as bridges, in order to disrupt troop movements and reinforcements.
After landing, Major Croft and his small British commando unit were met by members of the Bir Hakeim resistance group. This came in the aftermath of the Battle of La Parade, where several resistance fighters lost their lives.
He then worked alongside François Rouan, known by the code name Montaigne, helping to reorganise the maquis (a rural resistance group) and take part in sabotage operations and ambushes against German columns.
Before the war, Major Croft had been a polar explorer, including a dog-sled expedition to the North Pole, for which he received the Polar Medal from King George VI.
He remained with the Bir Hakeim maquis until the liberation of Montpellier on August 25, 1944.
During the official ceremony with Julia Korner (his daughter) and Michaël Delafosse(photo credit: Cécile Marson / Montpellier Métropole et Ville)
His name is now inscribed on the cobblestones among those resistance fighters who had not previously been formally honoured but who contributed to the victory against Nazism. “Our flags are linked on this cobblestone, just as we are bound by our shared history: facing the challenges of the present world and shaping its future. It is a beautiful symbol,” Michaël Delafosse, the Mayor of Montpellier said during his speech.
